In our world, facial recognition is all about human biases, right?

Qu Jianguo, 64, had a futuristic medical visit in Shanghai as he put his wrist through an automated pulse-taking machine and received the result within two minutes on a mobile phone – without a doctor present. The small device, which has a half-open clasp that records the heartbeat, is one of the technologies developed by hi-tech firms aiming to help China offset its shortage of physicians by combining big data and artificial intelligence (AI). The machine made by Ping An Good Doctor was shown off at the 2018 World AI Expo in Shanghai at a time when Chinese policymakers are making a major push to turn the country into a global tech leader. "I came here to see how Chinese-style medical treatment could be done without a doctor. That would be really convenient," said Qu, a retired IT worker attending the expo.

AI is here and it's here to stay -- in retail and finance, those recommendations you get on Amazon. While still fairly unsophisticated, the direction of travel suggests rapid and wide-ranging applications in the near future that will touch on every aspect of our lives. But AI is not without its issues -- from data and privacy, law, equality. Instead, its applications can shape and reshape the world around us. My reason for this one is to share 5 fascinating one-off podcasts that highlight some of the complex issues in thinking through AI and its applications. Alongside the problems come a whole host of opportunities.

New Delhi: In recent months, the government has taken several steps to raise the bar on good governance in the corporate sector. Minister of state for corporate affairs P.P. Chaudhary, 65, an expert on constitutional matters, said in an interview that the government was working on a host of measures that will improve transparency in companies' affairs and improve ease of doing business in the country. For long, the corporate structure has been abused by some for tax evasion and money laundering. Do you think the steps taken so far effectively address this problem? We are gradually tightening the procedures.

Shawnna Hoffman, her co-leader Mr. Kuhn, and their IBM Cognitive Legal team, build Watson based Artificial Intelligence solutions and Blockchain solutions for lawyers world-wide. Ms. Hoffman serves as the Global Co-Leader for the IBM Cognitive Legal Practice driving global strategy and execution across clients, legal markets and internal groups. She was certified as an IBM Thought Leader in the capability of Consulting in 2015 and has two patents pending. Beyond all of this, she has co-authored the book "eDiscovery Plain & Simple" (ISBN-13:97814394079). She is also the Co-Founder of Diversity in Blockchain founded at the MIT Legal Forum for AI & Blockchain in 2017.

LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 SERIES – EUROPE, BRUSSELS: Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society (pictured), pledged to place the EU's underlying values and basic human rights at the heart of the artificial intelligence (AI) ethics debate, while urging a new collaborative approach to develop the technology. Gabriel said it was imperative to make sure the Commission's voice was heard during numerous discussions around AI ethics, as the international dimension of the technology grows. She said the world was already anticipating the consequences, some negative, brought around by AI, but insisted "we should not deprive ourselves from shaping up these changes". "It is our duty to ensure the technology is developed and safe, while accountability is clear. Choices should not be biased and we as humans [must] understand how the decisions are made," she said.

For too long, online consumers have been pitched the same kinds of clothes, the same types of opinions and the same sort of songs and over again, thanks to a like, an ad click or a Google search. We've been living in topical bubbles where our interest data is too often used to maintain our sensibilities rather than expand them. The fake news phenomenon is one of the biggest ramifications of these bubbles, but algorithms don't just impact our political leanings, they also influence our purchase decisions and almost everything we do with tech. What's more, an internal conflict among consumers puts businesses in a precarious position. On the one hand, 53 percent say they are concerned by data-driven ad retargeting and widespread support for new privacy legislation in GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 makes it clear that people are wary of how marketers use their information.

Netradyne, an artificial intelligence startup founded by two former Qualcomm executives, has raised $21 million in new funding Thursday to push forward the company's technology for commercial fleets. The new round of cash was led by Microsoft's corporate venture arm, M12, along with Reliance Industries, and Point72 Ventures. Reliance, based in India, previously invested $16 million in Netradyne's Series A. The San Diego company, founded in 2015, makes a sophisticated monitoring technology that can keep an eye on commercial vehicle fleets while on the road. The startup's small device mounts behind a rear-view mirror and acts as a computerized command center to capture 360-degree video of a vehicle's surroundings. The tool uses Netradyne's AI software to figure out if drivers are operating safely or not, picking up things like tailgating, speeding and getting in accidents.

Amid rage brewing on both sides of the political spectrum over testimony by Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh, it would be understandable if you missed some significant artificial intelligence news in Washington D.C. in recent weeks. This week, a group of four senators -- two Democrats, two Republicans -- put forward the AI in Government Act to do things like carry out unique research on federal AI policy, work across agencies, and form an AI advisory board similar to the one created by the European Union earlier this year. The bill has the support of Microsoft, Intel, and the Internet Association, an organization whose members represent some of the biggest tech companies in AI, including Amazon, Facebook, and Google. Last week, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and seven of her colleagues in the House and Senate signed and sent letters to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC) asking questions about their use of facial recognition software. The FTC and EEOC were asked things like how they address claims of discrimination that may be the result of algorithmic bias and if it has received complaints about facial detection in the workplace or as part of hiring practices.

Sinakhone Keodara reached his breaking point last July. Loading up Grindr, the gay dating app that presents users with potential mates in close geographical proximity to them, the founder of a Los Angeles-based Asian television streaming service came across the profile of an elderly white man. He struck up a conversation, and received a three-word response: "Asian, ew gross." He is now considering suing Grindr for racial discrimination. For black and ethnic minority singletons, dipping a toe into the water of dating apps can involve subjecting yourself to racist abuse and crass intolerance.