Advances in computer vision algorithms and the application of modern artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have made writing visual tests practical.

Outlining what automation, artificial intelligence and big data can do for air travel, the carrier's president Tim Clark laid out a vision in which robots, with …

If digital assistants ate lunch together, Alexa and Google Assistant would be at the cool kids' table. Everyone from Spotify to Starbucks to Lyft to TED Talks wants to sit with them. Apple's Siri, on the other hand, would probably sit off by itself, largely overshadowed by the other digital assistants in features and functionality. Sure, it doesn't work with nearly as many third-party services as Alexa and Google Assistant, although it does check some of the major boxes like Lyft, Uber, Fandango, Square Cash, WhatsApp, and Venmo. Plus, Siri has some key advantages that make using it a better experience overall.

To some, the phrase "artificial intelligence" conjures nightmare visions: something out of the '04 Will Smith flick I, Robot, perhaps, or the ending of Ex Machina when a boot smashes through the glass of a computer screen to stamp on a human face, forever. Even people who study AI have a healthy respect for the field's ultimate goal, artificial general intelligence, or an artificial system that mimics human thought patterns. Computer scientist Stuart Russell, who literally wrote the textbook on AI, has spent his career thinking about the problems that arise when a machine's designer directs it toward a goal without thinking about whether its values are all the way aligned with humanity's. A number of organizations have sprung up in recent years to combat that potential, including OpenAI, a working research group that was founded (then left) by techno-billionaire Elon Musk to "to build safe [AGI], and ensure AGI's benefits are as widely and evenly distributed as possible." What does it say about humanity that we're scared of general artificial intelligence because it might deem us cruel and unworthy and therefore deserving of destruction?

Fans of "Days of Our Lives" and other NBC shows will have to take a day off from their favorite programs on Thursday, June 7, as the programming schedule has been altered due to coverage of the French Open. According to NBC's programming schedule for the day, "The Today Show" will still air until 11 a.m. EDT with Megyn Kelly's block of the broadcast beginning at 9 a.m., followed by Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb's block at 10 a.m. However, at 11 a.m. EDT, the programming will switch to the network's coverage of the French Open. This will continue until 2 p.m. EDT, preempting the 11:00 News, "New York Live," "Days of Our Lives," and "Access Hollywood Live." A normal Thursday schedule resumes at 2:00 with "Steve." These scheduling changes will also be in effect on Friday, June 8.

Amazon's Fire TV Cube comes with a remote control but the idea is to mostly use your voice. "Welcome back," comes the reply. And with that, Amazon's obedient assistant turns on your television, sound bar and the lights in the room, without you having to fumble with a remote control. That's one of the scenarios you might set up with the aptly named, hands-free 4K Fire TV Cube media player that Amazon starts taking preorders on today for Prime members and that I got to preview a few days in advance. Amazon has already carved out a spot in many living rooms with its Fire TV set-top boxes and streaming sticks--without divulging numbers, Amazon claims it has sold the most video streaming devices by units.