MIT developed a deep learning algorithm capable of assessing physical interactions in videos and the sounds resulting from those interactions. The algorithm was then fed muted video clips of a drumstick hitting various objects and instructed to produce sound effects appropriate for each video. But the visual Turing Test is just one component of fully passing the Turing Test. MIT is currently developing an algorithm for passing the visual Turing Test, which is great for the machine learning community and is definitely a step towards having machines understand the consequences of interacting with different environments.

The Turing Test was designed by Alan Turing as a way of measuring how good a machine is at imitating human behavior. Passing the test means that the difference between a machine and human is imperceptible. In popular culture, the Turing Test is often portrayed as a computer attempting to seem as human as possible to the point where humans mistake it as one of their own. However, this is only one application of the Turing Test, which has different types. For instance, some machines can mimic human sounds while other can visually compete with what a human can do-- which is a large step toward autonomous vehicles.

Kepware Technologies, a software development business focused on industrial connectivity, has donated 10,000 to Acton Elementary School, in Acton, Maine, as part of its third annual school grant contest. With its headquarters in Portland, Kepware is committed to the advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and workforce development in Maine and abroad. The donation will enable Acton Elementary School students to hone mechanical and computer skills essential for building and programming autonomous robots. "The solution to Maine's shortage of engineering talent starts with education," said Tony Paine, Platform President, Kepware. "Local programs and institutions aimed at nurturing STEM curiosity can help encourage Maine's youth to explore rewarding careers in science and engineering. We're honored to be able to assist in these efforts by bringing information and technology into the lives of students."

One of the consistent characteristics of the tech industry is an endless labelling of technology and approaches. Some of it is foundational resulting from some entirely new. Much of it is re-categorizing something, either because it is suddenly trendy again or because a set of ideas have been organized in a new way. When I was in my 20s, I found this exciting. Now that I'm in my 50s and am used to this, I find it relaxing, as it makes me feel at home.

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence Apps and Platforms Briefing subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here. Job-seeking firm FirstJob debuted a recruitment chatbot called Mya on Monday, according to Venture Beat. The chatbot -- which the firm says will automate roughly 75% of the recruitment process -- uses a combination of artificial intelligence and natural language processing (NLP) to vet job applicants based on factors like qualifications and extra curricular activity, and to answer applicant questions regarding company culture, policies, and benefits. This will streamline the overall recruitment process, freeing up time for human agents to close deals and finish contracts.

If you can't be bothered chatting with Facebook's news and weather bots, maybe a pizza bot can change your mind. Pizza Hut is launching a Facebook and a Twitter chatbot this fall that can take your order and show you current deals. The Facebook bot even comes with something extra: it can connect your FB with your Pizza Hut account, so it can list your past orders. You know, in case somebody asks you to prove that you've never had Hawaiian before. But what if you eat healthy and don't like pizza?

The entire AI system learns your environment and optimizes performance in real-time. The Expert System makes decisions regarding which parameters to tune based on patterns fed by the learning module. The Expert System also creates Client Behavior Profiles and uses fingerprinting to tailor Device-to-Access Point interactions.

It is no doubt that the sub-field of machine learning / artificial intelligence has increasingly gained more popularity in the past couple of years. As Big Data is the hottest trend in the tech industry at the moment, machine learning is incredibly powerful to make predictions or calculated suggestions based on large amounts of data. Some of the most common examples of machine learning are Netflix's algorithms to make movie suggestions based on movies you have watched in the past or Amazon's algorithms that recommend books based on books you have bought before. So if you want to learn more about machine learning, how do you start? For me, my first introduction is when I took an Artificial Intelligence class when I was studying abroad in Copenhagen.

In his iconic Star Wars series, George Lucas envisioned a world in a galaxy far, far away, where, among other things, doctors were droids and bots. In this world, a droid surgeon fitted Luke Skywalker with a bionic hand after a fight with Darth Vader, a bot midwife oversaw the delivery of Princess Leia and droids treated Luke Skywalker for hypothermia after his rescue from the icy planet of Hoth. Time and time again, robots, rather than humans, provided healthcare. Lucas viewed medical care as algorithmic, and therefore well within the capacity of intelligent machines. Does the world of healthcare in the Star Wars films -- where bots are the new docs -- mirror our own not-so-distant future of medicine?

In a recent issue of Nature Scientific Reports, a multidisciplinary team of UCLA researchers combined a new form of microscopy called photonic time-stretch imaging with deep learning. With this powerful new technique, they were able to capture 36 million video frames per second. Not content with simply developing a new technique, the team then utilized the augmented microscope to determine which strains of algae provide the most lipids for subsequent refining into biofuels. They also were able to detect cancer cells more accurately and in less time than current techniques. Yes, one methodology that tackled both biofuels and cancer.