This conference aims to bring together researchers running machine learning algorithms on a variety of computing platforms to foster discussions between them. The goal is to encourage algorithm designers for these platforms to help each other scale and transplant ideas between the platforms.

A post showing how to perform Image Segmentation using Fully Convolutional Networks that were trained on PASCAL VOC using our framework. In this post we want to present Our Image Segmentation library that is based on Tensorflow and TF-Slim library, share some insights and thoughts and demonstrate one application of Image Segmentation. To be more precise, we trained FCN-32s, FCN-16s and FCN-8s models that were described in the paper "Fully Convolutional Networks for Semantic Segmentation" by Long et al. on PASCAL VOC Image Segmentation dataset and got similar accuracies compared to results that are demonstrated in the paper. We provide all the training scripts and scripts to convert PASCAL VOC into easier-to-use .tfrecords Moreover, it is very easy to apply the same scripts to a custom dataset of your own.

The European Parliament has voted on a resolution to regulate the development of artificial intelligence and robotics across the European Union. Based on a raft of recommendations drafted in a report submitted in January to the legal affairs committee, the proposed rules include establishing ethical standards for the development of artificial intelligence, and introducing an insurance scheme to cover liability for accidents involving driverless cars.

Brands of all stripes have tried to capitalize on the rise of chatbots, coming up with everything from beauty advice and cocktail recipe bots to financial assistant bots. But given the sheer volume of inquiries brands get on their social channels, these automated interfaces have perhaps been most useful for brands' customer service initiatives. "Brands can use deep learning algorithms on top of their customer service logs through these chatbots to provide personalized responses in real-time," said Mikhail Naumov, president and co-founder at DigitalGenius. "Chatbots are very useful for customer service when done right." We asked four brands to share their biggest takeaways from using chatbots for customer service. Kia Motors Kia launched NiroBot in November 2016, tied to the introduction of its hybrid utility car, the 2017 Niro.

An algorithm that's able to accurately predict autism diagnoses in young kids could enable potental interventions to be made earlier. A team of researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a deep learning algorithm that can accurately predict whether a child at high risk of autism is likely to be diagnosed with the disorder in early childhood. The algorithm was able to predict with 81 percent accuracy whether a diagnosis of autism would be made for a child with an autistic sibling,. The deep learning tool was developed in conjunction with computer scientists from the College of Charleston as part of the Infant Brain Imaging Study, which focuses on early brain development among children with autism. By scanning their brains at 6 months old, a year old, and 2 years old, they were able to make some interesting discoveries.

Artificial intelligence research should be done publicly and for the public good, according to Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, who admitted to not initially recognizing the importance of AI. In a speech here at RSA, Schmidt argued that AI research "should be done in the open," lest the work encourage paranoia and suspicion between countries. "The research should be done for the benefit of the many, not the few, and should apply to every human," he said. Diversity of though is also important, he stressed. "More people looking at it means a better outcome," he said.

A new fertility technique allows doctors to replace defective DNA found within a mother's egg with the DNA from another female donor. The result is a baby born with the DNA of two mothers. The first three-parent baby may potentially be born around Christmas of 2017. A new fertility technique allows doctors to replace defective DNA found within a mother's egg with the DNA Scientists will discover the truth behind "dark matter" Dark matter, a mysterious type of matter that makes up a little more than a quarter of the universe, is several experiments away from being detected. Dr. Katherine Freese, an expert in the field of dark matter, says 2017 may be the year "the 80-year-old dark matter puzzle will finally be solved."

Spanish lender Banco Santander SA has invested in two artificial-intelligence companies, part of the financial industry's increased focus on technology smart enough to mimic human thinking, sources familiar with the deals told Reuters. The bank's venture arm, Santander InnoVentures, bought stakes in Personetics Technologies, which provides automated customer service, and Gridspace, whose software can learn and interpret language the way a person would, the sources said. The size of the investments could not be determined and the sources asked not to be named because they were not allowed to disclose the information publicly. The deals underscore how lenders have become more interested in using artificial intelligence for a wide variety of tasks, including hiring, spotting fraud, improving call centers and recommending products for customers. Personetics, which has offices in New York, London and Tel Aviv, creates "chatbots" that can respond to customer questions through popular messaging platforms like Facebook's (fb) Messenger.

Yes, after pulling herself out of her 1950's rut as a swimsuit model to become everything from a doctor, lawyer, computer scientist, astronaut and even the president of the United States, Barbie has now become a 3D-animated hologram that can serve up the weather on command. As first reported in Wired, The Hello Barbie Hologram debuted at the New York Toy Fair this week. And like the original Hello Barbie doll, her laser-beamed character combines motion-capture animation with peppy, Amazon Echo-like answers to your child's questions. Want to remind your child to brush their teeth? Hello Barbie Hologram does that, too.

Non-lethal weapons manufacturer Taser, also one of the leading body camera developers, announced last week that they are forming an artificial intelligence division within the company. Taser acquired two companies focused on artificial intelligence, Dextro and Misfit, hoping to create powerful surveillance tools that will allow police officers to scan people and objects both in real-time and retroactively. The company hopes to make it easier for law enforcement to scan hours of footage using keywords to zoom in on relevant images, such as searching for a gun or a specific car. Taser claims, however, that the software will not have facial-recognition capabilities just yet, but will simply detect faces for the purpose of redacting them from videos. "To clarify, Dextro's system offers computer vision techniques to identify faces and other objects for improving the efficiency of the redaction workflow. AI enables you to become more targeted when needed," Taser vice president of communications Steve Tuttle, told Vocativ.