Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming a buzzword in the technology industry. There has been a phenomenal growth in recent years in industries adopting artificial intelligence and Machine learning to automate operations and manufacturing processes. There is a marked shift to the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the finance, automobile and healthcare industries which will pave the way to transform many other industries as well. Some of us may ask, what is Artificial Intelligence and why is it so important? Artificial Intelligence or AI is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.

Matternet has long used Switzerland as a testing ground for its delivery drone technology, and now it's ramping things up a notch. The company has revealed plans to launch the first permanent autonomous drone delivery network in Switzerland, where its flying robot couriers will shuttle blood and pathology samples between hospital facilities. The trick is the Matternet Station you see above: when a drone lands, the Station locks it into place and swaps out both the battery and the cargo (loaded into boxes by humans, who scan QR codes for access). Stations even have their own mechanisms to manage drone traffic if the skies are busy. And the automation isn't just for the sake of cleverness -- it might be crucial to saving lives.

If you're interested in drone deliveries, it's likely because you want your internet shopping dropped at your door within an hour of clicking "buy." And while companies like Amazon are working to make that happen, complicated logistics and thorny regulations mean it's likely to be years before you start hearing the whir of rotors on your front porch. Yet drones are already proving their worth with more urgent, medical, missions. The latest of these comes from Silicon Valley startup Matternet, which has been testing an autonomous drone network over Switzerland, shuttling blood and other medical samples between hospitals and testing facilities. "We have a vision of a distributed network, not hub and spoke, but true peer-to-peer," says Matternet CEO Andreas Raptopoulos.

Lockheed Martin has released new footage from tests with its laser weapon system, revealing how'Athena' can deliver an invisible killing blow to take down an enemy drone. In the tests conducted last month at New Mexico's White Sands Missile Range, the prototype weapon successfully shot down five unmanned Outlaw aircraft. The hair-raising footage shows the moment flames burst from the tails of the flying drones one by one before they plummet toward the ground, as the silent attack causes both loss of control and structural failure. Lockheed Martin has released new footage from tests with its laser weapon system, revealing how'Athena' can deliver an invisible killing blow to take down an enemy drone. Lockheed Martin's laser is a beam combined fiber laser, meaning it brings together individual lasers, generated through fiber optics, to generate a single, intense laser beam.

New research has shown that there's a wide variation in the risk that unmanned aircraft, or drones, pose to people on the ground. The study involved collecting drone impact data from test dummies whose head and neck contained sensors to measure acceleration and force. The study is important because many of the most promising applications for these aircraft - including package delivery, public safety and traffic management - entail flights over people and raise the chance, however unlikely, of an impact between a drone and a human. New research has shown that there's a wide variation in the risk that unmanned aircraft, or drones, pose to people on the ground. Researchers at Virginia Tech assessed head and neck injury risks from three commercially available aircraft in a variety of impact scenarios.

Military drone pilots fighting so-called Islamic State could be awarded medals, the defence secretary has said. Sir Michael Fallon confirmed there would be a review of how servicemen and women were recognised for their contribution to UK operations. Medals are currently awarded on the basis of rigour and risk, and being physically exposed to danger. Sir Michael said a rethink may be needed as the UK increasingly deploys unmanned aircraft on operations. Speaking on a visit to British troops in Iraq, he said: "The changing character of warfare provides new challenges; not just about how we fight but also how we recognise and support those who serve. "As fighting has evolved we have adapted, ensuring our troops have cutting-edge equipment including unmanned systems operated from outside the battle space.

A lifeboat crew is trialling drones for use in sea search and rescue operations in what is thought to be a world first. The independent lifeboat service at Caister, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, has a fleet of drones fitted with lights and cameras which feed live video footage back to screens on the boat. This gives the lifeboat crew a better view of the water, and helps them find a person more quickly - potentially the difference between life and death. The drones launch from the front of the boat and perform an automatic box search around it. This gives the lifeboat crew a better view of the water, and helps them find a person more quickly - potentially the difference between life and death.

Mexico City was struck by a 7.1 earthquake Tuesday afternoon, leaving at least 116 dead and impacting an estimated 28 million others. The quake left widespread damage, power outages, cracked roads and toppled buildings throughout the city. Drone video captured in the aftermath of the quake revealed some of the damage. Footage showed at least one building virtually fully collapsed as people stood atop it and surveyed the devastation. The earthquake's epicenter was near the town of Raboso, approximately 76 miles southeast of Mexico City, the United States Geological Survey reported Tuesday.

Do you ever worry that you left the stove on in your home, or that someone has broken in? If so, a new flying drone could put you at ease. The camera-equipped drone, called Aire, can be controlled via a companion smartphone app, allowing people to see what's going on in their homes while they've popped out to work or are busy running an errand. The drone also works with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant to respond to voice-prompted commands, or can fly autonomously and detect anomalies and provide security alerts by recording a livestream of one's home. The camera-equipped drone drone, called Aire, has a jet propulsion system is hidden inside its body by a fabric exterior, making it quiet and safe for home use.

FILE PHOTO: A Patriot anti-missile battery is deployed in the northern city of Haifa, Israel August 29, 2013. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel shot down a pilotless aircraft that tried to enter its airspace at its Golan Heights frontier with Syria on Tuesday, the Israeli military said. Israeli media said a Patriot interceptor missile was used in the incident. Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. In four years, number of students with access to high-speed internet has increased tenfold.