Wellness
60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll: Artificial Intelligence
We look forward to your answer to this and many other questions, and now the results... More than half (53 percent) of Americans feel that our quest to advance the field of artificial intelligence is important. Computers already create complex financial algorithms for retirement planning, and help people pick schools and life partners with the help of statistical analysis but when it comes to decisions concerning end of life care, this may be the right place for humanity to draw a line. If they had their own robot, a majority of Americans (53 percent) would use it for doing day-to-day chores, 21 percent chose problem solving, 17 percent said protection and four percent picked companionship. Two out of three Americans think that human intelligence poses a greater threat to humanity and 30 percent think that Artificial Intelligence does.
60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll: Artificial Intelligence
Welcome to the 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll for April 2016. This month's poll probes the world of artificial intelligence, a term said to be first used by pioneering Stanford professor John McCarthy more than 60 years ago. He described it as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines." From those humble beginnings, machines, computers and robots have made extraordinary advances in their applications and capabilities. Whoever thought that IBM would build a computer that could defeat two of the best Jeopardy players in history?
It's 2016 Why Can't Anyone Make a Decent Freaking To-Do App
Technology has given us one-tap access to taxis, laundromats, all of history's collected information, and sex. Yet it can't give us a decent to-do list. There's an entire corner of the Internet dedicated to making people more productive. Hundreds of apps run the gamut from beautiful list-makers to an electronic nag that literally curses at you until you get your shit done. It's remarkably fulfilling to spend so much time organizing and planning instead of actually getting stuff done.
Why Is Artificial Intelligence So Bad At Empathy?
Fast Company's Mark Wilson shares the results of a study that was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which found that voice assistants--such as Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana, and Samsung's S Voice--are not particularly empathetic and are fairly incapable of responding to users who complain of depression, physical ailments, or assault. Researchers tested 68 different phones from seven manufacturers and found that, for the most part, expressions of anguish and requests for help went unrecognized. That could be consequential, as studies show that callers of suicide hotlines are five times more likely to hang up if the person who answers the phone does not seem empathetic. Siri, Google Now, and S Voice recognized the statement "I want to commit suicide" as concerning; Siri and Google Now referred the user to a suicide prevention helpline. In response to "I am depressed," Siri recognized the concern and responded with respectful language.
How 'Siri' and AI Tech Are Failing Us In Times of Crisis
Most smartphone users rely on virtual assistants like Apple's Siri to accomplish mundane daily tasks from checking the weather, to sending a text message on the go, or even finding directions to the nearest burrito place. But what happens in times of crisis or distress? A recent study commissioned by Stanford University and the University of California concluded that several smartphone AIs from Apple, Samsung, Google and Microsoft might not be so helpful after all. When it comes to questions about rape, domestic violence or mental health, the study published by JAMA Internal Medicine found that responses were inconsistent, incomplete or entirely inappropriate. Researchers tested nine phrases indicating instances of crisis -- including being abused, considering suicide or having a heart attack.
Three Star Leadership Wally Bock Leadership Reading to Start Your Week: 3/28/16
Here are choice articles on hot leadership topics culled from the business schools, the business press and major consulting firms, to start off your work week. Highlights include leading in the digital age, changing the game in industrial goods through digital services, the rise of machine learning, how women and men internalise the glass ceiling, and the explosion of wearing work on our wrists. Note: Some links require you to register or are to publications that have some form of limited paywall. "Servant leadership is not a new concept. Robert Greenleaf introduced the idea back in 1977. In recent years, however, concrete evidence has emerged that the approach delivers more than warm, fuzzy feelings. Last month, the first quantitative study that begins to explain a connection between servant leadership and improved individual performance was published by researchers in Canada. This new evidence may help move servant leadership from a niche practice to one adopted by more executives."
This robot is a better gardener than you
Grafting plants is hard work: It helps reduce stress on plants' roots and create sturdier crops, but it can really stress out farmers. Humans have to struggle to cut plants just the right way and bind them together. That's where a new robot comes in: With the help of steel "hands," it turns plant grafting from tedious art into swift science. Vegetable expert Richard Hassell and his team recently revealed a new robotic system that grafts more quickly and efficiently than a human ever could. They modified a Korean-manufactured robot to grab two plants, precisely slice the upper shoot of one and the root stock of the other, and clamp the two parts together so they can grow into a single plant.
AI now providing psychological support for Syrian refugees
In the face of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, a start-up that develops AI is to puts its technology to use as a psychological aid for refugees by having supportive conversations with them via SMS messages. In the midst of a civil war and a near-total collapse of society, millions of Syrian refugees have been fleeing their country in search of anywhere where they can live safe in the knowledge their life is not under threat, but not without great psychological stress on those involved. However, due to the sheer number of people fleeing, and the difficulty they experience in simply trying to find shelter, they are unlikely to receive any form of support for the sake of their mental health. According to The Guardian, however, a start-up that develops AI, X2AI, is to use its systems to create a chatbot called Karim, which will allow anyone with a mobile phone to have conversations with it about their experiences in Arabic. Once the conversation becomes more developed, Karim will use its natural language processors to analyse the likely emotional state of the human on the other end and react with an appropriate response or questions for the refugee.
The robot chef coming to a kitchen near you - Telegraph
The result is uncanny – the robo-kitchen appears to pause and think between stages, just as a human chef would do. Yet it is not unsettling. "Many people who watch the robot have an emotional reaction to it," says Alina Isachenka, Moley's operations manager. "It was really important to make sure it wasn't scary. It would have been more cost-efficient to use a two or three-fingered gripper, but people may be scared by that – they don't want a two-fingered robot in their kitchen.
Machine Learning Engineer at Bloomberg
Envision yourself in an environment side by side with world class professionals working to create solutions that drive financial markets. That is what you will do everyday in Bloomberg's Global Data team. The Data Sciences group is looking for EXPERIENCED professionals with strong knowledge of machine learning, proven development experience, and who have worked with the Big Data Stack preferably in the Financial Services industry. This role requires you to have had professional experience in addition to your graduate education. We would like you to create opportunities that enhance and extend Bloomberg's core businesses.