Collaborating with humans requires rapidly adapting to their individual strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. Unfortunately, most standard multi-agent reinforcement learning techniques, such as self-play (SP) or population play (PP), produce agents that overfit to their training partners and do not generalize well to humans. Alternatively, researchers can collect human data, train a human model using behavioral cloning, and then use that model to train human-aware agents (behavioral cloning play, or BCP). While such an approach can improve the generalization of agents to new human co-players, it involves the onerous and expensive step of collecting large amounts of human data first. Here, we study the problem of how to train agents that collaborate well with human partners without using human data.

Anthony Jules is the CEO and co-founder of Robust.AI, a leader in AI-driven warehouse automation. The company's flagship product Carter, is built to work with people in their existing environments, without disrupting their workflows. Anthony has a career spanning over 30 years at the intersection of robotics, AI, and business. An MIT-trained roboticist, he was part of the founding team at Sapient, held leadership roles at Activision, and has built multiple startups, bringing a unique blend of technical depth and operational scale to human-centered automation. Robot Talk is a weekly podcast that explores the exciting world of robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous machines.

Collaborating with humans requires rapidly adapting to their individual strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. Unfortunately, most standard multi-agent reinforcement learning techniques, such as self-play (SP) or population play (PP), produce agents that overfit to their training partners and do not generalize well to humans. Alternatively, researchers can collect human data, train a human model using behavioral cloning, and then use that model to train "human-aware" agents ("behavioral cloning play", or BCP). While such an approach can improve the generalization of agents to new human co-players, it involves the onerous and expensive step of collecting large amounts of human data first. Here, we study the problem of how to train agents that collaborate well with human partners without using human data.

Creativity involves not only generating new ideas from scratch but also redefining existing concepts and synthesizing previous insights. Among various techniques developed to foster creative thinking, brainstorming is widely used. With recent advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs), tools like ChatGPT have significantly impacted various fields by using prompts to facilitate complex tasks. While current research primarily focuses on generating accurate responses, there is a need to explore how prompt engineering can enhance creativity, particularly in brainstorming. Therefore, this study addresses this gap by proposing a framework called GPS, which employs goals, prompts, and strategies to guide designers to systematically work with an LLM tool for improving the creativity of ideas generated during brainstorming. Additionally, we adapted the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) for measuring the creativity of the ideas generated by AI. Our framework, tested through a design example and a case study, demonstrates its effectiveness in stimulating creativity and its seamless LLM tool integration into design practices. The results indicate that our framework can benefit brainstorming sessions with LLM tools, enhancing both the creativity and usefulness of generated ideas.

Designing an efficient and resilient human-robot collaboration strategy that not only upholds the safety and ergonomics of shared workspace but also enhances the performance and agility of collaborative setup presents significant challenges concerning environment perception and robot control. In this research, we introduce a novel approach for collaborative environment monitoring and robot motion regulation to address this multifaceted problem. Our study proposes novel computation and division of safety monitoring zones, adhering to ISO 13855 and TS 15066 standards, utilizing 2D lasers information. These zones are not only configured in the standard three-layer arrangement but are also expanded into two adjacent quadrants, thereby enhancing system uptime and preventing unnecessary deadlocks. Moreover, we also leverage 3D visual information to track dynamic human articulations and extended intrusions. Drawing upon the fused sensory data from 2D and 3D perceptual spaces, our proposed hierarchical controller stably regulates robot velocity, validated using Lasalle in-variance principle. Empirical evaluations demonstrate that our approach significantly reduces task execution time and system response delay, resulting in improved efficiency and resilience within collaborative settings.

Art has long been claimed as a final frontier for automation--a field seen as so ineluctably human that AI may never master it. But as robots paint self-portraits, machines overtake industries, and natural language processors write New York Times columns, this long-held belief could be on the way out. Computational literature or electronic literature--that is, literature that makes integral use of or is generated by digital technology--is hardly new. Alison Knowles used the programming language FORTRAN to write poems in 1967 and a novel allegedly written by a computer was printed as early as 1983. Universities have had digital language arts departments since at least the 90s.

AWS DeepComposer provides a creative and hands-on experience for learning generative AI and machine learning (ML). We recently launched the Edit melody feature, which allows you to add, remove, or edit specific notes, giving you full control of the pitch, length, and timing for each note. In this post, you can learn to use the Edit melody feature to collaborate with the autoregressive convolutional neural network (AR-CNN) algorithm and create interesting Bach-style compositions. Through human-AI collaboration, we can surpass what humans and AI systems can create independently. For example, you can seek inspiration from AI to create art or music outside their area of expertise or offload the more routine tasks, like creating variations on a melody, and focus on the more interesting and creative tasks.

AI software provider C3.ai is collaborating with Microsoft (NasdaqGS:MSFT) to enhance its "global customer experience and elevate sales performance using intelligent cloud technology." To achieve this, C3.ai is adopting and deploying Microsoft's Dynamics 365 Sales and Teams, so as to "better prioritize workloads, enhance sales experiences with mixed reality, and manage customer needs with conversation intelligence and sentiment analysis." "We're looking forward to working with C3.ai to further its business goals with our intelligent cloud services. With Dynamics 365 at the center of its business transformation, the C3.ai team can streamline customer engagement across sales and customer service to bring a unique, tailored experience to its employees and customers." NVIDIA Corporation (NasdaqGS:NVDA) has completed the acquisition of computer networking firm Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. for $7 billion.

In the workplace of the not-too-distant future, employees will need to go beyond being tech-savvy to being able to comfortably work alongside digital colleagues. Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and intelligent bots will be automatically making decisions to streamline business processes and empower efficient automation. The widespread adoption of machines to do much of the "heavy lifting" will change some jobs from the inside out, making individual workers far more productive and less bogged down with repetitive tasks. Smart chatbots can already handle first- and even second-level customer service calls, and AI is powering everything from manufacturing lines to automated vehicles. For example, BHP is rolling out automated trucks at its iron ore and coal mines across Australia over the next 5 years, following the success of its Jimblebar mine trial program, which saw a 90 per cent reduction in the number of dangerous incidents.

Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to transform business processes and productivity across industries and the economy as a whole. But unless businesses rethink how their people can work in partnership with intelligent machines, there's a risk that this promise will quickly pass them by. According to Jim Wilson, Managing Director of Information Technology and Business Research at Accenture Research, the most lasting, impactful performance boost happens when people and AI-powered machines work together to create "collaborative intelligence." Wilson, who conducted research with more than 1,000 global companies to co-author Human Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI with colleague Paul Daugherty, found that if AI is deployed primarily to displace human workers, short-term productivity gains are about as good as it gets. As Elon Musk said, 'Excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake. By contrast, Wilson's research found that enterprises that reimagine work around human and AI collaboration outperform those that focus solely on automation by more than three times -- and often, by more than six times -- in areas like speed, scalability, flexibility, and decision-making within processes.