If you're reading the tech news these days it may seems that the industry is rapidly moving toward a robot-centric dystopia lifted from a Stephen King novel. There is a reason it's called "science fiction." Not that AI, machines, and robots don't have a place in our future. Practically speaking, we are a far cry from an autonomous office or completely driverless trucking. Popular questions such as "will artificial intelligence be a massive, job-destroying shock to our economy?"

The long search is over for Uber's chief operating officer. Former Orbitz CEO Barney Harford has formally accepted the position today. Looking fwd to working w @dkhos again to help @Uber achieve its full potential https://t.co/gdnXJfFrjS In early March, former CEO Travis Kalanick disclosed he would be searching for someone to fill the position amidst allegations he had fostered a culture of sexism and achievement at any cost. The company continued to suffer a number of setbacks in the months following, including Kalanick's resignation, a lawsuit from Alphabet's self-driving car company Waymo and a Department of Justice investigation.

The European Union's top court has ruled that ride-hailing service Uber should be regulated like a taxi company, a decision that could change the way it functions across the continent. Barney Harford, former CEO of Orbitz, joins Uber as its first COO. SAN FRANCISCO -- Uber named its first-ever chief operating officer Wednesday, a move designed to remake the upper ranks of the ride-hailing company as it grapples with fallout from its previous leadership. Barney Harford, the former CEO of travel company Orbitz, takes up his position January 2 as second-in-command to recently installed CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, a onetime rival and colleague from both men's tenures in the online travel business. Harford has been working at Uber as an advisor to Khosrowshahi since October, and will oversee global operations, marketing and customer support.