A United Nations panel has warned that brain chip technology being pioneered by Elon Musk could be abused for'neurosurveillance' violating'mental privacy,' or'even to implement forms of forced re-education,' threatening human rights worldwide. The UN's agency for science and culture (UNESCO) said neurotechnology like Musk's Neuralink, if left unregulated, will lead to'new possibilities of monitoring and manipulating the human mind through neuroimaging' and'personality-altering' tech. UNESCO is now strategizing on a worldwide'ethical framework' to protect humanity from the potential abuses of the technology -- which they fear will be accelerated by advances in AI. 'We are on a path to a world in which algorithms will enable us to decode people's mental processes,' said UNESCO's assistant director-general for social and human sciences, Gabriela Ramos. The implications are'far-reaching and potentially harmful,' Ramos said, given breakthroughs in neurotechnology that could'directly manipulate the brain mechanisms' in humans, 'underlying their intentions, emotions and decisions.' The committee's warnings come less than two months after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave Elon Musk's brain-chip implant company Neuralink federal approval to conduct trials on humans.

Computer scientist Mark Lee picks out his top science books on the subject of AI, machine learning and intelligent algorithms. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the process of teaching a computer to carry out tasks that typically only a human brain could do, but there is much more to it that trying to crunch numbers on a computer. Artificial intelligence is everywhere, from the robots manufacturing cars in factories to the smartphone in your pocket, and understanding what AI actually is will give you a better understanding of the technology that surrounds us. Professor Mark Lee is a computer scientist at Aberystwyth University. His new book, How to Grow a Robot, is all about how to design robots and artificial intelligence so that they are more social, more friendly, more playful – more human.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the process of teaching a computer to carry out tasks that typically only a human brain could do, but there is much more to it that trying to crunch numbers on a computer. Artificial intelligence is everywhere, from the robots manufacturing cars in factories to the smartphone in your pocket, and understanding what AI actually is will give you a better understanding of the technology that surrounds us. Professor Mark Lee is a computer scientist at Aberystwyth University. His new book, How to Grow a Robot, is all about how to design robots and artificial intelligence so that they are more social, more friendly, more playful – more human. Whether you're a beginner or deep into all things AI, as an expert in artificial intelligence, Mark's pick of science books about machine learning and intelligent algorithms will have you thinking in ones and zeros in no time.

We're constantly being bombarded with new and exciting technological developments – but few are as intriguing as the rise of artificial intelligence. Once the stuff of sci-fi stories, artificially intelligent devices are in homes around the world now, and this technology is a powerful force which needs forward-thinking professionals behind it. But what does human science have to do with any of this? We've teamed up with IE University and their School of Human Sciences and Technology to find out. Artificial intelligence and machines will most likely never be able to replicate emotional intelligence and human creativity.

Connecting the dots between discoveries in neuroscience(neuroplasticity), psychoneuroimmunology(the brain-immune loop) and user experience (gadget rub-off) indicate the nature of our time spent with gadgets is a vector in human health - mentally, socially and physically. The positive design of our interactions with devices therefore can have a positive impact on economy, civilization and society. Likewise, the absence of design that encourages positive interaction may encourage undesirable behaviors. Much like the architecture of physical spaces and buildings, the consequences of the architecture of the 21stcentury conversation between man and machine may last generations. AI and the Internet of Things are primary vectors for positive and negative impacts of technology.  We describe a growing body of co-discoveries occurring across a variety of disciplines that support the argument for human sciences in technology design.