Human psychology may prevent people from realizing the benefits of artificial intelligence, according to a trio of boffins based in the Netherlands. But with training, we can learn to overcome our biases and trust our automated advisors. In a preprint paper titled "Knowing About Knowing: An Illusion of Human Competence Can Hinder Appropriate Reliance on AI Systems," Gaole He, Lucie Kuiper, and Ujwal Gadiraju, from Delft University of Technology, examine whether the Dunning-Kruger effect hinders people from relying on recommendations from AI systems. The Dunning-Kruger effect (DKE) dates back to research from 1999 by psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, "Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one's own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments." Dunning and Kruger posit that incompetent people lack the capacity to recognize their incompetence and thus tend to overestimate their abilities.

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that would ban child sex dolls and robots because they'normalize sex between adults and minors.' The bill now moves to the Senate, where it must be approved before it is then offered up to the president for signing. 'These dolls can be programmed to simulate rape,' said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia who chairs the House Judiciary Committee. 'The very thought makes me nauseous.' News of the bill's passage in the House was reported by McClatchy.

Elbowing your way through crowds can be slow going, but our ability to weave and dodge through a throng of people comes almost as second nature. For robots, however, this simple task can prove a major obstacle that currently limits their usefulness in public places. But now, a team from Stanford University says it has managed to create droid which is able to navigate down streets without mowing down people walking in the opposite direction, which make them better at making deliveries. The Jackrabbot is a robot designed by a team from Stanford University. It takes its name from the nimble yet shy Jackrabbit, which is often found on the university's campus.