Though they have improved, robots hands are still far worse than a human's. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. If you want to guess the purpose of any given futuristic humanoid robot, look at its hands. Last week, a pair of videos released by Boston Dynamics and Figure AI provided clear examples that certain tasks simply require much more "human touch." In the first case, Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics showed off a new pair of "grippers" for its trimmed-down Atlas factory robot.

If you've ever watched a science-fiction film from the 80s, you know that predicting the future of technology is never an easy task. But at CES 2024, some amazing gadgets are providing a glimpse into your future life. And, from transparent TVs and flying cars to gym leggings that zap you fit, that future is looking more like a sci-fi than ever. With ChatGPT having exploded into our lives last year, it is no surprise that CES has seen more than its fair share of nifty AI devices. So, whether you're looking for a robot butler or AI personal trainer, there might be a gadget coming soon that has just what you need.

Artificial intelligence researchers are building customized "brains" for robots in an attempt to make them faster, stronger and more aware of their surroundings. A team from MIT and Harvard University claim that their hyper-specific computer chips will allow robots to realise their immense physical potential by factoring in the exact physical layout of the machines, much like a brain functions within a human body. "The motors are fast, and they're powerful. The hang up is what's going on in the robot's head," said Sabrina Neuman, the lead researcher from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). By taking into account the hardware setup of the robot, such as its physical layout and sensing capabilities, the chips could allow humanoid robots to interact more naturally with humans and perform previously impossible tasks.

At its crudest, most reductive, we could sum up the future of artificial intelligence as being about robot butlers v killer robots. We have to get there eventually, so we might as well start with the killer robots. If we were to jump forward 50 years to see what artificial intelligence might bring us, would we – Terminator-style – step into a world of human skulls being crushed under the feet of our metal and microchip overlords? No, we're told by experts. It might be much worse.

But attempting to model an intelligence after either the ephemeral human mind or the exact physical structure of the brain (rather than iterating increasingly capable Roombas) is no small task -- and with no small amount of competing hypotheses and models to boot. In fact, a 2010 survey of the field found more than two dozen such cognitive architectures actively being studied. The current state of AGI research is "a very complex question without a clear answer," Paul S. Rosenbloom, professor of computer science at USC and developer of the Sigma architecture, told Engadget. "There's the field that calls itself AGI which is a fairly recent field that's trying to define itself in contrast to traditional AI." That is, "traditional AI" in this sense is the narrow, single process AI we see around us in our digital assistants and floor-scrubbing maid-bots.

It's just a few days before BlizzCon, the annual celebration that sees thousands of fans of the company's games pack into the Anaheim Convention Centre for announcements, panels and entertainment. Overwatch's game director, Jeff Kaplan, bounces in his chair as he tells me it "feels like Christmas." But there are no elves at work here, just hundreds of developers collaborating to make a new character to introduce to Overwatch's players. At BlizzCon's opening ceremony, fans will see a meticulous animated short that focuses on beloved cowboy character McCree, and introduces a new face, with red eyes framed dramatically by white hair and a wide brimmed hat. Her name is Ashe, and she's a no-nonsense gunslinger who commands a gang of outlaws, including her own robot butler, Bob.

A Miami hotel has hired a robot to handle room service. Yotelpad, a 30-story building that's part hotel, part condominium, is employing three robot butlers for guests and residents. The nearly four-foot-tall purple robots get around on wheels and feature a cute, smiling face on a screen that greets guests as they arrive. A Miami hotel has hired a robot to handle room service. Yotelpad, a 30-story building that's part hotel, part condominium, is employing three robot butlers for guests and residents The machines can deliver room service, bring extra towels, give directions, chat with guests and play music.

Welcome to the 21st century, where a request for extra towels in your hotel room may be answered by a roughly 4-foot-high purple robot on wheels. Miami YotelPad -- an unfinished 30-story mixed-use development in downtown Miami -- will employ three robot butlers for its guests. These robots don't look like humans (thankfully?), but they're programmed to execute tasks normally left to their biological counterparts: delivering room service, playing music and even engaging in conversation. No one covers what is happening in our community better than we do. And with a digital subscription, you'll never miss a local story.

Let's face it, the future isn't turning out to be what we were promised in decades past. No flying cars, and the closest thing to robot butlers are Siri and Alexa. Don't get me wrong, they're handy in their ways: suggesting nearby Thai food or tending to virtual shopping carts as we yell our grocery lists across the room. In fact, nothing that's commercially available really is -- at least not yet. In marketing, for example, all kinds of martech come with an AI label.

As with most practical AI, the experiment will use machine learning algorithms to teach the machine to react to situations politely: for instance, saying thank you when it is given something. It will then derive new manners not directly taught to it via deep learning.