Any smartphone owner or Google user is already intimately connected with artificial intelligence, but knowing what that means is a different matter. AI's ubiquity has not yet translated to a corresponding understanding of what and how this revolutionary technology system works, according to a pioneer in the industry. "I think the challenge for us is it's both everywhere and it's kind of receding into the background and people are not necessarily aware," Sir Nigel Shadbolt, one of the UK's pre-eminent computer scientists, tells The National from his home in Oxford. Can artificial intelligence save the British model of education? AI's transformation of global education is only just getting started "AI is a totally pervasive technology. It literally has become a new utility. We don't recognise it that way but the supercomputers we carry around in our pockets - our mobile phones - are running all sorts of AI-inspired and directly AI-implemented algorithms to recognise your voice or recognise a face in a photo you've just taken and label it, or when it's reaching back into the cloud services to decide what to recommend to you, or how to route you efficiently to your next meeting. These things are all running."

The UK has a genuine opportunity to take a lead on the ethics of artificial intelligence, says Nigel Shadbolt, principal of Jesus College, Oxford and co-founder of the Open Data Institute (ODI). You forgot to provide an Email Address. This email address doesn't appear to be valid. This email address is already registered. You have exceeded the maximum character limit.

The idea of killer robots rising up and destroying humans is a Hollywood fantasy and a distraction from the more pressing dilemmas that intelligent machines present to society, according to one of Britain's most influential computer scientists. Sir Nigel Shadbolt, professor of computer science at the University of Oxford, predicts that AI will bring overwhelming benefits to humanity, revolutionising cancer diagnosis and treatment, and transforming education and the workplace. If problems arise, he said, it will not be because sentient machines have unexpectedly gone rogue in a Terminator-like scenario. "The danger is clearly not that robots will decide to put us away and have a robot revolution," he said. "If there [are] killer robots, it will be because we've been stupid enough to give it the instructions or software for it to do that without having a human in the loop deciding."

Humans will come to love robots like they are'family' rather than fear them as the enemy, according to a leading Oxford University scholar. Sir Nigel Shadbolt says we are entering an age where AI will act as a carers for the elderly and a friend for lonely children. He claims that fears robots will turn on people and destroy humanity are unfounded. Robots will become beloved members of the family, not the enemy of humanity, claims leading Oxford University scholar. Sir Nigel, a professor of computer science at Oxford University, made the comments at the Hay Festival in Wales.

Editor's Note: We Need to Find an IT Celebrity. "If IT wants to attract bright youngsters, one thing it might do is find a celebrity champion--real or fictional--to give an idea of what working in IT really involves and where it can lead. Unfortunately, some role models, such as the IT experts in the absurd but compelling thriller series 24, tend to be oddball characters. Being at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, robotics, mobility, and so on, ought to be an exciting prospect for any student. But the overall message reaching them is muddled and unappealing.

Though the idea of the "Babelfish" - a thing able to translate between any two languages on the fly - was created by the author Douglas Adams as a handy solution to the question of how intergalactic travellers could understand each other, it could be reality within 25 years. At least, that is, for human language. Prof Nigel Shadbolt, a close associate of the web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, says that the idea of automatic machine translation "on the fly" is achievable before the world wide web turns 50. Shadbolt also forecasts that future changes to the web will mean people will be "connected all the time" to medical diagnostic systems – but also that search companies including Google and China's Baidu may face challenges as web use shifts from the desktop to handheld and mobile devices. Having first used the web in 1993, via an early version of the Mosaic browser while on a visit to Canada, Shadbolt now thinks that it opens up huge possibilities for artificial intelligence systems built by connecting computers across the web - so-called cloud computing - that will be able to enhance daily life.

Editor's Note: We Need to Find an IT The items in this collage were selected September 19, 2007 (www.ft.com). That's the conclusion of the European from the AI TOPICS Web site's "AI in the wants to attract bright youngsters, one Robotics Research Network, which issued News" collection that can be found-- thing it might do is find a celebrity champion--real Sometime complete with links to the item's source or fictional--to give an idea of Being at the and, (2) all items are offered "as is" and and economic problems,' the group concludes. Mike robotics, mobility, and so on, ought to be not imply any endorsement whatsoever. Congressional Caucus on Robotics to look muddled and unappealing. But that doesn't Power of the Gods"--A leading theoretical of that, that, we are not creating the same provide answers for tricky ethical questions. CR: Brain power, … Thinking about when a robot brains of the age to provide a startling vision you know, as Gates famously always says, would be granted rights could help us better of the future. It's respect for scientific What will Southampton be Like in Five physicist Professor Michio Kaku of the inquiry. People don't understand how Decades Time? The Southern City College of New York, we are entering things work and they're not interested. September 9, 2007 an empowered new era: 'We have unlocked There's a -- it's not even a fascination, it's (www.dailyecho.co.uk). "Life as we know the secrets of matter.