Five different AI algorithms have teamed up to kick human butt in Dota 2, a popular strategy computer game. Researchers at OpenAI, a nonprofit based in California, developed the algorithmic A team, which they call the OpenAI Five. Each algorithm uses a neural network to learn not only how to play the game, but also how to cooperate with its AI teammates. It has started defeating amateur Dota 2 players in testing, OpenAI says. This is an important and novel direction for AI, since algorithms typically operate independently.

Five different AI algorithms have teamed up to kick human butt in Dota 2, a popular strategy computer game. Researchers at OpenAI, a nonprofit based in California, developed the algorithmic A team, which they call the OpenAI Five. Each algorithm uses a neural network to learn not only how to play the game, but also how to cooperate with its AI teammates. It has started defeating amateur Dota 2 players in testing, OpenAI says. This is an important and novel direction for AI, since algorithms typically operate independently.

A drummer who lost his arm in a freak accident now has a second chance of achieving his dream after being transformed into a'cyborg' musician. Jason Barnes lost his right arm below the elbow two years ago after receiving an electric shock while cleaning a vent hood in a restaurant. Determined to carry on drumming, the student from Atlanta built his own prosthetic device using a brace and some springs that attached to his arm. Jason Barnes, a drummer who lost his right arm in a freak accident, says he now has a chance of achieving his dream after being transformed into a'cyborg' musician The prosthesis uses a technique called electromyography to pick up on electrical signals in the upper arm muscles. By tensing his biceps, Mr Barnes controls a motor that changes how quick the prosthetic arm moves and how tightly it grips the drumstick.

In 2012, the drummer Jason Barnes was cleaning an exhaust duct when he was electrocuted by 22,000 volts of electricity. He lost his right hand and believed his days as a musician were done. That's when Gil Weinberg, professor of musical technology at Georgia Tech, stepped in with a robotic hand that gave Barnes his drumming abilities back. In this Atlantic documentary, we explore this particular juncture of music and technology--what it has meant for Barnes and what it could mean for the future of music in the age of artificial intelligence. More on Weinberg's musical robotics project can be found on his Facebook page.