But before we can begin to analyse and realize the potential of humanitarian AI and robotics, we have to address the most common questions that people ask about the future of human and machine collaboration. Similarly, at this inflection point of artificial intelligence and robotics, I actually think that what we are looking at is the prospect of a huge leap forward in productivity that will allow humans to accomplish more, not less. But over longer time horizons I believe that by augmenting human abilities using AI and robotics all of humanity can be much better off. By assigning robots the task of working in hazardous conditions such as poor lighting, toxic chemicals, tight spaces and heavy lifting, we can remove the risk to humans of workplace injuries. We can also use robots to assist humans, so that they can continue to work without fearing long-term health issues. This is why I've committed to take a portion of any profits realized through my investments in robotics and AI and from my Zibel Real Estate portfolio, and put them towards far more basic and urgent human needs.

Ocean scientists are using robot submariness to detect barrels of toxic chemicals under the sea. Thousands of barrels of DDT and other substances are believed submerged in the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles, but authorities aren't sure where or how many. To get an idea, researchers have launched two'underwater Roombas,' Remote Environmental Monitoring UnitS (REMUS) that can operate in waters ranging from 80 feet to about 20,000 feet. The vehicles take 12 hours to recharge, so while one is scanning the seafloor with its sonar the other is powering up and passing along its findings. Ocean scientists are using'underwater Roombas' to scan the ocean floor for barrels of toxic chemicals, including the banned pesticide DDT.

A joint project between Google scientists and researchers from Janella Research Campus in Virginia has created a high resolution 3D map of the fruit fly brain, the most detailed 3D model of a brain yet created. While fruit flies have tiny brains, roughly the size of a poppy seed, they behave in ways that indicate substantial intelligence. These behaviors include complex courtship dances and a tendency to investigate for hazards like toxic chemicals before choosing to move to new locations. In total, the fruit fly brain as around 100,000 neurons, about the same amount as a lobster, but less than a cockroach, which has around a million. Researchers had previously created a computer model of the fruit fly brain by analyzing a series of microscopic images, but this is the first time a map has been built from real 3D data.

If you ask Alexa what chemtrails are, you might be surprised by what she says. The voice assistant has been spouting a government conspiracy theory as an explanation for the oft-debated condensation trails. Alexa has been recorded telling users: 'Chemtrails are trails left by aircraft [that] are actually chemical or biological agents deliberately sprayed at high altitudes for a purpose undisclosed to the general public in clandestine programs directed by government officials'. Amazon says it has taken steps to fix the issue since the error was first discovered by Mashable. Amazon's Alexa voice assistant has been telling users that chemtrails are part of a government-issued conspiracy theory.