WEHEAD connects to ChatGPT and displays a face, expressions and voice. China is reportedly working to cognitively merge humans with machines as part of its ongoing efforts to compete in the artificial intelligence race. The communist country is using brain-computer interface (BCI) technology -- systems that allow for communication between the brain and an external device -- to "augment human cognition and human-machine teaming," The Washington Times reported, citing a presentation from Georgetown experts delivered to U.S. officials. These include invasive, minimally-invasive and non-invasive BCIs, according to The Washington Times. Invasive BCIs involve surgery to implant electrodes into the brain, while non-invasive BCIs use sensors on the scalp to monitor brain activity. Meanwhile, minimally-invasive BCIs involve implanting devices, but they do not penetrate brain tissue, according to a report in the National Library of Medicine.

Educators across the U.S. are sounding the alarm over ChatGPT, an upstart artificial intelligence that can write term papers for students based on keywords without clear signs of plagiarism. "I have a lot of experience of students cheating, and I have to say ChatGPT allows for an unprecedented level of dishonesty," said Joy Kutaka-Kennedy, a member of the American Educational Research Association and education professor at National University. "Do we really want professionals serving us who cheated their way into their credentials?" Trey Vasquez, a special education professor at the University of Central Florida, recently tested the next-generation "chatbot" with a group of other professors and students. They asked it to summarize an academic article, create a computer program, and write two 400-word essays on the use and limits of AI in education.

But 2021 will likely be a big year for A.I., and with a new White House administration soon in place, there may be a clearer set of national A.I. policies that will trickle down to the business world. On New Year's Day, the U.S. Senate voted to overturn President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act and authorize $741 billion for defense spending, including the creation of a number of A.I.-related polices. Among the reasons Trump opposed the defense bill was the absence of a provision to repeal Section 230, which gives legal protections to Internet companies that host user-generated content. Although the defense bill was mostly geared toward military spending, it did contain a number of non-defense related A.I. initiatives, as Stanford University's Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence group outlined. For instance, the bill would create a "National AI Initiative" that would coordinate A.I. research and development between "civilian agencies," the Defense Department, and intelligence agencies.

The Biden administration unveiled a set of far-reaching goals Tuesday aimed at averting harms caused by the rise of artificial intelligence systems, including guidelines for how to protect people's personal data and limit surveillance,

Two pharmaceutical companies have embarked on a brave new world, having begun human testing for the first time on a drug treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder designed by artificial intelligence. British startup Exscientia and Japan's Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma used artificial intelligence to create the drug in less than 12 months, cutting four years from the average time it takes ordinary humans to develop a medication. Exscientia CEO Andrew Hopkins described the clinical human trial of the drug -- a molecule called DSP-1181 -- as a "key milestone in drug discovery." TOP STORIES Milwaukee teacher placed on leave after praising Rush Limbaugh's cancer diagnosis Impeachment 2.0? "Our driving motivation is to accelerate the range of innovative drugs from cutting-edge science entering into the clinic to increase the treatment options for patients. That means reducing the time to make and test a drug. The consumer should see benefits from faster progress to the clinic," Mr. Hopkins told The Washington Times.

The Army's Artificial Intelligence Task Force, with headquarters in the heart of the Rust Belt, is a crucial component of a grand Pentagon plan to incorporate robots and machine learning into 21st-century warfare. For skeptics, the task force is the concrete embodiment of how the U.S. is headed down a rocky, uncertain road that could put humanity itself in danger. The raging debate over AI, including its implications for the human race and the morality of its use in warfare, has divided the U.S. from some traditional allies. It also is fueling a growing band of activists who warn that "killer robots" are on the horizon of a military that has no comprehensive plan to stop them or understand their implications. Deep, philosophical questions about the ramifications of AI technology -- who is responsible for writing ethical guidelines, to what extent must humans remain in the loop, how much easier is it to fight a war fought (initially) by machines, and who bears the blame if a robot or drone ultimately targets humans -- are just beginning to be confronted in a systematic way.

A key piece of the Pentagon's plan to beat China and Russia in the high-stakes artificial intelligence race lies inside a research facility along the Allegheny River here, where a small but select U.S. Army team has been tasked with creating the weapons, vehicles and sensors needed for 21st-century combat. Inside, the U.S. military is feverishly working to incorporate AI into its operations in a myriad of ways, including drones and robots to ferry wounded soldiers away from the battlefield, software that can spot a hidden enemy force over a hill, AI programs that can give generals and line soldiers a fuller picture of a confusing battle, and even algorithms that can outperform any resume in determining the right men and women for a specific job. Those projects, and a host of others, form the backbone of a major Pentagon initiative that carries far-reaching implications for the 21st century global balance of power. The Army's AI Task Force, created earlier this year as part of the Defense Department's broader effort to turn what was once science fiction into reality, has brought together military officials and academic leaders at Carnegie Mellon University, an institution considered to be the birthplace of AI research. Tucked in a spot more than two miles off the main campus that is unlikely to be found unless one knew where to look, the school's National Robotics Engineering Center serves as the epicenter of a partnership between the Army and academia.

On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin declared that Google's work in China is not a security concern. As he told CNBC, "I don't see any area -- again the president and I did diligence on this issue -- and we're not aware of any areas where Google is working with the Chinese government in any way that raises concerns." Google's most disturbing Chinese initiatives involve the co-development of technology. Cooperation of this sort is so injurious to the United States that it should be criminalized, by emergency presidential order. Google, the Alphabet Inc. unit, also believes its projects in China are benign.

Dozens of members of Congress joined forces to request Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos explain the recent "Rekognition" facial recognition flap that misidentified 28 members of Congress as suspected criminals. Bezos does have some questions to answer. It's the least he can do after his artificial intelligence software mistook the faces of more than two dozen lawmakers for mugshots in police files. The American Civil Liberties Union first found the discrepancy; Reps. John Lewis and Tom Garrett, contacted by The Washington Times for response, put out a bipartisan statement, along with Rep. Jimmy Gomez, criticizing the technology. Several other affected members of Congress contacted for comment by The Washington Times failed to respond.

Analysts fear criminal groups will use explosive devices attached to drones to attack the U.S. (Reuters) Mexican police reportedly pulled over four men driving a stolen pick-up truck and discovered a drone carrying an explosive device in the vehicle, leading some analysts to fear drug cartels may have figured out how to arm the devices to attack opponents -- including those inside the United States. Federal police discovered the drone attached to the IED last week during a traffic stop in Guanajunto, where several cartels are known to operate, including the Sinaloa Cartel, Small Wars Journal reported. Besides the drone, police found phones, an AK-47 and ammunition. An improvised explosive device was taped to the drone, 3Dr Solo Quadcopter, that could reportedly be detonated with a remote control. It was not clear if the four men were a part of any criminal group.