Sometimes it’s tempting to think of every technological advancement as the brave first step on new shores, a fresh chance to shape the future rationally. In reality, every new tool enters the same old world with its same unresolved issues.
In a moment where society is collectively reckoning with just how deep the roots of racism reach, a new paper from researchers at DeepMind — the AI lab and…
A Ford plant in Michigan has enlisted two Boston Dynamics robots to aid in laser scanning the plant as it’s prepped for updates, Ford announced yesterday. The robots, nicknamed Fluffy and Spot, will roam the Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Dearborn, MI on four legs, much…
Jaguar Land Rover and Cambridge University have developed a touchscreen system for cars that you don&apost actually have to touch at all. That might sound odd at first, but touchless technology concepts have been around for at least a decade, and there are plenty of…
The term ‘ethical AI’ is finally starting to mean something
August 23, 2020
Earlier this year, the independent research organisation of which I am the Director, London-based Ada Lovelace Institute, hosted a panel at the world’s largest AI conference, CogX, called The Ethics Panel to End All Ethics Panels. The title referenced both a tongue-in-cheek effort at self-promotion, and a very real need to put to bed the seemingly endless offering of panels, think-pieces, and…
In the United Kingdom there’s been some landmark AI news recently involving government use of the technology. First, use of facial recognition by South Wales Police was ruled unlawful by a Court of Appeal judge in part for violating privacy, human rights, and failure by…
Facebook says it’s progressing toward assistants capable of interacting with and understanding the physical world as well as people do. In a blog post today, the company announced milestones implying its future AI will be able to learn how to plan routes, look around its…
This week we featured how Duolingo uses AI in every part of its app, including Stories, Smart Tips, podcasts, reports, and even notifications. The story is based on interviews with CEO Luis von Ahn and research director Burr Settles, who joined as the company’s first AI hire in 2013 (Duolingo was founded in 2012). While that story covers the AI in Duolingo specifically, which I think is relevant…
Google Pixel Buds can now alert you to the sounds of a crying baby, barking dog, or the siren of an emergency vehicle when you’re listening to something and may not otherwise hear the sound. The feature reduces the volume of whatever music or podcast you’re listening to…
iFarm has raised $4 million to expand its automated system that uses AI and drones to grow fruits and vegetables in enclosed spaces. Gagarin Capital led the round of funding, which included investment from Matrix Capital, Impulse VC, IMI.VC, and some business angels.
The…
IBM uses AI to evaluate risk of developing genetic diseases
August 20, 2020
In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, scientists at IBM, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and health tech company Color find evidence that the presence of genetic mutations isn’t a reliable precursor to genetic diseases. They claim diseases can be so greatly influenced by other factors that the risk in carriers is sometimes as low as in that of noncarriers.
The…
