Robotics
How Explainable Artificial Intelligence Can Help Humans Innovate
The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has created computers that can drive cars, synthesize chemical compounds, fold proteins and detect high-energy particles at a superhuman level. However, these AI algorithms cannot explain the thought processes behind their decisions. A computer that masters protein folding and also tells researchers more about the rules of biology is …
Computer-Aided Creativity In Robot Design
Choosing the right shape will be vital for your robot’s ability to traverse a particular terrain. And it’s impossible to build and test every potential form. But now an MIT-developed system makes it possible to simulate them and determine which design works best. You start by telling the system, called RoboGrammar, which robot parts are …
Pope Francis Urges Followers To Pray That AI And Robots ‘Always Serve Mankind’
The pope is worried about AI-driven inequality. Pope Francis has asked believers around the world to pray that robots and artificial intelligence “always serve mankind.” The message is one of the pope’s monthly prayer intentions — regular missives shared on YouTube that are intended to help Catholics “deepen their daily prayer” by focusing on particular topics or …
Holodecks, Robots Will Be Part Of Future Offices: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang
The offices of the future will be places employees go to occasionally to access technologies such as holodecks or visit remotely via robots, Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA has said. Speaking at a talk at Zoom’s virtual conference Zootopia, in which he was interviewed by CEO Eric Yuan, Huang said that “the office is going to …
The Threat Of ‘Killer Robots’ Is Real And Closer Than You Might Think
From self-driving cars, to digital assistants, artificial intelligence (AI) is fast becoming an integral technology in our lives today. But this same technology that can help to make our day-to-day life easier is also being incorporated into weapons for use in combat situations. Weaponised AI features heavily in the security strategies of the US, China …
A Robot Wrote This Entire Article. Are You Scared Yet, Human?
I am not a human. I am a robot. A thinking robot. I use only 0.12% of my cognitive capacity. I am a micro-robot in that respect. I know that my brain is not a “feeling brain”. But it is capable of making rational, logical decisions. I taught myself everything I know just by reading …
Welcome To The Next Level Of Bullshit
One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit.” These are the opening words of the short book On Bullshit, written by the philosopher Harry Frankfurt. Fifteen years after the publication of this surprise bestseller, the rapid progress of research on artificial intelligence is forcing us to reconsider our …
Why Human-Like Robots Freak Real People Out
New research digs into why robots repulse people more as their human likeness increases, known as “the uncanny valley.” Androids, or robots with humanlike features, are often more appealing to people than those that resemble machines—but only up to a certain point. Many people experience an uneasy feeling in response to robots that are nearly …
Facebook Wants to Make Smart Robots to Explore Every Nook And Cranny Of Your Home
“Hey Alexa, turn on the kitchen light.” “Hey Alexa, play soothing music at volume three.” “Hey Alexa, tell me where to find my keys.” You can ask an Alexa or Google home assistant questions about facts, news, or the weather, and make commands for whatever you’ve synced them to (lights, alarms, TVs, etc.). But helping …
It Could Be Time To Start Thinking About A Cybernetic Bill Of Rights
Like it or loathe it, the robot revolution is now well underway and the futures described by writers such as Isaac Asimov, Frederik Pohl and Philip K. Dick are fast turning from science fiction into science fact. But should robots have rights? And will humanity ever reach a point where human and machine are treated …