artificial intelligence

Two hundred years ago, Mary Shelley warned us about entering into realms of science we were not sure we could control, says Marcelo Gleiser.

Man As God: 'Frankenstein' Turns 200

12:50pm January 10, 2018

by Marcelo Gleiser

Mary Shelley cautioned us of the dangers of extending science into realms where we have little control of the outcomes; may we all read her tale — and take in its lessons, says Marcelo Gleiser.

AI's virtual assistants have a dramatic history, says Jimena Canales.

Science

Siri, Cortana, And Alexa Carry The Marks Of Their Human Makers

1:01pm January 09, 2018

by Jimena Canales

Before you dismiss them as inhuman or inhumane, consider their dramatic personal histories — and their ancestor grande damme Eliza, says guest blogger Jimena Canales.

Abu Qader, 18, came to the U.S. from Afghanistan as a baby. Now a freshman at Cornell University, he has founded a medical technology company with the goal of improving diagnosis of breast cancer in poor countries.

Health & Safety

Teenager Aims To Improve Breast Cancer Diagnosis In Poor Countries

7:00am December 26, 2017

by Diane Cole

Abu Qader came to the U.S. from Afghanistan when he was a baby. He wants to use his technology know-how to help the women of his birthplace.

Interactive devices like Alexa and Google Home are becoming more common fixtures in homes these days. What kind of impact does that have on kids?

Alexa, Are You Safe For My Kids?

7:42am October 30, 2017

Talking to a device that talks back can be entertaining and educational for children. But psychologists say children can develop relationships with these devices that can be different than adults.

Queue Listen Now

According to the researchers, there are 10 to the power of 170 possible board configurations in Go — more than the number of atoms in the known universe.

Science

Computer Learns To Play Go At Superhuman Levels 'Without Human Knowledge'

4:49pm October 18, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

Researchers say they have constructed an AI program that can teach itself to play the ancient strategy game at a level far beyond humans.

Mosaic consisting of the shape of the head.

Science

How To Make AI The Best Thing To Happen To Us

4:38pm October 08, 2017

by Max Tegmark

We can thrive with AI if we win the race between the growing power of our technology and the wisdom with which we manage it, but we must ditch the idea of learning from our mistakes, says Max Tegmark.

The essence of the technology that Affectiva pioneers is the ability of computers to recognize human emotions based on the "activation" of muscles in the face.

Science

Should You Leave Grandma With The Robot?

2:33pm October 06, 2017

by Adam Frank

Once a technology that treats emotions as data becomes pervasive, we may soon find that data is the only aspect of emotion we come to recognize or value, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.

A full-scale figure of a "T-800" terminator robot used in the movie Terminator 2, is displayed at a preview of the Terminator Exhibition in Tokyo in 2009.

National

Lawmakers: Don't Gauge Artificial Intelligence By What You See In The Movies

5:00pm October 05, 2017

by Yu-Ning Aileen Chuang

Elon Musk and others have warned that AI poses a risk to civilization. Two House members say they have doubts about those warnings, but they say it's time for the government to pay more attention.

You already know what all of your friends are eating, so you might as well know how to make it, too.

Oh, Snap! Scientists Are Turning People's Food Photos Into Recipes

12:13pm August 02, 2017

by Laurel Dalrymple

Researchers have created an artificial neural network that analyzes an image of a dish and tells you how to make it. Still in the early stages, the technology might help improve our dietary health.

Artificial intelligence poses an existential risk to human civilization, Elon Musk (right) told the National Governors Association meeting Saturday in Providence, R.I.

Musk's Warning Sparks Call For Regulating Artificial Intelligence

11:11am July 19, 2017

by Dave Blanchard

Elon Musk is warning that artificial intelligence is a "fundamental existential risk for human civilization." Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is looking into how states can respond.