Gerd Leonhard discussion regarding Humanism and Transhumanism.
This is an excerpt from my latest digital conference, April 23, 2020, “Humanist vs Transhumanist” featuring Calum Chace and me.
Continue reading “Futurist Gerd Leonhard: Humanism vs Transhumanism” »
Albert Einstein famously postulated that “the only real valuable thing is intuition,” arguably one of the most important keys to understanding intention and communication.
But intuitiveness is hard to teach—especially to a machine. Looking to improve this, a team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) came up with a method that dials us closer to more seamless human–robot collaboration. The system, called “Conduct-A-Bot,” uses human muscle signals from wearable sensors to pilot a robot’s movement.
Using machine learning, a team of Western computer scientists and biologists have identified an underlying genomic signature for 29 different COVID-19 DNA sequences.
This new data discovery tool will allow researchers to quickly and easily classify a deadly virus like COVID-19 in just minutes—a process and pace of high importance for strategic planning and mobilizing medical needs during a pandemic.
The study also supports the scientific hypothesis that COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) has its origin in bats as Sarbecovirus, a subgroup of Betacoronavirus.
Scientists believe the world will see it’s first working thermonuclear fusion reactor by the year 2025. That’s a tall order in short form, especially when you consider that fusion has been “almost here” for nearly a century.
Fusion reactors – not to be confused with common fission reactors – are the holiest of Grails when it comes to physics achievements. According to most experts, a successful fusion reactor would function as a near-unlimited source of energy.
In other words, if there’s a working demonstration of an actual fusion reactor by 2025, we could see an end to the global energy crisis within a few decades.
Can we study AI the same way we study lab rats? Researchers at DeepMind and Harvard University seem to think so. They built an AI-powered virtual rat that can carry out multiple complex tasks. Then, they used neuroscience techniques to understand how its artificial “brain” controls its movements.
Today’s most advanced AI is powered by artificial neural networks —machine learning algorithms made up of layers of interconnected components called “neurons” that are loosely inspired by the structure of the brain. While they operate in very different ways, a growing number of researchers believe drawing parallels between the two could both improve our understanding of neuroscience and make smarter AI.
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As an AI Consultant, I often have to evaluate AI startups to determine if their solutions would make sense for us and if they can become a real business partner over the long term. Our process for evaluating startups is more or less…
Built in about 24 hours, this robot is undergoing in-hospital testing for coronavirus disinfection.
UV disinfection is one of the few areas where autonomous robots can be immediately and uniquely helpful during the COVID pandemic. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of these robots to fulfill demand right now, and although companies are working hard to build them, it takes a substantial amount of time to develop the hardware, software, operational knowledge, and integration experience required to make a robotic disinfection system work in a hospital.
Continue reading “Akara Robotics Turns TurtleBot Into Autonomous UV Disinfecting Robot” »
Software bugs have been a concern for programmers for nearly 75 years since the day programmer Grace Murray Hopper reported the cause of an error in an early Harvard Mark II computer: a moth stuck between relay contacts. Thus the term “bug” was born.
Bugs range from slight computer hiccups to catastrophes. In the Eighties, at least five patients died after a Therac-25 radiation therapy device malfunctioned due to an error by an inexperienced programmer. In 1962, NASA mission control destroyed the Mariner I space probe as it diverted from its intended path over the Atlantic Ocean; incorrectly transcribed handwritten code was blamed. In 1982, a software bug later alleged to have been implanted into the Soviet trans-Siberian gas pipeline by the CIA triggered one of the largest non–nuclear explosions in history.
According to data management firm Coralogix, programmers produce 70 bugs per 1,000 lines of code, with each bug solution demanding 30 times more hours than it took to write the code in the first place. The firm estimates the United States spends $113 billion a year identifying and remediating bugs.
After testing on public roads, Tesla is rolling out a new feature of its partially automated driving system designed to spot stop signs and traffic signals.
The update of the electric car company’s cruise control and auto-steer systems is a step toward CEO Elon Musk’s pledge to convert cars to fully self-driving vehicles later this year.
But it also runs contrary to recommendations from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board that include limiting where Tesla’s Autopilot driving system can operate because it has failed to spot and react to hazards in at least three fatal crashes.
I got my rig in the back of my Beemer. Professional when I graze, I’m professional when I argue. 40 glass, I’m laughing at that s***, I’ma be roaring at that s***
The experiment also revealed which genres are hardest for AI songwriters to master.
The respondents struggled to spot which pop and country lyrics were written by an AI. And its rock song was so emo that they thought it was written by My Chemical Romance or Nirvana.
