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DARPA’s OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program envisions future small-unit infantry forces using small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) and/or small unmanned ground systems (UGSs) in swarms of 250 robots or more to accomplish diverse missions in complex urban environments. By leveraging and combining emerging technologies in swarm autonomy and human-swarm teaming, the program seeks to enable rapid development and deployment of breakthrough swarm capabilities.

To continue the rapid pace and further advance the technology development of OFFSET, DARPA is soliciting proposals for the second “swarm sprint.” Each of the five core “sprints” focuses on one of the key thrust areas: Swarm Tactics, Swarm Autonomy, Human-Swarm Team, Virtual Environment, and Physical Testbed. This second group of “Swarm Sprinters” will have the opportunity to work with one or both of the OFFSET Swarm Systems Integrator teams to develop and assess tactics as well as algorithms to enhance autonomy.

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While Big Tech has gotten more headlines in 2018 with its impact on healthcare, where artificial intelligence has even more potential to impact is actually in education. An early winner in the field has been identified.

Sana Labs is an education tech startup founded by Joel Hellermark, 21 who happens to be an AI-prodigy. Education is a 6-trillion dollar industry and the most robust first AI solution to impact it, stands to become a giant in the future of the industry.

Stockholm is home to many emerging startups and of note, Spotify, but this company has a pretty major unique value proposition. Sana Labs is aiming to build a scalable platform where AI will be able to change how we learn. It’s even gotten the attention of Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg.

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PARIS (Reuters) — French President Emmanuel Macron promised 1.5 billion euros ($1.85 billion) of public funding into artificial intelligence by 2022 in a bid to reverse a brain drain and catch up with the dominant U.S. and Chinese tech giants.

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the Artificial Intelligence for Humanity event in Paris, France, March 29, 2018. Etienne Laurent/Pool via Reuters.

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Today we bring you an interview with Professor Steve Horvath pioneer of the epigenetic clocks of aging.

Steve Horvath is a Professor of Human Genetics and Biostatistics at UCLA. His research sits at the intersection of biostatistics, bioinformatics, computational biology, cancer research, genetics, epidemiology, epigenomics, machine learning, and systems biology.

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Push Beyond Your Limits. Go Stronger, Longer, and Safer.

Experience the first of its kind robotic powered exoskeleton to superpower your knees during alpine skiing and snowboarding. The sensors and the software on the exoskeleton senses user intent and automatically adjusts torque at the knee via air actuators effectively mimicking the quadricep muscles. The device is fully programmable and automated but with manual overrides thus always keeping user in control.

Extend your ski day, access longer challenging terrain, make stronger turns, or simply enjoy the sport without the pain. All the while keeping your knees safer.

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NVIDIA Corporation NVDA continues to gain traction in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology with the help of several partnerships. Most recently, the graphic chip maker partnered with Adobe Systems Incorporated ADBE as part of which its graphics processing units (GPUs) will power up the latter’s AI toolkit, Sensei.

The partnership is anticipated to improve Adobe’s services for Creative and Experience Cloud customers and developers. That means, it will improve the performance as well as speed of Adobe’s Sensei.

The companies believe the collaboration will help them in targeting a new audience of developers, data scientists and partners for Sensei, thereby providing scope of business opportunities to both.

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To ensure the safety of larger aircraft carrying pilots and passengers, unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, can’t be flown higher than 400 feet so they don’t enter national airspace. Regulations in Russia, however, aren’t as strict, enabling drone pilot Denis Koryakin to fly his homebuilt, 2.3-pound craft to a staggering height of almost 33,000 feet.

For comparison, a 747 has a maximum ceiling of just over 45,000 feet, but most airliners will cruise at around the same altitude this tiny drone managed to reach. As amazing as the view is from 33,000 feet, it’s certainly a dangerous stunt and will get you in heaps of trouble in the US if you get caught. But Koryakin’s flight took place near the city of Strejevoï, in Siberia, which is notoriously frigid and sparsely populated. Russia also doesn’t appear to have any regulations on how high a drone can be flown, but hopefully stunts like this don’t become too commonplace.

[YouTube via DPReview].

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In the past, companies have often used technology to keep track of employee actions and increase productivity. But recently, they’ve begun using AI for hiring, firing and compensation.

Xander, which is developed by tech firm Ultimate Software, is being used at steel processor SPS Companies in Manhattan, Kansas, the Journal noted.

SPS used Xander to efficiently analyze and categorize employee responses to a confidential survey.

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The march of AI into the workplace calls for trade-offs between privacy and performance. A fairer, more productive workforce is a prize worth having, but not if it shackles and dehumanises employees. Striking a balance will require thought, a willingness for both employers and employees to adapt, and a strong dose of humanity.


ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is barging its way into business. As our special report this week explains, firms of all types are harnessing AI to forecast demand, hire workers and deal with customers. In 2017 companies spent around $22bn on AI-related mergers and acquisitions, about 26 times more than in 2015. The McKinsey Global Institute, a think-tank within a consultancy, reckons that just applying AI to marketing, sales and supply chains could create economic value, including profits and efficiencies, of $2.7trn over the next 20 years. Google’s boss has gone so far as to declare that AI will do more for humanity than fire or electricity.

Such grandiose forecasts kindle anxiety as well as hope. Many fret that AI could destroy jobs faster than it creates them. Barriers to entry from owning and generating data could lead to a handful of dominant firms in every industry.

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