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Category: robotics/AI – Page 509

Amazon is powering up its electric delivery vans with the power of AI

Amazon is using a new, proprietary AI solution called Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR) to reduce the time and effort it takes for delivery drivers to locate packages in their vans. Is it a game-changer, or more AI VAPR-ware?

Somewhat lost in the hype surrounding the Tesla “We, Robot” event on 10/10 was an AI press release from Amazon that promises to improve the lives of the people who use it today, rather than two years from now.

VAPR makes Amazon delivery drivers’ lives easier by automatically identifying the packages to be delivered at a given stop. The system then project a green “O” on all packages that will be delivered at that stop, and a red “X” on all other packages. When the driver picks up all the “correct” packages, VAPR delivers an audible cue to help ensure no packages get left behind.

AI-Generated Misinformation is Everywhere. ID’ing It May Be Harder Than You Think

AI and politics 😳 Artificial though it may be, the concept of “intelligence” doesn’t seem to jibe with a computer-generated image of uniformed cats toting assault rifles.

Yet that visual slur, which supports a debunked story about immigrants in Ohio eating pets, has become a signature image from…

UMD experts explain the emotional pulls and cognitive pitfalls—and how to avoid them.

The Data Dilemma: How Quantum Memory Could Ease the Energy Demands of Computing

In a world powered by artificial intelligence applications, data is king, but it’s also the crown’s biggest burden.

As described in the article, quantum memory stores data in ways that classical memory systems cannot match. In quantum systems, information is stored in quantum states, using the principles of superposition and entanglement to represent data more efficiently. This ability allows quantum systems to process and store vastly more information, potentially impacting data-heavy industries like AI.

In a 2021 study from the California Institute of Technology, researchers showed that quantum memory could dramatically reduce the number of steps needed to model complex systems. Their method proved that quantum algorithms using memory could require exponentially fewer steps, cutting down on both time and energy. However, this early work required vast amounts of quantum memory—an obstacle that could have limited its practical application.

Now, two independent teams have derived additional insights, demonstrating how these exponential advantages can be achieved with much less quantum memory. Sitan Chen from Harvard University, along with his team, found that just two quantum copies of a system were enough to provide the same computational efficiency previously thought to require many more.

AI simulation gives people a glimpse of their potential future self

Have you ever wanted to travel through time to see what your future self might be like?

The user engages with the tool in two ways: through introspection, when they consider their life and goals as they construct their future selves, and retrospection, when they contemplate whether the simulation reflects who they see themselves becoming, says Yin.

“You can imagine Future You as a story search space. You have a chance to hear how some of your experiences, which may still be emotionally charged for you now, could be metabolized over the course of time,” she says.

To help people visualize their future selves, the system generates an age-progressed photo of the user. The chatbot is also designed to provide vivid answers using phrases like “when I was your age,” so the simulation feels more like an actual future version of the individual.

Google Pivots to Nuclear Reactors to Power Its Artificial Intelligence

Google on Monday signed a deal to get electricity from small nuclear reactors to help power artificial intelligence.

The agreement to buy energy from reactors built by Kairos Power came just weeks after word that Three Mile Island, the site of America’s worst nuclear accident, will restart operations to provide energy to Microsoft.

“We believe that nuclear energy has a critical role to play in supporting our clean growth and helping to deliver on the progress of AI,” Google senior director of energy and climate said during a briefing.

Google announces restructuring to accelerate AI initiatives

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced a series of structural changes and leadership appointments aimed at accelerating the company’s AI initiatives.

The restructuring sees the Gemini app team, led by Sissie Hsiao, joining Google DeepMind under the leadership of Demis Hassabis.

“Bringing the teams closer together will improve feedback loops, enable fast deployment of our new models in the Gemini app, make our post-training work proceed more efficiently and build on our great product momentum,” Pichai explained.

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