Government Archives - Page 9 of 11

AI can predict the spread of nuclear fallout in advance to save lives

Researchers have built an AI capable of predicting the spread of nuclear fallout in advance to limit the impact and save lives. The fallout occurred from a nuclear power plant accident is going to be devastating. Aside from the human impact, we’ve only got to look at Chernobyl to see how the environment can remain damaged for decades. A new AI system developed in Japan, developed by a team from the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo, can accurately predict the...

4 July 2018 | Government

UNICRI AI and Robotics Centre: AI will transform our world

Speaking at AI Expo in Amsterdam, Irakli Beridze from the AI and Robotics Centre at UNICRI provided his thoughts on how AI will transform our world. Irakli started with a positive note that’s easily forgotten: never has the world been more safe, connected, and prosperous. “We have developed technologies which have the potential to solve problems we never thought were possible,” says Beridze. “Most of them are related to the UN’s sustainable development goals.” World-Changing...

2 July 2018 | Ethics

Amazon is next to face employee protest over government contracts

amazon government protest contract surveillance face recognition

Mere days after Google and Microsoft staff protested their employers’ controversial government contracts, Amazon is facing its own internal revolt. Amazon employees are not all too pleased with their company’s sale of facial recognition software and other services to US government bodies. Much like Google and Microsoft’s employees, who demanded their respective companies never undertake work that may cause social or physical harm, a similar letter was posted on Amazon’s internal...

22 June 2018 | Amazon

India: Report suggests AI collaboration with UK, Japan, and Germany

A PwC-ASSOCHAM joint report suggests India should pursue cross-border collaboration with AI leaders including the UK, Japan, and Germany. The study believes government departments including the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) should take responsibility for building these relationships. “Exchanging best practices and learnings from prior initiatives is one way of strengthening cooperation,” noted the study. Collaboration between the...

18 June 2018 | Government

Amnesty International warns of AI ‘nightmare scenarios’

amnesty international ai discrimination human rights equality

Human rights campaigners Amnesty International have warned of the potential ‘nightmare scenarios’ arising from AI if left unchecked. In a blog post, one scenario Amnesty foresees AI being used for is autonomous systems choosing military targets with little-to-no human oversight. Military AI Fears The development of AI has been likened to another arms race. Much like nuclear weapons, there is the argument if a nation doesn’t develop its capabilities then others will. Furthermore,...

14 June 2018 | Ethics

DSTL will run Ministry of Defence’s AI research lab

UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced the creation of an AI research lab based at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) in Porton Down, as part of an initiative by the Ministry of Defence. The lab will focus on advancing the use of AI for defence purposes to ensure the UK remains able to counter evolving threats. Dstl currently delivers more than £20 million of AI research. Specific focuses of the new facility will include autonomous vehicles, countering fake...

29 May 2018 | Government

Editorial: Stopping AI’s discrimination will be difficult, but vital

Several human rights organisations have signed a declaration calling for governments and companies to help ensure AI technologies are indiscriminate, but it's going to be difficult. Amnesty International and Access Now prepared the ‘Toronto Declaration’ (PDF) that’s also been signed by Human Rights Watch and the Wikimedia Foundation. As an open declaration; other companies, governments, and organisations are being called on to add their endorsement. In a post, Access Now wrote:

17 May 2018 | Ethics

Information Commissioner targets intrusive facial recognition

Facial recognition offers huge opportunities, but the Information Commissioner is more concerned about how it could impact privacy. In a post on the ICO blog, Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham highlights the advantages and disadvantages of facial recognition. “I have identified FRT by law enforcement as a priority area for my office and I recently wrote to the Home Office and the NPCC setting out my concerns,” Denham wrote. “Should my concerns not be addressed, I will...

15 May 2018 | Government

White House will take a ‘hands-off’ approach to AI regulation

The White House has decided it will take a ‘hands-off’ approach to AI regulation despite many experts calling for safe and ethical standards to be set. Some of the world’s greatest minds have expressed concern about the development of AI without regulations — including the likes of Elon Musk, and the late Stephen Hawking. Musk famously said unregulated AI could post “the biggest risk we face as a civilisation”, while Hawking similarly warned “the development of full...

11 May 2018 | Ethics

House of Lords: The UK can lead in AI by putting ethics first

A report published today by the House of Lords reveals the current outlook for AI in the United Kingdom and suggests practical measures to secure its place as a global leader. While the world faces a shortage of AI talent, the UK’s leading universities produce candidates who are often snapped up quickly. Some of the biggest players in the space invest heavily in UK companies — most notable, perhaps, is Google’s £400 million acquisition of Cambridge-based DeepMind. The Lords’ report...

16 April 2018 | Ethics