Google improves AI model training by open-sourcing framework

Google is helping researchers seeking to train AI models by open-sourcing a reinforcement learning framework used for its own projects. Reinforcement learning has been used for some of the most impressive AI demonstrations thus far, including those which beat human professional gamers at Alpha Go and Dota 2. Google subsidiary DeepMind uses it for its Deep Q-Network (DQN). Building a reinforcement learning framework takes both time and significant resources. For AI to reach its full potential,...

28 August 2018 | Google

Majority of consumers fear companies will take AI too far, research warns

If the industry thinks it will be an easy job to convince users that AI will be a force for good rather than evil, new figures from agency Elicit Insights may suggest otherwise. According to the company’s report, ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Very Real, Real-World Anxiety It Causes’, which polled almost 700 consumers, three in five (59%) said AI ‘has the ability to be good, but has some inherent risks associated with it’. 15% said it would be a benevolent force for good, while 18%...

24 August 2018 | Ethics

Nvidia CEO is ‘happy to help’ if Tesla’s AI chip ambitions fail

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has teased his company is 'happy to help’ if Tesla fails its goal to launch a competitor AI chip. Tesla currently uses Nvidia’s silicon for its vehicles. The company’s CEO, Elon Musk, said earlier this month that he’s a “big fan” of Nvidia but that an in-house AI chip would be able to outperform those of the leading processor manufacturer. During a conference call on Thursday, Huang said its customers are “super excited” about  Nvidia's Xavier...

17 August 2018 | Hardware

Google is reportedly building an AI-powered fitness coach for WearOS

Google appears to be preparing an AI-powered fitness coach for WearOS as it continues its mission to revitalise the platform. Fitness remains a key reason why people buy smartwatches. Beyond that, they’re still really just an expensive place to see our smartphone notifications. WearOS’ main competitor, the Apple Watch, has produced some clever features with regards to fitness. Among the most impressive is the ability to tap some gym equipment to bring up the relevant info and tracking...

16 August 2018 | Healthcare

EFF offers guidance to militaries seeking AI implementation

The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) has released a whitepaper offering guidance on the implementation of military AI projects. AI being used for military purposes is a scary thought, but it’s ultimately inevitable. The best that can be hoped for is that it’s used in a sensible way that addresses people’s concerns. The publishing of the whitepaper arrives in the wake of Google employees resigning over the company’s defense contract to provide AI knowledge to the US...

15 August 2018 | Military

Uber is using AI to determine if a ride is business or pleasure

On-demand transportation firm Uber is using artificial intelligence to determine whether a ride is for business or pleasure. The company is using the data for a new feature called ‘Profile Recommendations’ whereby the app will recommend switching to a correct profile for your journey. Many people will have two Uber profile – one for personal use, and the other for business. Ronnie Gurion, GM and Global Head of Uber for Business, says:

“Using machine...

14 August 2018 | Travel

AI is helping to make treatment for cancer more bearable

Researchers from MIT are using artificial intelligence to make treatment for cancer less debilitating but just as effective for patients. The AI learns from historical patient data to determine what the lowest doses and frequencies of medication delivered the desired results to shrink tumours. In some cases, the monthly administration of doses was reduced to just twice per year while achieving the same goal. Based on a trial of fifty patients, treatments were reduced to between a quarter and...

13 August 2018 | Healthcare

Intel’s AI chip business is now worth $1bn per year, $10bn by 2022

The size of Intel’s AI chip business today is huge, but it’s nothing compared to where it expects to be in just four years’ time. Speaking during the company's Innovation Summit in Santa Clara, Intel Executive VP Navin Shenoy revealed a new focus on AI development. The company’s AI-focused Xeon processors generated $1 billion in revenues during 2017. By 2022, it expects to be generating around $10 billion per year. AI is set to be implemented in many areas of our lives in the...

9 August 2018 | Hardware

AI-powered drones will ensure birds steer clear of airports

Most airports are working to keep drones away, but a new AI-powered breed could help to improve safety by steering birds clear of airspace. While rare, birds can pose a serious problem to aircraft – from broken windshields to engine failures. That’s not to say bird strikes themselves are uncommon. Between 1990-2015, there were 160,894 bird strikes on US aircraft. Each year, bird strikes cost US airlines an estimated $1.2 billion. Only .025% (40) of those strikes resulted in an accident....

8 August 2018 | Drones

AI slashes cancer treatment plan creation to ‘mere hours’

Treating cancer is a race against time. Each moment which passes is an opportunity for it to spread and become untreatable. How long it takes for radiation therapy plans to be created today can take days. Individual maps need to be created for each patient to determine where tumours need to be targeted. This lengthy process is frustrating for the patient, their loved ones, and medical professionals who’d love nothing more than to spend time saving lives instead of creating...

2 August 2018 | Healthcare