AI Experts: Dear Amazon, stop selling facial recognition to law enforcement

A group of AI experts have signed an open letter to Amazon demanding the company stops selling facial recognition to law enforcement following bias findings.

Back in January, AI News reported on findings by Algorithmic Justice League founder Joy Buolamwini who researched some of the world's most popular facial recognition algorithms.

Buolamwini found most of the algorithms were biased and misidentified subjects with darker skin colours and/or females more...

4 April 2019 | Amazon

DeepMind’s first commercial product diagnoses eye diseases

DeepMind is preparing to launch its first commercial product and it aims to aid the diagnosis of complex eye diseases.

The renowned Cambridge-based artificial intelligence experts hope their product will become parent company Alphabet’s first medical device.

In a live demonstration, a patient had a retinal scan performed on her eye. DeepMind’s system was able to provide a diagnosis and ‘urgency score’ in just 30 seconds.

The ability to perform such a...

1 April 2019 | DeepMind

Huawei P30 Pro: AI turns anyone into a skilled photographer

We’ve gone hands-on with Huawei’s P30 Pro to review its AI capabilities and determine whether it’s a gimmick or a useful implementation.

The company’s flagship P-series of smartphones focuses on camera innovations. With this latest device, we’re seeing that trend continue. There are clear enhancements to existing features in addition to a few new things for us to play with.

In the Mate 20, Huawei’s previous flagship, the company expanded the number of scenes...

29 March 2019 | Hardware

Don’t be evil: Google is creating a dedicated AI ethics panel

Google is aiming to prevent societal disasters caused by its AI technology with the creation of a dedicated ethics panel.

The panel is called the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC) and features a range of academics and experts from around the world.

Eight people are currently on the panel, with some from as far as Hong Kong and South Africa. Among the roster is former US deputy secretary of state William Joseph Burns and University of Bath associate...

27 March 2019 | Ethics

Report: 94 percent of IT leaders want greater focus on AI ethics

A study from SnapLogic has found that 94 percent of IT decision makers across the UK and US want a greater focus on ethical AI development.

Bias in algorithms continues to be a problem and is among the biggest barriers to societal adoption. Facial recognition algorithms, for example, have been found to be far less accurate for some parts of society than others.

Without addressing these issues, we’re in danger of automating problems such as racial profiling. Public...

26 March 2019 | Ethics

Samsung is looking to snag Paris-based AI startups

Samsung is opening up global AI centres at a rapid pace but reports suggest the Korean giant is hoping Paris can bolster the firm’s talent.

Around 30 AI experts are based at Samsung’s current Paris office working on research and development projects.

The Paris-based AI lab of Samsung is smaller than centres based in London, Toronto, and Montreal. While the lab itself is smaller than its counterparts elsewhere in the world, Samsung is seeking local partners to help...

25 March 2019 | Samsung

Stanford’s institute ensuring AI ‘represents humanity’ lacks diversity

An institute established by Stanford University to address concerns that AI may not represent the whole of humanity is lacking in diversity.

The goal of the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence is admirable, but the fact it consists primarily of white males brings into doubt its ability to ensure adequate representation.

Cybersecurity expert Chad Loder noticed that not a single member of Stanford’s new AI faculty was black. Tech site Gizmodo reached out...

22 March 2019 | Ethics

Become a modern-day Bach with Google’s AI-powered doodle

Google is honouring the 334th birthday of famous German composer Johann Sebastian Bach with an AI-powered ‘doodle’ that mimics his musical style.

Users can input their own melody and the AI will create a harmony in the Baroque style of Bach.

“Bach was a humble man who attributed his success to divine inspiration and a strict work ethic,” wrote Google in a post. “He lived to see only a handful of his works published, but more than 1,000 that survived in...

21 March 2019 | Google

UK government investigates AI bias in decision-making

The UK government is launching an investigation to determine the levels of bias in algorithms that could affect people's lives.

A browse through our ‘ethics’ category here on AI News will highlight the serious problem of bias in today's algorithms. With AIs being increasingly used for decision-making, parts of society could be left behind.

Conducted by the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI), the investigation will focus on areas where AI has tremendous...

20 March 2019 | Ethics

Toy around with deep learning in Nvidia’s AI Playground

Nvidia launched an online space called AI Playground on Monday which allows people to mess around with some deep learning experiences.

AI Playground is designed to be accessible in order to help anyone get started and learn about the potential of artificial intelligence. Who knows, it may even inspire some to enter the field and help to address the huge skill shortage.

The experience currently features three demos:

Imagine InPaintingArtistic Style...

19 March 2019 | Deep Learning