European AI researchers form group over falling behind fears

A group of European researchers are coming together in a bid to advance AI research over fears the continent will fall behind. The initiative will be called the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) and was launched on 6th December at the Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) meeting in Montreal, Canada. Almost 200 researchers signed an open letter published in April warning AI investment and expertise in Europe is lagging behind the likes of North...

12 December 2018 | Europe

AI targets cryptocurrency ‘pump-and-dump’ schemes

Pump-and-dump schemes result in serious penalties in regulated markets, but in the wild west of cryptocurrencies, they’re a regular occurrence. For those unaware, a pump-and-dump is typically a group of individuals who use their combined buying power to artificially inflate the price of an asset before selling off near its peak. Outsiders believe the price is a sign of increased interest and end up buying high. Anonymous messaging app Telegram is often used for organising these groups,...

6 December 2018 | Blockchain

Microsoft believes the UK can be a ‘game changer’ for AI

A new report from Microsoft claims the UK has the right mix of ingredients to be a clear ‘game changer’ for the AI industry. The UK has established itself as a leader in AI with its renowned universities generating talent and spurring internationally recognised companies such as DeepMind, which was acquired by Google for £400 million. In the report, Microsoft wrote:

“The UK’s mix of start-up culture, renowned academic research capabilities, and...

1 November 2018 | Government

Researchers get public to decide who to save in a driverless car crash

Researchers have conducted an experiment intending to solve the ethical conundrum of who to save if a fatal driverless car crash is unavoidable. A driverless car AI will need to be programmed with decisions such as who to prioritise if it came down to choices such as between swerving and hitting a child on the left, or an elderly person on the right. It may seem a fairly simple choice for some – children have their whole life in front of them, the elderly have fewer years ahead. However,...

25 October 2018 | Ethics

DARPA is pumping $2bn into AI projects – including yours, possibly

DARPA shows it’s not just about creepy robots with a $2 billion funding announcement for various AI projects over the next five years. The so-called ‘Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’ researches a range of innovative new technologies. Many of these advancements will have an impact beyond defence. As such, DARPA’s funding initiative will be open to applications beyond the defence community. That means any AI project you’re involved with could be in the running to receive...

9 October 2018 | Funding

Experts warn of AI disasters leading to research lockdown

Experts from around the world have warned of potential AI disasters that could lead to a subsequent lockdown of research. Andrew Moore, the new head of AI at Google Cloud, is one such expert who has warned of scenarios that would lead to public backlash and restrictions that would prevent AI from reaching its full potential. Back in November, Moore spoke at the Artificial Intelligence and Global Security Initiative. In his keynote, he said:

"If an AI disaster...

13 September 2018 | Government

Study claims AI will spur growth on par with the steam engine

A study predicts AI will spur growth similar to groundbreaking technologies such as the steam engine, for at least the next decade. The simulation run by the McKinsey Global Institute shows artificial intelligence has the possibility to add 1.2 percent to annual gross domestic product growth until at least 2030. For perspective, that represents $13 trillion of additional global economic activity. Such growth is equivalent to other landmark developments such as that of the steam engine. AI is...

6 September 2018 | Government

PwC: Jobs created by AI will balance out those it destroys

PwC is taking a more neutral approach regarding AI’s impact on jobs amid clashing arguments over whether it will create or destroy more in the long-term. The professional services firm’s analysts predict, in the UK at least, the number of jobs destroyed by AI is likely to be counteracted by the number of roles created. In fact, over the next 20 years, PwC expects around 7.2 million to be created versus seven million displaced – resulting in a small net jobs growth of around 0.2...

17 July 2018 | Government

China is set to climb the AI rankings over the next decade

China currently sits in seventh place when it comes to professionals working in AI, but the nation is expected to climb the rankings over the next decade. According to a report by LinkedIn, there are currently more than 50,000 AI professionals working in China. The leader, the United States, has 850,000 professionals working in the industry. Wang Di, VP of LinkedIn China, said:

"The core technique of AI is closely related to computer science, in which the US has...

16 July 2018 | China

Animal testing is next to be replaced by artificial intelligence

Animals can breathe a sigh of relief as researchers promote switching to artificial intelligence for testing instead of mammals. In Europe alone, the nine most frequently done animal tests in 2011 were fatal 57 percent of the time. There’s little wonder animal rights activists have protested the controversial practice for decades. Humankind often prioritises money over humanity, it’s an unfortunate fact that doesn’t appear set to change anytime soon. Fortunately, the researchers believe...

13 July 2018 | Machine Learning