“The impact of artificial intelligence will extend across the entire department, spanning from operations and training to recruiting and healthcare,” DoD CIO Dana Deasy said.

A 17-page document outlines how the DoD intends to advance its AI prowess with five key steps:

1. Delivering AI-enabled capabilities that address key missions.
2. Scaling AI’s impact across DoD through a common foundation that enables decentralized development and experimentation.
3. Cultivating a leading AI workforce.
4. Engaging with commercial, academic, and international allies and partners.
5. Leading in military ethics and AI safety.

Given the concerns about the so-called AI ‘arms race’, that final point will cause a sigh of relief in some people – at least for those who believe it.

The DoD will rapidly prototype new innovations, increase research and development, and boost training and recruitment.

Rather than AI replacing jobs, the DoD believes it will empower those currently serving: “The women and men in the US armed forces remain our enduring source of strength; we will use AI-enabled information, tools, and systems to empower, not replace, those who serve.”

Prior to his resignation as US Secretary of Defense, General Editor Mattis implored the president to create a national strategy for AI. With his defense background, Mattis was concerned the US is not keeping pace with the likes of China.

Here are the example areas in which the DoD believes AI can improve day-to-day operations:

• Improving situational awareness and decision-making.
• Increasing the safety of operating equipment.
• Implementing predictive maintenance and supply.
• Streamlining business processes (e.g. reducing the time spent on highly manual, repetitive, and frequent tasks.)

“The present moment is pivotal: we must act to protect our security and advance our competitiveness,” the DOD document states. “But we must embrace change if we are to reap the benefits of continued security and prosperity for the future.”

deepgeniusai.com/">AI & Big Data Expo events with upcoming shows in Silicon Valley, London, and Amsterdam to learn more. Co-located with the IoT Tech Expo, , & .

The post US defense department outlines its AI strategy appeared first on AI News.

The study, by the UN World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), was published on Thursday.

US tech giant IBM is leading in AI patents with 8,920 filed. Microsoft followed with 5,930.

Japan’s Toshiba has the next highest number of patents (5,223), ahead of South Korea’s Samsung (5,102), and Japan’s NEC Group (4,406).

Chinese organisations make up 17 of the top 20 academic players in AI patenting, as well as 10 of the top 20 in AI-related scientific publications.

Machine learning is currently the most patented technique of artificial intelligence.The fastest growing, however, is deep learning with a 175 percent annual increase in patent applications from 2013 to 2016.

In terms of applications, ‘AI for robotics’ grew the fastest over the same period with an increase of 265 percent.

When delving into the growth of AI use per industry, transportation was by far the fastest growing (134%) which is of little surprise considering the investment around self-driving vehicles.

This industry was followed by telecommunications (84%), life and medical sciences (40%), and personal devices, computing, and HCI (36%).

With their large economies and populations, it’s unsurprising to see the US and China leading in AI.

Andrew Ng, renowned AI expert and CEO of DeepLearning.ai, said in the report: “It’s very difficult for other countries, even those with great education, to compete with the business, engineering, and investing talent” of China and the US.

WIPO Director General Francis Gurry noted how the cultural and linguistic diversity of Europe is an obstacle to machine learning.

Gurry fears a growing use of AI for military purposes by major geopolitical players, but that AI overall could be good for mankind if used properly.

“Is it (AI) good news or bad news? Well, I would tend to say that all technology is somewhat neutral and it depends on what you do with it,” he commented.

”So, insofar as you may use AI science and techniques for developing autonomous weapons systems that are going to kill us all, is not very good news. Insofar as it’s being used to improve health indicators for diagnostics, for other purposes, it’s great news.”

deepgeniusai.com/">AI & Big Data Expo events with upcoming shows in Silicon Valley, London, and Amsterdam to learn more. Co-located with the IoT Tech Expo, , & .

The post UN: China and the US are leading the way in AI race appeared first on AI News.

During the Data for Black Lives conference last weekend, several experts shared how AI is evolving America’s controversial prison system.

America imprisons more people than any other nation. It’s not just a result of the population of the country, the incarceration per head is the highest in the world at ~716 per 100,000 of the national population. The second largest, Russia, incarcerates ~455 per 100,000 population.

Black males are, by far, America’s most incarcerated:

AI has been proven to have bias problems. Last year, the American Civil Liberties Union found that Amazon’s facial recognition technology disproportionately flagged those with darker skin colours as criminals more often.

The bias is not intentional but a result of a wider problem in STEM career diversity. In the West, the fields are dominated by white males.

A 2010 study by researchers at NIST and the University of Texas in Dallas found (PDF) algorithms designed and tested in East Asia are better at recognising East Asians, while those developed in Western countries are more accurate when detecting Caucasians.

Deploying such inherently-biased AIs is bound to exacerbate societal problems. Most concerning, US courtrooms are using AI tools for ‘risk’ assessments to make sentencing decisions.

Using a defendant’s profile, the AI generates a recidivism score – a number which aims to estimate if an individual will reoffend. A judge then uses that score to make decisions such as the severity of their sentence, what services the individual should be provided, and if a person should be held in jail before trial.

Last July, a statement (PDF) was signed by over 100 civil rights organisations – including the ACLU – calling for AI to be kept clear of risk assessments.

When the bias problem with AIs is solved, their use in the justice system could improve trust in decisions. Current questions over whether a judge was prejudiced in their sentencing will be reduced. However, we’re yet to be anywhere near that point.

deepgeniusai.com/">AI & Big Data Expo events with upcoming shows in Silicon Valley, London, and Amsterdam to learn more. Co-located with the IoT Tech Expo, , & .

The post AI is sentencing people based on their ‘risk’ assessment appeared first on AI News.

The group is called PAI (Partnership on AI) and has been formed amid fears about the potential impacts of artificial intelligence. Such concerns include the potential effect on jobs, discrimination, and the potential loss of life when AI us used in a military capacity.

PAI consists of more than 70 academic institutes along with civil groups and technology leaders including Google, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft. In collaboration, the group will develop ethical guidelines.

Until Baidu joined, there has been a notable lack of Chinese partnership. As one of the leaders in AI, and the most populous country in the world, the involvement of China is vital.

Terah Lyons, Executive Director of the Partnership on AI, said:

“Admitting our first Chinese member is an important step toward building a truly global partnership.

The growth and scope of work on AI in China is extensive and any conversation about the future of AI that does not involve China is an incomplete conversation.

I look forward to seeing our members work together across borders, sectors, and disciplines to help shape the future of this critical technology, enabling the best possible outcomes for society.”

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, has repeatedly iterated his desire for the country to lead the world in AI by 2025. Going by the pace of advancements by Chinese firms such as Huawei, it’s not hard to imagine.

Baidu is considered the ‘Google of China’ and similar to its Western counterpart is also developing things such as driverless cars and virtual assistants. The company’s decision to join PAI is a huge win for the consortium and its credibility.

Ya-Qin Zhang, President of Baidu, commented:

“As AI technology keeps advancing and the application of AI expands, we recognize the importance of joining the global discussion around the future of AI.

Ensuring AI’s safety, fairness and transparency should not be an afterthought but rather highly considered at the onset of every project or system we build.

The impact of a transformative technology like AI goes beyond borders, so we are looking forward to both sharing our own insights and learning from our international peers.”

While the militarisation of AI is somewhat inevitable, ethical safeguards can be put in place to prevent disasters. There’s almost widespread agreement that any final decision which leads to the loss of life must be authorised by a human operator to ensure accountability.

Below you can watch our video from the AI Expo in Amsterdam with Irakli Beridze, Head of the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, discussing the potential impacts of AI:

PAI has now launched three Working Groups:

AI, Labor, and the Economy

Safety-Critical AI

Fair, Transparent, and Accountable AI

In addition to these Working Groups, further detail is forthcoming on the Partnership’s work within ‘Social and Societal Influences of AI’,’“Collaborations Between People and AI Systems’, and ‘AI and Social Good’.

  Interested in hearing industry leaders discuss subjects like this? Attend the co-located AI & , and >

The post Baidu is the first Chinese firm to join US-led AI supergroup appeared first on AI News.

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 among the most sought-after technologies globally. Much like 5G, countries are vying to become leaders in the space.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said:

“Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia, but for all humankind. It comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict.

Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.”

China and the US, the world’s largest economies, are the other major players in the AI race who aim to fully utilise the rapidly advancing technology in order to retain their lead.

Beijing has already set out its five-year plan which includes AI. The nation aims to be a leader by 2030.

Compared to the global average, China’s labour productivity is low and the economy is becoming reliant on consumption. Without AI, it’s likely the country will struggle to achieve its target growth rate.

Despite the economic benefits. there continues to be a concern about AI increasing wealth inequality.

“The productivity-enhancing, labour-saving technology is a challenging issue for all of the economies in the world,” Takashi Miwa, chief Japan economist at Nomura, said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

Like many experts, Miwa believes AI poses a threat to low-skilled jobs.

There will also be a severe disparity between countries. According to the McKinsey analysis, developed countries – likely to emerge as AI leaders – are set to benefit economically 20 to 25 percent more than current levels.

Emerging markets could only gain half of that, according to the report.

Are you surprised by the prediction?

The post Study claims AI will spur growth on par with the steam engine appeared first on AI News.

Project Maven was Google’s collaboration with the US Department of Defense. In March, leaks indicated that Google supplied AI technology to the Pentagon to help analyse drone footage.

The following month, over 4,000 employees signed a petition demanding that Google’s management cease work on Project Maven and promise to never again “build warfare technology.”

In April 2018, Google’s infamous ‘Don’t be evil’ motto was removed from the code of conduct’s preface — but retained in its last sentence. In the final line, it now says: “And remember… don’t be evil, and if you see something that you think isn’t right – speak up!”

Google’s employees saw something that wasn’t right and did speak up. In fact, Gizmodo reported a dozen or so employees resigned in protest.

The company listened and told its employees last week that it would not be renewing its contract with the Department of Defense when it expires next year.

In a bid to further quell fears about the development of its AI technology and how the company intends it to be used, Google has today published its ethical principles.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a blog post the company will not develop technologies or weapons that cause harm, or anything which can be used for surveillance violating “internationally accepted norms” or “widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.”

Some observers are concerned the clauses about the ‘accepted norms’ provides ground to push the boundaries of what’s considered acceptable.

Gizmodo also reported that Google sought to help build systems that enabled the Pentagon to perform surveillance on entire cities. In China, that is something which is widely accepted, and in use today.

Here are what Google says is the company’s key objectives for AI developments:

1. Be socially beneficial.
2. Avoid creating or reinforcing unfair bias.
3. Be built and tested for safety.
4. Be accountable to people.
5. Incorporate privacy design principles.
6. Uphold high standards of scientific excellence.
7. Be made available for uses that accord with these principles.  

Pichai promised the company “will work to limit potentially harmful or abusive applications” and will block the use of their technology if they “become aware of uses that are inconsistent” with the principles Google has set out today.

What are your thoughts on Google’s AI ethical principles?

The post Don’t Be Evil: Google publishes its AI ethical principles following backlash appeared first on AI News.

The three-day event is organised by MIT Technology Review and features some of the world’s most talented experts.

In the past, we’ve heard from the likes of Elon Musk saying AI will mean a ‘universal basic income’ will become necessary as more jobs become automated. Others counter this argument by claiming AI will not replace many jobs, but instead will help to make them easier.

Matching a human’s creativity is one such area where machines were expected to struggle for the foreseeable future. However, we’ve seen AI making large strides in this area.

On stage at Emtech China, Microsoft’s natural language processing researcher Ming Zhou showed how their AI programs are composing music and performing it on CCTV. Tencent’s AI Lab director, Tong Zhang, also showcased Dreamwriter — a robot reporter.

Earlier this month, Microsoft also demonstrated its AttnGAN project which uses AI to draw whatever is asked of it. The image below was drawn by the bot and would be quite difficult to differentiate from a photograph — you would at least think it was drawn by a professional artist.

©Microsoft

Right now, not all the examples are quite so impressive as the bird in Microsoft’s demo — but it shows how quick advancements are occurring. Part of the pace of these advancements is the battle for superiority between the U.S. and China which, even in other industries, appears to be as strong as ever.

Xiao’ou Tang, Professor at the Department of Information Engineering at CUHK, comments:

“At this point, we have so much to learn from the US. Of course, China has its unique advantages: we have a lot more scenarios for AI application and we have a lot more data that is allowed to be used and we don’t have such strict laws about data like in the US. And we have a leadership which is mostly engineers which is why we have this national policy to push for AI research. That’s the advantage on the Chinese side, but the idea is that we should collaborate.”

In the UK, the Centre for Cities has published a report which estimates that by 2030 nine areas could lose more than a quarter of jobs to automation and AI. Roles in shops, administration, and warehouses are the most at risk. Towns and cities with a ‘lower share of high-skilled jobs’ — such as Mansfield, Sunderland and Wakefield — face losing nearly 30 percent of their current roles.

“Automation and globalisation will bring huge opportunities, but there is also a real risk that many people and places will lose out,” says Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities. “We need to reform the education system to give young people the skills to thrive in the future, and we also need greater investment in lifelong learning to help adults adapt to the changing labour market.”

Are you concerned by AI causing job losses?

The post Emtech China: Warnings of AI causing job losses continue appeared first on AI News.

Starting with the charter, Andrey Neznamov — head of Russian robot research centre, Robopravo — drew it up in response to fears machines possessing AI could lead to the “destruction of humanity” if they’re not sufficiently regulated.

To some, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, these fears are overblown and scaremongering. Other great minds, including Stephen Hawking and Tesla founder Elon Musk, believe it’s a very real possibility.

“I sincerely believe that technology will make the world better, just there is a certain stage when lawyers will have to intervene,” says Neznamov. “On the one hand, we cannot allow the laws to prevent the development of technology, and on the other hand, we must not allow the destruction of humanity, which may happen as a result.”

One example Neznamov provides is an AI which controls the energy infrastructure of a country. It may not have malicious intent, but a failure could mean bringing the power grid down.

Another often provided example is an AI used in a military capacity for automated defense. Whereas it could be designed for things such as intercepting missiles, it could instead decide to launch its own preemptive strike on another country is more likely to keep its own citizens safe while not considering the devastation such a decision would create.

Part of what could result in rushed and dangerous militarised AI is the latest ‘arms race’ between the historical rivals of the US, Russia, and China.

It’s now widely accepted that AI will be used for warfare as powerful nations battle for better capabilities than others. Sometimes this competition is good, and drives groundbreaking advancements — such as in the ‘space race’ — but experts are concerned AI will be more likened to the nuclear arms race.

Back in September, AI News reported Russian President Vladimir Putin said the nation which leads in AI “will become the ruler of the world.” Earlier this month, we reported that researchers have begun sending letters to their respective leaders calling for a global stand against AI militarisation.

Robert Work, a former deputy US secretary of defence, has warned the US military must now decide if it wants to “lead the coming revolution, or fall victim to it”, amid emerging challenges from China and Russia.

Russian state media have reported on the military developing automated drones, vehicles, robots, and cruise missiles. China, meanwhile, has published a road map with its national plan to prioritise AI and use it for defense purposes.

A copy of the aforementioned ‘Robot Ethics Charter’ can be found here, but please note it’s currently only available in Russian.

Are you concerned about AI’s use in a military capacity?

The post ‘Robot Ethics Charter’ drawn up — as report claims US at risk of losing AI arms race appeared first on AI News.

Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment firm, highlights China’s resources and ambitious plans for an intelligent economy based on AI.

The report is titled “China’s Rise in Artificial Intelligence” and says both companies and the Chinese government are putting their weight behind AI. In fact, back in July, the Chinese government announced it will increase government spending on core AI programs to $22 billion in the next few years, with plans to spend nearly $60 billion per year by 2025.

“We believe AI technology will become a priority on the government’s agenda, and we expect further national/regional policy and funding support on AI to follow,” the bank said.

Chinese giant Baidu has made a name for itself as one of the leaders in AI development. The company is often seen as the Chinese equivalent to Google, a company which is seen to be leading AI development in the West.

Guidelines on developing AI

China’s State Council has issued guidelines on developing AI in China and set the goal to become a global innovation center by 2030. The output value of AI is expected to surpass 1 trillion yuan ($147.80 billion)

AI requires vast amounts of data, and this is an area where China thrives due to its large population. The country is also known for its ‘Great Firewall’ and control over what content is able to be accessed, and from what providers.

“China understandably generates (about) 13 percent of the digital information globally. By 2020, we expect this to grow to around 20 percent to 25 percent as China’s economy emerges as the world’s largest,” Goldman Sachs predicts.

The firm also predicts China will generate around 9 to 10 zetabytes (about 1 trillion gigabytes) of data.

In order to gain the full value of AI, Goldman Sachs has identified four areas needed: talent, data, infrastructure, and computing power. Goldman believes China meets these criteria and has a ripe opportunity to take a lead in AI.

Do you think China will overtake the US in AI development?

The post Goldman Sachs: China is catching up to the U.S. in AI appeared first on AI News.