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Speedy AI image analysis could help doctors during surgery
Right now, comparing 3D medical scans is a pain -- it can take two hours or more to see what's changed. And that spells trouble for surgeons, who may have to bring patients back to the operating room if a tumor removal wasn't a complete success. Thankfully, AI technology may eliminate that hassle. An MIT-led research team has crafted a machine learning algorithm that can analyze 3D scans up to 1,000 times faster than before, making it possible to study changes almost in real time -- less than a second on a PC with a fast graphics card.
IBM’s Project Debater is an AI that's ready to argue
A large group of journalists and IBM employees sit quietly while a black monolith (yes, like the one found in 2001: A Space Odyssey) with a display shows three animated blue balls floating in front and behind each other. The assembled humans are waiting for Project Debater to state its rebuttal. It's arguing for government-subsidized space exploration. It's parsing the four-minute opening remarks of 2016 Israeli national debate champion Noa Ovadia. It's thinking, and its reply is impressive but not always natural.
AI detects movement through walls using wireless signals
You don't need exotic radar, infrared or elaborate mesh networks to spot people through walls -- all you need are some easily detectable wireless signals and a dash of AI. Researchers at MIT CSAIL have developed a system (RF-Pose) that uses a neural network to teach RF-equipped devices to sense people's movement and postures behind obstacles. The team trained their AI to recognize human motion in RF by showing it examples of both on-camera movement and signals reflected from people's bodies, helping it understand how the reflections correlate to a given posture. From there, the AI could use wireless alone to estimate someone's movements and represent them using stick figures.
Microsoft is working on its own game streaming service
Microsoft isn't going to let Sony's PlayStation Now go unanswered. The company has announced that it's developing its own game streaming service, which promises "console-quality gaming on any device." In other words, expect Xbox-level visuals and gameplay on everything from your laptop to your phone. It'll take advantage of the company's experience with AI to achieve that goal. There's no mention of a release date or even a name, but it's on the way -- and that's all that matters right now.
Can Google keep its promises on building ethical AI?
Google's collaboration with the Department of Defense to develop AI system's for the US military's fleet of war drones, dubbed Project Maven, proved a double-edged sword for the technology company. On one hand, the DoD contract was quite lucrative, worth as much as $250 million annually.
Experimental drone uses AI to spot violence in crowds
Drone-based surveillance still makes many people uncomfortable, but that isn't stopping research into more effective airborne watchdogs. Scientists have developed an experimental drone system that uses AI to detect violent actions in crowds. The team trained their machine learning algorithm to recognize a handful of typical violent motions (punching, kicking, shooting and stabbing) and flag them when they appear in a drone's camera view. The technology could theoretically detect a brawl that on-the-ground officers might miss, or pinpoint the source of a gunshot.
Fox Sports' World Cup Highlight Machine is powered by IBM's Watson
We're only ten days away from the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018. And for soccer (er, football) fans in the US, Fox Sports will be the TV network responsible for bringing them all 64 games from Russia, at least if they want to watch them in English. But, beyond its broadcast offerings, Fox Sports wants to keep people engaged in the competition in different ways. Aside from its partnership with Twitter, which comes in the form of a show that'll stream live from Russia, Fox Sports has teamed up with IBM to build the ultimate World Cup Highlight Machine. Powered by Watson artificial intelligence, this video hub lets you create on-demand clips from every FIFA World Cup tournament dating back to 1958.
Google Assistant fired a gun: We need to talk
For better or worse, Google Assistant can do it all. From mundane tasks like turning on your lights and setting reminders to convincingly mimicking human speech patterns, the AI helper is so capable it's scary. Its latest (unofficial) ability, though, is a bit more sinister. Artist Alexander Reben recently taught Assistant to fire a gun. Fortunately, the victim was an apple, not a living being. The 30-second video, simply titled "Google Shoots," shows Reben saying, "OK Google, activate gun." Barely a second later, a buzzer goes off, the gun fires and Assistant responds, "Sure, turning on the gun." On the surface, the footage is underwhelming -- nothing visually arresting is happening. But peel back the layers even a little and it's obvious that this project is meant to provoke a conversation on the boundaries of what AI should be allowed to do.
AI could predict violent protests through Twitter analysis
Twitter has long been a cornerstone for organizing protests, but once demonstrators hit the streets, there's always a possibility that violence can erupt between activists and authorities. To help cut down on such battles, researchers from the University of Southern California's Brain and Creativity Institute are using artificial intelligence to try and predict when protests will turn violent.
Samsung opens second North American AI lab in Toronto
If it wasn't already apparent that Canada is becoming a major hub for AI research, it is now. Samsung has opened an AI Center (or Centre, for the Canadian crowd) in Toronto, and it's only the company's second big lab in North America -- the other is located near Google in Mountain View. The new location will help foster AI across a wide range of devices, ranging from self-driving cars to smart appliances.
FDA approves AI tool for spotting wrist fractures
The FDA has been approving its fair share of AI-powered medical technology, but its latest might be particularly helpful if you ever have a nasty fall. The agency has greenlit Imagen's OsteoDetect, an AI-based diagnostic tool that can quickly detect distal radius wrist fractures. Its machine learning algorithm studies 2D X-rays for the telltale signs of fractures and marks them for closer study. It's not a replacement for doctors or clinicians, the FDA stressed -- rather, it's to improve their detection and get the right treatment that much sooner.
Facial recognition may help save endangered primates
Facial recognition isn't limited to humans. Researchers have developed a face detection system, PrimNet, that should help save endangered primates by tracking them in a non-invasive way. The neural network-based approach lets field workers keep tabs on chimpanzees, golden monkeys and lemurs just by snapping a photo of them with an Android app -- it'll either produce an exact match or turn up five close candidates. That's much gentler than tracking devices, which can stress or even hurt animals.
Facebook AI turns whistling into musical masterpieces
Ever wish you could whistle a tune and have a computer build a whole song out of that idea? It might just happen. Facebook AI Research has developed an AI that can convert music in one style or genre into virtually any other. Instead of simply trying to repeat notes or style-specific traits, the approach uses unsupervised training to teach a neural network how to create similar noises all on its own. Facebook's system even prevents the AI from simply memorizing the audio signal by purposefully distorting the input.
UK promises funding for AI-based early cancer detection
The UK is about to make a big bet on AI's ability to spot cancer. The Guardian has learned that Prime Minister Theresa May will commit "millions of pounds" in funding for research toward AI that can diagnose cancer and chronic diseases at an early stage. The technology could reduce "avoidable deaths," according to May's prepared speech, and is estimated to save as many as 22,000 lives per year by 2033. It would extend healthy living by another five years as of 2035. There is, however, an important catch.
Finnish university's online AI course is open to everyone
Helsinki University in Finland has launched a course on artificial intelligence -- one that's completely free and open to everyone around the world. Unlike Carnegie Mellon's new undergrad degree in AI, which the institution created to train future experts in the field, Helsinki's offering is more of a beginner course for those who want to know more about it. A lot of tech giants like Google now have divisions working on artificial intelligence projects, and even whole non-tech industries already depend on AI for various tasks. But as Janina Fagerlund from the university's project partner (tech strategy firm Reaktor) said, people might not know that their lives are already affected by AI every day.
Intel is testing self-driving cars in 'challenging' Jerusalem conditions
Autonomous car makers are running more and more real-world tests, and Intel is now joining the fray, bringing its self-driving cars to the roads of Jerusalem. The company's Mobileye subsidiary, which develops self-driving technology, calls the city home. And since, according to Mobileye CEO Amnon Shashua, Jerusalem has a reputation for aggressive driving, it doesn't seem it will have to go very far to test the limits of the cars' artificial intelligence.
Virtual testing ground helps autonomous drones fly faster
It's not easy to teach drones to fly quickly and safely. You usually have to create an elaborate proving ground with real obstacles, and a single mishap could prove very costly. MIT's solution? Have the drones fly around imaginary objects. The school's engineers have created a virtual testing ground, nicknamed Flight Googles, that has drones flying through a simulated landscape in the safety of an empty room. Motion capture cameras around the space track the orientation of the drone and help the system send realistic, customized virtual images to the drone to convince it that it's flying through an apartment or another obstacle-laden environment.
YouTube Red taps Robert Downey, Jr. to host AI docuseries
One of the shows that YouTube will spend 'hundreds of millions' this year to make for its Red premium platform will be a docu-series on AI narrated by Robert Downey, Jr. The star and his wife Susan Downey will both executive produce the untitled show, which will feature experts from across the sciences to explore the history of artificial intelligence -- and how it continues to transform our world. The eight-episode show is scheduled to air on YouTube Red in 2019, according to Variety.
Google employees reportedly quit over military drone AI project
Around a dozen Google employees have quit over the company's involvement in an artificial intelligence drone program for the Pentagon called Project Maven, Gizmodo reported today. Meanwhile, nearly 4,000 workers have now demanded an end to the company's participation in Maven in a petition that also calls for Google to avoid military work in the future.
Google's Clips camera can be shared with your whole family
Until now, Google's Clips camera has only been usable by one person. That's something of a problem for families -- what if your partner wants the AI-guided cam to capture a special moment when you're away? Google is about to fix that. It's rolling out an update this week that introduces family pairing, letting you pass the cam to another member of the household to view and share your creations.
