Researchers unveil the first telepathic link between a robot and a human
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF One of the biggest problems in manufacturing is having to re-train robots to complete new tasks, but now Robot-Human telepathy could make that problem disappear. Those of you who wish others could read your mind must think it’s Christmas – whether it’s because Zuckerberg seems...
So long Asimov’s Laws, say hello to the 23 Laws of Robotics
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Whether they’re hardware based, or software based, machines are getting increasingly capable, creative, intelligent and resilient – and that has experts worried, so now they’ve created a new set of laws to try to guide the technology’s development and trajectory. Ever since people first...
Robo-lawyers want to automate the entire legal world
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Most lawyers and legal professionals agree that their profession hasn’t changed much in hundreds of years, but now artificial intelligence, and the rise of “robo-lawyers” is beginning to change all that. To many people, lawyers, like doctors, optimise the pinnacle of what it means...
Accenture automates 17,000 jobs without making anyone redundant
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF In the age of automation humans are all too often the collateral damage but with vision and careful management that doesn’t always have to be the case. In the past eighteen months one of the world’s largest professional services and technology companies, Accenture, according...
Robot sales in 2016 were the best ever
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Sales of robots, particularly in China, are booming and analysts expect more of the same in 2017. The rise of automation and its impact on jobs has dominated headlines for a while now, whether it’s because Foxconn are cutting 1.2 million jobs, or companies...
Norwegian robot learns to self-evolve and 3D print itself in the lab
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF For the first time we are seeing how it’s possible for robots in the future to design and evolve, manufacture and assemble themselves without human input. Experts at the University of Oslo, Norway have discovered a new way for robots to design, evolve and manufacture...
Europe will debate robot rights, ethics and AI kill switches in February
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Machines are increasingly becoming autonomous and intelligent and it’s one of the greatest dangers humanity has ever faced, later this year law makers in Europe will finally determine how we govern, monitor, manage and tax them in order to minimise the damage to society. ...
New EU report recommends Universal Basic Income for all 27 member states
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The rise of robotics and new, intelligent AI automation systems that threaten Blue and White collar jobs is spurring governments around the world into action, so far a Universal Basic Income is the only idea they seem to have to dampen societal unrest and poverty....
Robots to get legal recognition as Europe votes to classify them as ‘Electronic persons’
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The move by the EU to classify robots as “Electronic persons” is a watershed moment. It signifies a significant attitude shift in policy and the way that new robo-systems are viewed, and paves the way for new laws and new regulations. With robots and...
Finland rolls out its universal basic income scheme to 2,000 citizens
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As technology replaces and automates more jobs governments are experimenting with universal basic incomes as a means to keep people out of poverty, now Finland has taken the plunge. It’s January 2017, and as promised, Finlands government is now rolling out it’s ambitious Universal Basic...
As machines replace jobs new White House report prioritises education
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As analysts predict that more jobs will be replaced by automation and machines a new White House report plays down Universal Basic Incomes and prioritises investment and education. A new 55 page White House report that investigates the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation...
Huge Pacific Rim robot to help clean up Fukushima nuclear disaster site
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Robots have a multitude of applications but up until now most of them have been quite small, a new mech from a Korean company just broke the mould. This week a team in Seoul demonstrated a 13 ft (4m) tall robot, or “mech,” that, unlike it’s diminutive...
New breakthrough will give prosthetic limbs a human sense of touch
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Many people take the sense of touch for granted but for those people with neurodegenerative disorders, or who have prosthetic limbs, it’s the sense they miss the most, now a new breakthrough could give them, as well as future robots, that sense of touch back....
Nimble Atlas robot ups its game again to conquer tricky terrain
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF We take many of the things we do as humans for granted, such as balancing, but our bodies make thousands of adjustments every second just standing still and getting a robot to mimic what comes naturally to us isn’t as easy as you think ...
Drones get new eyes in the sky with Echodynes miniature radar
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As more and more drones clutter the skies systems that can detect, and avoid other airborne obstacles become more crucial Echodyne, a US based materials Radar company, want to see a day when radar equipped drones fill the skies and deliver your packages and...
The US Marines want to build a fully autonomous F-35
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As weapons systems, and war, become more autonomous it is inevitable that the US, Chinese, Indian and Russian military will continue to push the boundaries of unmanned combat. The US Marine Corps is in the looking to obtaining what it calls a “mega-drone” that...
Urban Aero shows off its first fully autonomous flying taxi
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Companies are increasingly scaling up drone technology and their associated energy and control systems in the new race to take passengers to the skies and back, but the Cormorant is the first to demonstrate full autonomy. Nine years ago the AirMule was simply a...
US Navy stands up the worlds first fully autonomous drone squadron
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF When you look across the spectrum of military developments it is clear that nation states are now committed to creating fully autonomous military platforms, the only question left to answer is when will they make their own “Kill” decisions. The time when the US...
ISS SPHERE drones learn to see and fly around in space all by themselves
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF This new milestone will help to pave the way for fully autonomous drones, and vehicles, that can navigate their surroundings without the need for any specific maps or navigation aids. During an experiment this week on board the International Space Station (ISS) a small drone,...
Baidu launches a medical chatbot to help Chinese doctors diagnose patients
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Melody could one day replace your GP – once it’s matured. The doctor will see you now. Chinese search engine company Baidu has announced the release of Melody – a chatbot powered by increasingly powerful artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that lives inside the existing Baidu Doctor app...
