Not only are we fast approaching the point where the computing demands for AI development will actually contribute to global warming, but the moment at which we achieve machines with greater intelligence than humans and the earth becomes irretrievably hotter is exactly the same.  Surveys of research scientists, academicians and philosophers – folks not prone…

Meteorologists are the latest to look over their shoulders at AI’s approach. Google has just published a paper claiming its AI can now forecast the weather down to the square mile and within the next 4 hours. Forget about having to rely on predictive models and forecasters’ guesstimates to know when and where to plan…

The AP reports that Amazon now has 200,000+ robots working in its distribution centers. The good news is that there are still a few jobs left for humans, although their future isn’t bright – Amazon just bought robotic builder Kiva so more machines are definitely on the way. In the interim, humans will get a…

Some people are worried about losing their jobs to intelligent machines.  They’re right to be. Others are worried about the impact of global warming on their quality of life.  They’re right to be too.  Both, however are only half-right.  To be totally right, they should be worried about both.  The unfettered development of AI and…

Disharmony. It’s just about everywhere these days. So, I get it. The best approach seems to be hunkering down and hanging on. We do what we can, which basically means taking care of ourselves and our families. Right here, right now. That’s all we can control. Or, is it? Aren’t we also able to shape…

For those who say there are human capabilities & attributes that cannot be passed on to machines, consider this: there’s now an AI system in England that is being used to teach students math.  It even steps in mid-computation if a student is struggling and gives them a helping hand to solve a problem. In…

The latest UN climate summit ended with a whimper over the weekend.  One scientist called it “a staggering failure of leadership.” He’s half right. Scientists estimate that the planet will pass the point of no return, when it will be impossible to bring the earth’s temperature back down, in 2040. That’s the very same year,…

AI Now has used its annual report to call for the banning of emotion recognition technology, arguing there’s little scientific evidence it works. It’s an interesting statement because it is, to my knowledge, the first time the AI community has acknowledged a role for government oversight. Now, let’s do the same for the impact this…

The word of the year, according to Merriam-Webster, is “they” which the dictionary opines is the result of a preference for “nonbinary” identification among writers & speakers. That may be true, but I think it also signals the rise of a word that has no clear human association. Unlike he or she, “they” can as…

Daniela Rus, Director of CSAIL at MIT, acknowledges that the new jobs created by AI will require skills most of the workforce currently lacks & that it takes time for those skills to be acquired. That’s what makes this technology different. Even assuming people want to learn those skills & have the financial resources to…