This Week’s Awesome Stories From Around the Web (Through September 24th)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Chat Bots Aren’t a Fad. They’re a Revolution.
Chris Messina | Medium
“It’s a rare moment when it becomes clear that a technological revolution is upon us, and I believe we’re in the midst of one such transition right now. Even if you haven’t realized it yet, bots are everywhere… With proper forethought and consideration, bots present a new, unpolluted opportunity to build lasting relationships with people.”

ROBOTICS: Do No Harm, Don’t Discriminate: Official Guidance Issued on Robot Ethics
Hannah Devlin | The Guardian
“The BSI document begins with some broad ethical principles: ‘Robots should not be designed solely or primarily to kill or harm humans; humans, not robots, are the responsible agents; it should be possible to find out who is responsible for any robot and its behaviour.’…The code suggests designers should aim for transparency, but scientists say this could prove tricky in practice. ‘The problem with AI systems right now, especially these deep learning systems, is that it’s impossible to know why they make the decisions they do,’ said Winfield.”

DRONES: Drone Security Guard Scolds Intruders From the Sky
Tom Simonite | MIT Media Review
“When on duty, an Aptonomy drone will be programmed to patrol a set area automatically, and use its onboard cameras to spot and approach any person entering who shouldn’t be. The drone would flash its warning lights, light the person with its spotlight and deliver a canned warning to retreat. A security guard in a control center would be notified, and the guard could take control of the drone and speak through it.”

TRANSPORTATION: The Feds Just Got Real About Self-Driving Cars (It’s About Time)
Alex Davies | Fast Company
“In an op-ed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, President Obama wrote, ‘Government sometimes gets it wrong when it comes to rapidly changing technologies. That’s why this new policy is flexible and designed to evolve with new advances.’…These new guidelines are the feds’ biggest step yet, because they represent a new approach. Beyond setting expectations for automakers, they lay out new approaches to regulating the technology.”

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Alison E. Berman
Alison E. Bermanhttp://www.anchorandleap.com/
Alison tells the stories of purpose-driven leaders and is fascinated by various intersections of technology and society. When not keeping a finger on the pulse of all things Singularity University, you'll likely find Alison in the woods sipping coffee and reading philosophy (new book recommendations are welcome).
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