検索キーワード： 著者 "Will Knight" すべてのカテゴリー

Two recent accidents involving Tesla’s Autopilot system may raise questions about how computer systems based on learning should be validated and investigated when something goes wrong. A fatal Tesla accident in Florida last month occurred when a Model S controlled by Autopilot crashed into a truck that the automated system failed to spot. Tesla tells drivers to pay attention to the road while using Autopilot, and explains in a disclaimer that the system may struggle in bright sunlight.

Most of us can recognize an object after seeing it once or twice. But the algorithms that power computer vision and voice recognition need thousands of examples to become familiar with each new image or word.

An unusual fleet of self-driving cars will take to the road in coming months. Unlike most automated vehicles, which are programmed to deal with the situations they may encounter, these cars will have taught themselves, in simulation, how to handle tricky scenarios safely.

Google is using a powerful new machine-learning approach to save huge amounts of energy (and hundreds of millions of dollars) each year at its vast data centers. It might not be long before the technique, which involves a machine-learning algorithm gradually learning to perfect a task with positive reinforcement, catches on in a range of other areas.

Let's face it: the pace of progress in artificial intelligence can sometimes seem unsettling. Terminator-style machines remain science fiction, but AI could have a huge impact on employment, introduce bias into algorithms, and contribute to the development of autonomous weapons. But perhaps the biggest looming threat may be making sure we understand how these increasingly complex systems work when they go awry.

Deep learning antivirus software could reduce malware infections significantly.

Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed an algorithm to help humanoid robots hit the ground without breaking themselves.

The robots didn’t really take over in 2015, but at times it felt as if that might be where we’re headed. There were signs that machines will soon take over manual work that currently requires human skill. Early in the year details emerged of a contest organized by Amazon to help robots do more work inside its vast product fulfillment centers.

If Tesla wins the race to commercialize automated driving, it might have less to do with some technological edge than its crazy customers. At the unveiling of Tesla’s sleek and “affordable” new car, the Model 3, Musk hinted that some “next level” features had yet to be revealed. This has led some to speculate that the Model 3 might be the first car equipped to hit the road with full autonomy. Tesla has some unique technological advantages in pursuing autonomy.

“Where would you like to go?” Siri asked. It was a sunny, slightly dreamy morning in the heart of Silicon Valley, and I was sitting in the passenger seat of what seemed like a perfectly ordinary new car. There was something strangely Apple-like about it, though. There was no mistaking the apps arranged across the console screen, nor the deadpan voice of Apple’s virtual assistant, who, as backseat drivers go, was pretty helpful.

Algorithms usually need thousands of examples to learn something. Researchers at Google DeepMind found a way around that.

Trenton, New Jersey, isn't the industrial powerhouse it once was, even if the slogan "Trenton Makes, the World Takes", first installed in 1935, still stands in 10-foot-tall letters across a bridge that spans the Delaware River to Pennsylvania. But a few minutes east of town, inside a warehouse belonging to Amazon, there are signs of another industrial transformation. Amazon's fulfillment center, located in the township of Robbinsville, is a dizzying hive of activity, with humans and machines working in carefully coördinated harmony.

I recently got my own personal assistant, called Amy. My new helper is amazingly attentive and diligent, but also a bit strange. For one thing, she seems completely obsessed with organizing meetings and pretty much refuses to talk about anything else. Amy isn't a real person but a software agent that exists somewhere in the cloud and communicates with my contacts and me by e-mail, helping set up and reschedule meetings and other appointments.

One cognitive scientist thinks the leading approach to machine learning can be improved by ideas gleaned from studying children.

A few Tesla drivers are rewriting the programming in the Model S to make the car do interesting new things.

An algorithm might create a playlist you enjoy, but don’t mistake that for creativity.

A billion dollars is quite a lot of money to invest - even if your goal is saving the world from the ill effects of super-smart artificial intelligence that humans can’t control.

A video posted to YouTube last year provides proof that some people can't be trusted behind the wheel even when their car is doing all the driving. In the clip, the driver tests the automatic cruise control and lane assist in an Infiniti Q50 by hopping into the passenger seat as the car hurtles down the autobahn in Germany. Who would be liable in an accident – the carmaker or the driver?

A highly realistic simulated world is proving vital to robotics researchers.

Will this year mark the first drone delivery, or the first time you encounter a robot at work or in your home? We saw significant advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence in 2015. Here’s what we’re watching closely in 2016.