Online gaming transformed by a player you’ll never be able to beat: One robot has played more poker than all of humanity combined January 9, 2015 You might as well give up, people – you'll never be the best poker player in the world. There's now a computer programme so good at it, the Canadian scientists who developed it say it will never make a mistake. They describe the new software as having “solved” the game, with an algorithm [...]
Google’s Eric Schmidt says artificial intelligence concerns are normal but misguided after Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk warnings December 10, 2014 Google boss Eric Schmidt is the latest to weigh in on the artificial intelligence debate after Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk both offered a dim view of intelligent machines in the future. Schmidt is tabling a much more positive view of the rise of the machines. Nothing to do with Google’s massive investment in AI, [...]
Stephen Hawking: Artificial intelligence could end the human race December 2, 2014 The robot revolution could bring about the end of humanity as we know it, professor Stephen Hawking has warned. In an interview with the BBC he warned that "the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race". He was responding to a question about the artificial intelligence technology which he uses [...]
Bankers, watch out for the robots: Goldman Sachs has invested in a company that could use algorithms instead of analysts November 24, 2014 Bankers are often described as having robot-like qualities. With their ability to work all hours without running out of energy, their ruthless efficiency and mathematical skill, there are plenty of comparisons to be made with the machines. But now, they could actually become robots. According to the FT, Goldman Sachs has invested $15m, in [...]
Will humans be replaced by robots? They might take some of our jobs, but they’ll also create new ones November 23, 2014 Strange, semi-human, and capable of tapping into our fear of the unknown, robots have sent shivers down our spines for decades – long before the Terminator was sent to Earth or the daleks even contemplated exterminating Dr Who. But now, the fictional threat of bloodthirsty machines has shifted to a much more real danger [...]
Creativity and optimism will help Britain cope with the robot onslaught November 10, 2014 THE ROBOTS are coming, and they’re after your job. New research from Oxford University and Deloitte will be sure to send a shiver down the spine of British workers. It showed that up to 35 per cent of jobs in the UK could be destroyed by automation and computerisation. Deloitte argued that this would cause [...]
10.8m jobs set to be replaced by robots in the next 20 years but here’s where humans may have the edge November 10, 2014 A third of Britain's jobs are under threat from technology and could be replaced within the next two decades, according to research by Deloitte and Oxford University. The initial diagnosis appears terrifying, with 10.8m jobs set be replaced by automation and robots, with low-paid jobs being five times more likely to replaced than high paying [...]
PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel talks quarter-life crises and how to tackle the state November 2, 2014 It's not every day that you get to speak to Silicon Valley royalty. And Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, first outside investor in Facebook, fund manager, and leader of multiple firms, is a dynasty heavyweight. Having just published his new book, Zero to One, he’s keen to talk about some of his latest ideas. [...]
Elon Musk: “We need to be careful with artificial intelligence” October 27, 2014 Elon Musk may have made millions from technology, but that doesn't mean he doesn't worry about it bringing about a Terminator-style end to humanity. During a talk to students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the SpaceX-Tesla-PayPal tycoon warned that "we should be very careful" about how we use artificial intelligence, adding it could be humanity's [...]
London is no Silicon Valley – here’s why that may be a good thing October 20, 2014 Geeks and startup types are again gathering today in Billingsgate for TechCrunch’s Disrupt conference, a celebration of London’s tech sector. There’s a lot to celebrate: the sector hasn’t been this hot since the days of the dot-com boom. Investors are toasting two billion-dollar exits this year: games designers Natural Motion and artificial intelligence wizards Deep [...]