Exploring the past, present and future of AI with Engadget
Few things stir up as much excitement, fear and confusion as artificial intelligence. So we’re dedicating this entire week to examining it from as many angles as possible. We’ll look at how current nascent AIs reflect some of society’s less admirable qualities, how it could be used to improve our criminal justice system and we’ll even explore the meaning of the “I” in “AI” — intelligence. Jess Conditt will challenge the notion that experts truly understand what it means to build an intelligent machine. And Nicole Lee will explore whether or not a minimum income is a viable solution to a workforce that demands less humans, and more computers and robots.
At this point practically every major tech company is making sizable investments in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon are all betting big on its potential. Google has built a special processor just for powering AI software. IBM is trying to shoehorn Watson into every industry from retail to medicine — it even had the damn thing write a cook book. Smaller players are looking for a foothold in the emerging market too, such as Fujitsu and startups like Viv.
Even though it seems like the tech industry is all-in on this whole AI thing, it’s not really that cut and dry. Google is pumping tons of money into research and services, while working on a kill switch to keep the machines from rising up and investigating the more mundane dangers of AI. Then there are titans of the industry like Elon Musk, who has invested in the technology while simultaneously warning us that we’re “summoning the demon.”
Musk is hardly alone. Plenty of major players and thinkers in the world of technology have warned of the dangers of AI, including Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking. But not every vision of the future is so apocalyptic. Theorists like Ray Kurzweil envision a world where machines don’t wipe humans out, but become part of us in the singularity. And for every Terminator film, there is a movie like Her, where AIs aren’t destructive forces, but three-dimensional characters and even romantic interests.
Whether you’re in camp armageddon (like Elon Musk) or eagerly awaiting the melding of human and machine (like Ray Kurzweil), one thing we can all agree on is that artificial intelligence is a rare truly transformative technology. Like the internal combustion engine, the assembly line, the transistor and the internet, AI has the potential to make the world of tomorrow almost unrecognizable.
But, before we spend the next week trying to untangle this mess, let’s take a look at the debate as it stands now. Below we’ve collected five quotes about the potential benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence from some of the biggest names in the field. And we’ve had each one loving illustrated by the fine folks at eBoy.
I absolutely don’t think a sentient artificial intelligence is going to wage war against the human species.
Daniel H. Wilson
Source: The Globe and Mail
With artificial intelligence, we’re summoning the demon.
Elon Musk
Source: MIT AeroAstro Centennial Symposium
Artificial intelligence will reach human levels by around 2029. Follow that out further to, say, 2045, we will have multiplied the intelligence, the human biological machine intelligence of our civilization a billion-fold.
Ray Kurzweil
Source: PBS News Hour
The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.
Stephen Hawking
Source: BBC
By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.
Eliezer Yudkowsky
Source: Artificial Intelligence as a Positive and Negative Factor in Global Risk (PDF)
Google’s Fuchsia operating system runs on virtually anything
Google is no stranger to creating whole platforms when it needs them, but its latest project might be something special. It’s working on Fuchsia, an open source operating system that’s designed to scale all the way from Internet of Things devices through to phones and even PCs. Its kernel includes ‘grown up’ OS features like user modes and a capability-based security model, Android Police notes, and it supports both advanced graphics as well ARM and 64-bit Intel-based PCs. To no one’ surprise, it’s using Google’s own Dart programming language at its heart.
You can run Fuchsia either on a computer or a virtual machine if you’d like to give the early code a try, and Google’s Travis Geiselbrecht adds that you’ll soon see it running on the Raspberry Pi 3.
We’ve asked Google if it can shed some light on Fuchsia, and we’ll let you know if it has something to say. Whatever its answer, there’s no guarantee that this will be the next Android, Brillo or Chrome OS. Right now, it comes across as an experiment that could lay the groundwork for bigger efforts. Given that the company is branching out into making smart household gadgets like Google Home, though, Fuchsia might make sense. It could be the platform that Google uses when it wants more flexibility and power than a platform like Brillo can offer, but doesn’t need the deep feature set (and resulting overhead) of something like Android.
Via: Android Police
Source: Github, Google Git, Hacker News
The Engadget Podcast returns!
In 2014 we said the Engadget Podcast was going on hiatus to “retool.” Well, we haven’t been sitting on our laurels. Over the last two years we’ve rethought our editorial mission, completely redesigned the website and, now, we’re launching a new and improved podcast.
If you’re looking for the Engadget podcast – we’re currently taking a break to re-tool it and make it more awesome for you. Stay tuned!
— Engadget (@engadget) June 27, 2014
This isn’t simply the old Engadget Podcast with a shiny new logo, no. We’re approaching it in a whole new way, and it will continue to evolve as we hear from you, our loyal listeners, readers and viewers. At its heart this is still a show about tech news, but one that is fast paced, informative and, most importantly, fun. You’ll hear editors debate the news of the week, get a peek inside the machine that is Engadget and enjoy deep dives on the stories that have changed our world (for better or worse).
We’re also making sure that you can enjoy the show in as many ways as possible. We’ve got a beautiful landing page where you’ll find every episode in audio or video format, plus a text transcription for the hearing impaired. You can watch us on YouTube, Facebook Live, listen on SoundCloud or subscribe through your podcast service of choice. You’ll currently find the show on iTunes, Google Play Music, Stitcher and Pocket Casts.
In Episode One: Your Racist Friend, editors Cherlynn Low, Devindra Hardawar and Nathan Ingraham join host Terrence O’Brien to debate iPhone rumors, explore the perks of renting gadgets, and express their utter exasperation at Snapchat’s racist filters.
Relevant links:
- Bloomberg: iPhone 7 gets new home button, drops headphone port
- HP Chromebook 13 review: a great laptop that doesn’t come cheap
- Why the Olympics need GIFs
- Yes, ‘No Man’s Sky’ has a few issues
- Snapchat’s racist yellowface filter lands it in hot water
- Snapchat’s 420 Bob Marley filter is just digital blackface
You can check out every episode on The Engadget Podcast page in audio, video and text form for the hearing impaired.
Watch on YouTube
Subscribe on Google Play Music
Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe on Stitcher
Subscribe on Pocket Casts
Sky will stream tomorrow’s Soccer Saturday on Facebook and YouTube
When broadcasters put down billions of pounds to secure rights to the world’s biggest sporting competitions, consumers who aren’t able to afford or don’t want pay-TV subscriptions often miss out. In the past, companies like Sky and BT have laid on a free day or weekend of access to show people what they’re missing, but more recently, online video services have proved to be popular alternatives. With the Premier League season kicking off tomorrow, Sky has confirmed it will stream its Soccer Saturday show completely free of charge on Facebook and YouTube.
Sky says that in addition to its normal broadcast on Sky Sports New HQ and Sky Sports 1, Soccer Saturday will be available live on Sky 1, SkySports.com and on the channel’s official Facebook and YouTube pages. It’ll build on Sky’s commitment to share goals and other important match events directly on Twitter and in its official apps.
Although Sky has a record number of live matches this season — including the first Friday night games — the company is keen to show that its programming isn’t all just cameras at the ground. Soccer Saturday already has solid support, but opening it up to a wider online audience may tempt indecisive viewers to pay up for a proper Sky Sports subscription.
Source: Sky
Google fined $6.8 million by Russian antitrust body
Russia’s antitrust body has slapped Google with a $6.8 million fine after ruling that the firm didn’t do enough to open Android up to other companies. Officials believe that the search engine has abused its dominant position by crowding-out domestic rivals like Yandex, commonly known as Russia’s Google. For instance, other firms aren’t able to pre-load rivals apps for navigation or search on Android devices that are certified ready for Google Play. It’s an accusation that Google denies and its representatives have already told the New York Times that it’s reading the charges “closely.”
Google isn’t a major player in Russia and a fine of $6.8 million is but a scratch for such a highly profitable firm. But these problems are beginning to mount up as antitrust regulators around the globe put the company in the firing line. In Europe, the European Commission is charging the company with abuse of its dominant position for similar reasons, saying that withholding access to Google Play for forked and AOSP versions of the operating system is unfair. Then again, it also has always seemed slightly weird that Google should be obliged to enrich its rivals at the expense of its own products — especially when it already maintains AOSP.
Via: NYT
Source: FAS
Google Docs finally adds multitasking tools for iPads
Google Docs, Sheets and Slides’ most recent iOS updates make them play a whole lot nicer with multitasking on iPads. The patch feels a little overdue at this point, but hey, we’ll take support for iOS 9’s tablet features like Split View and Slide Over whenever we can get ’em. Supported models include the iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4 and both sizes of iPad Pro, and if the update hasn’t hit your device yet, that’s what the source links below are for.
Via: Apple Insider, The Verge
Source: iTunes (1), (2), (3)
Google Fiber to test home wireless internet in up to 24 US areas
According to an FCC filing, Google Fiber’s next experimental stage is nigh. The tech titan is purportedly seeking permission to test high-speed wireless broadband in 24 US locations, including 12 cities, for a period up to 24 months. Their goal: hook a bunch of company men up and try out experimental transmitters over the 3.4 to 3.8 MHz frequency range.
Some of the locations include those where wired Fiber is already operating, like San Francisco, but not all, like Boulder, Colorado, Provo, Utah and Reston, Virginia, as Re/code points out. The company chose said cities for their radio propagation environment, buildings and foliage to test interference, pre-existing Google infrastructure and “existence of partners who may participate in the tests,” according to the filing.
This may be in part referring to Webpass, the ISP Google acquired back in June that already served point-to-point wireless and fiber internet to tens of thousands of customers. Crucially, delivering it over the air bypasses many regulatory requirements for wiring homes up directly to a telecommunications grid. But any further specifics on this round of testing requires more digging: over a hundred items are redacted in the 34-page FCC filing.
But if you happen to be in one of the test cities, don’t get your hopes up yet: The company notes in the filing that these tests won’t involve the average user. Only Google employees, contractors and “trusted testors” under close supervision will get to try out the wireless fiber. Until the testing goes public, we’ll all have to wait. Patiently.
Via: Re/code
Source: Business Insider
Google is developing techniques to combat VR trolls
Trolls are everywhere on social media, and you can expect to encounter them in social virtual reality experiences as VR devices become more common. That’s why Google’s Daydream Labs team has been developing ways to prevent harassment in virtual reality, where people can use avatars (and not just words) to make others feel uncomfortable or even attacked. In one of the team’s virtual shopping experiments, for instance, some testers blocked other users’ view by sticking hats in front of their eyes. Those testers had no choice but to take off their headsets and restart the experience.
One of the techniques the team created will prevent poker players from stealing chips and picking a fight. As soon as someone leaves his seat in the game, he would vanish from other players’ POVs, and a blue personal space bubble would usher him back to his seat. Best thing about the method is that the team used poker-playing dogs to demo it in the video below.
Besides developing a technique that forces people to behave, the team is also creating ways to reward good behavior. In another experiment, Daydream Labs programmed virtual high fives to trigger loud slapping sounds and animated fireworks. Punches and other violent actions, however, triggered nothing. Testers loved the effect and preferred high-fiving rather than starting a virtual brawl.
These are but a couple of Daydream Labs’ creations that focus on the social aspects of virtual reality. The team builds two VR app prototypes every week to test different use cases and interaction designs, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the group conjures up more ways to protect people’s virtual-but-still-personal space.
Source: Google Developers Blog
Google explains why Palestine isn’t labeled in Maps
Services like Google Maps have not just functional but symbolic importance, as a bug on a map of Israel has proved. A Gaza City journalism group spotted a change in the way Google represented Palestine on a map of Israel, causing outrage on both mainstream and social media in the Middle East. “[Our group] condemns the crime carried out by Google in deleting the name of Palestine, and calls for Google to rescind its decision and apologize to the Palestinian people,” the Forum of Palestinian Journalists said in a statement.
Much of the Middle-Eastern media, along with Twitter and Facebook users, are demanding that Google relabel the region, or even all of Israel, as “Palestine.” However, the Maps app never had that label in the first place, and Google tells Engadget that a glitch is to blame for the change. “There has never been a ‘Palestine’ label on Google Maps, however we discovered a bug that removed the labels for ‘West Bank’ and ‘Gaza Strip.’ We’re working quickly to bring these labels back to the area,” a spokesperson says.
Google shows a dashed border around West Bank and Gaza, and defines cities in those regions as Palestinian if you click on them. A Wikipedia knowledge box on Maps describes Palestine as a “de jure sovereign state,” a term selected by the United Nations in 2013.
Google has just removed Palestine from its maps. But we will always resist and prove our presence 🇵🇸#PalestineIsHere pic.twitter.com/ISHYVYGxCj
— Rana (@ranaaa_d) August 9, 2016
I am changing my homepage and search engine.
Because I can’t find what I am looking for @google @googlemaps #PalestineIsHere— Çağrı Koşak (@cagrikosak) August 9, 2016
Though Google never used (and therefore never removed) the “Palestine” label, many social media users and mainstream news sites believed that it did. That sparked a #PalestineIsHere hashtag, with many folks declaring that they’d deleted Google’s services.
The outcry may be misplaced, but the incident shows the care that companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft must take with how they represent regions. Google uses internal, third-party and public data to create maps, but needs to pay extra attention in politically sensitive regions, where people see them as more than a way to get from “A” to “B.”
Via: The Washington Post
Google Chrome will begin blocking Flash in favor of HTML5
Though it’s been a long time coming and the writing’s been on the wall for a while, Google Chrome is finally de-emphasizing Flash in favor of HTML5. Come September, Google Chrome 53 will begin blocking Flash, such as the kind that loads “behind the scenes,” as Google says, which can slow down casual web browsing. HTML5 is a lot less resource-heavy and when pages utilize it, it improves battery life, page loading and responsiveness across the web.
Following Chrome 53, in December Chrome 55 will go even further to make HTML5 the default browsing experience, excepting only sites with Flash-only support. You’ll be given the option to enable Flash when you visit, so it won’t change too much from the way you already browse the web. Last year, Chrome began blocking some Flash ads already, so you’ve likely already seen some of the effects trickling down during regular internet use if you use Chrome, after all.
What this means is you’ll likely see a lot fewer hang-ups when using previously Flash-heavy sites, and fewer crashes to have to worry about — that’s the hope, anyway. It’s part of a larger transition of the web to HTML5, and has been in the works for some time now.
Source: Google
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