Will we land on Mars? Discover other life forms? Usher in the age of artificial intelligence Before his New Zealand talk tonight, celebrity scientist Professor Brian Greene talked to Jamie Morton about five big developments we can expect in the next 20 years.
When will the universe end? — New Zealand Herald.
“Technophobes”—people who fear robots, artificial intelligence and new technology that they don’t understand—are much more likely to be afraid of losing their jobs to technology and to suffer anxiety-related mental health issues, a Baylor University study found.
More than a third of those in the study fit its definition of “technophobe” and are more fearful of automation that could lead to job displacement than they are of potentially threatening or dangerous circumstances such as romantic rejection, public speaking and police brutality, according to the study.
“If you’re afraid of losing your job to a robot, you’re not alone,” said researcher Paul McClure, a sociologist in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. “This is a real concern among a substantial portion of the American population. They are not simply a subgroup of generally fearful people.”
Illustration of 3D-printed sensory composite (credit: Subramanian Sundaram)
MIT researchers have designed a radical new method of creating flexible, printable electronics that combine sensors and processing circuitry.
Covering a robot — or an airplane or a bridge, for example — with sensors will require a technology that is both flexible and cost-effective to manufacture in bulk. To demonstrate the feasibility of their new method, the researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have designed and built a 3D-printed device that responds to mechanical stresses by changing the color of a spot on its surface.
Continue reading “A printable, sensor-laden ‘skin’ for robots (or an airplane)” »
Roboticists frequently turn to nature for inspiration for their inventions, reverse engineering the traits that evolution has developed over millennia. Others are taking a shortcut by simply integrating modern technology with living animals.
The idea may seem crazy, but animals and machines are not so different. Just as a network of wires carry electrical signals between a robot’s sensors, processing units and motors, the flow of action potentials around our nervous system connects our sensory organs, brain and muscles.
Continue reading “The Weird World of Cyborg Animals Is Here” »
I did a 10-min interview on Radio Columbia today, one of the largest stations in Latin America. We talked about robots taking jobs and the possibility of #robot politicians. It’s a combo of English and Spanish.
Aunque expertos advierten que las máquinas podrían dejar sin empleo a la mitad de la población en 30 años, Zoltan Istvan explica los beneficios de esta iniciativa.
Robot encuentro. Foto: Getty Images.
Continue reading “¿Los robots serían mejores políticos que los humanos?” »
PWC predicts 30% of jobs to be automated by 2030s.
You’ve been warned before—robots are coming for your job. The speed of technological advancement, particularly in smart automation, has sprung countless economic studies and political warnings about how many people are likely to lose their jobs to this rise of the machines. But it’s not an easy number to peg down; estimates range from 5% to 50%.
The latest predictions from PricewaterhouseCoopers (pdf) survey the damage for specific countries. Analysts at the consulting firm said that by the early 2030s, 38% of US jobs are at a high risk of automation, more than in Germany, the UK, and Japan.
Continue reading “Why American jobs are more at risk of automation than jobs in Germany or the UK” »
Illustration of 3D-printed sensory composite (credit: Subramanian Sundaram)
