It deserves more attention than it's getting in the 2020 presidential race.
Dec 8, 2019 - Economy & BusinessNew research shows that no one is immune.
Nov 20, 2019 - TechnologyTwo parallel quests to understand learning — in machines and in our own heads — are converging.
Aug 8, 2019 - TechnologyWe're entering a new, robot-fueled tech boom .
Jun 2, 2018 - Economy & BusinessThe impact of self-driving trucks would be felt in communities around the country — especially Trump country.
Updated Jun 2, 2018 - Economy & BusinessCanoo's electric skateboard will be the basis for future Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Photo: Courtesy of Canoo
Hyundai and Kia announced this week they will develop future vehicles using electric skateboard technology developed by startup Canoo.
Why it matters: It's the first big partnership for Canoo, a 2-year-old EV company founded by former BMW executives who fled Faraday Future.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Big Tech is making splash with its aggressive carbon reduction goals, but some of its employees and climate activists are criticizing Google, Microsoft and Amazon for nonetheless partnering with fossil fuel companies to use artificial intelligence to find hidden hydrocarbons and bring them to market.
Why it matters: Big oil companies are some of the richest, most resourceful enterprises in the world. They collect multiple terabytes of data daily but don't have the capacity to analyze and efficiently utilize that volume of facts without AI.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
People warning about the potentially chilling collision of big data sets and emerging technologies can now point to Clearview, the secretive facial recognition startup that scraped images from some of the largest public internet sites to create a database now used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the country.
Why it matters: Facial recognition tools have already raised privacy concerns in the U.S. and abroad, particularly when they're used by government, but the controversy over Clearview has shown that both industry and law enforcement are moving faster than the debate.
Nuro's R2 has no occupants, mirrors or windshield. Photo: Courtesy of Nuro
Regulators are starting to rewrite rules for self-driving cars to share the road with traditional vehicles.
The big picture: Automated test vehicles are allowed on public roads in some states — so long as they comply with existing safety standards written for human-driven vehicles.
Photo: Courtesy of Waymo
Waymo, whose driverless minivans are already shuttling a limited number of passengers in suburban Phoenix, will soon begin delivering packages for UPS as part of a new strategic partnership announced this week.
Why it matters: Waymo's ambition is to use the same self-driving technology in its minivans to automate big rigs and delivery trucks like the ones UPS uses every day. This is an important step toward that goal.
Photo: Carsten Koall/Getty Images.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is calling for regulations on artificial intelligence, warning that the technology can bring both positive and negative consequences, AP reports.
Why it matters: Lawmakers are largely scrambling to play catch-up on AI regulation as the technology continues to grow. Pichai did not provide specific proposals, but did urge while speaking at the Bruegel European economic think tank Monday that "international alignment" between the United States and the European Union will help ensure AI is used primarily for good.
Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios
Ten states have introduced bills in 2020 that would regulate, ban or study facial recognition systems, according to the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology.
The big picture: There is no federal regulation on this tech, despite consensus for guardrails from its creators and bipartisan support for its restraint in Congress.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Fresh off a campaign to ban facial recognition software from being used at concerts, Fight for the Future is trying to rally students to persuade their schools to take a similarly strong stand against broad use of the powerful technology.
Why it matters: In the absence of legislation limiting its use, activists want to prevent facial recognition from becoming commonplace in public spaces.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Cafe X, an operator of robotic coffee shops, has closed its three San Francisco locations and laid off their staffs, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Robots have been hailed as the future of food service, but as Cafe X and pizza-making robot startup Zume are finding, it's not so easy.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The White House is warning federal agencies against over-regulating artificial intelligence as part of fresh guidance on how to govern the next-generation technology.
Driving the news: The Trump administration's 10 regulatory principles are guidelines for agencies that may be tasked with crafting AI regulations, as well as a signal to companies that the White House is wary of saddling the burgeoning tech with expansive rules.