B1 - Group A - Derek Zaccheo

Artificial intelligence is a rapidly expanding topic and a very controversial one. Artificial intelligence is how machines “think” or how much intelligence they show. The first article I looked at shows how a company, owned by Google, called DeepMind was able to get an AI system to learn how to play Atari games. This may not seem so significant but it was done on a general platform where the AI had to learn for itself how to play and had to learn all of the rules itself. In the video embedded in the article you can see the AI play after 100 games and see how much it had improved after 500 games. By the end it had created a top level strategy for maximizing the number of blocks hit per time it hit the paddle by digging up the side and hitting it around back. This AI is being built to beat all 100+ Atari games and then will be used to span into 3D gaming, simulations, and finally in intelligent robots that may end up learning better than humans can. It may also help the health care field with diagnosing issues. They did a lot of the AI creation for this by studying how our own brains interpret and process the environment around us. This AI being developed is sure to spark further conversation into how to program AI to behave ethically.

The internet of things has been a topic that has been discussed a lot recently. This is that all devices are interconnected, for example smart lights, speakers, and car doors are sometimes interconnected with similar hubs and will interact with you. Intel recently showed the direction their company was progressing in with wearable chips the size of buttons that could be worn to help the visually impaired know when something was near them. Though internet of things wasn’t explicitly mentioned they were undoubtedly working to interconnect the real world and processors. They also showcased drones that actively avoided objects and drones that could be worn on the wrist to fly out, take pictures and then come back. They created a door lock system that can use a multitude of sensors to determine if the person approaching it should be allowed to enter and open or stay locked accordingly. This door system uses how close the person’s smartphone is, their fingerprint, and their face to make these decisions. Personally I think the most exciting prospect they talked about was the one that can help the visually impaired. Helping them interact with the world in a safer way is a vital goal that will make them happier. Flying wearable drones is both an exciting and scary prospect. I feel like it will be innovative for taking pictures or for inspections but it will definitely aid stalkers and criminals as well.

Microsoft is in the middle of developing something called the HoloLens. HoloLens are goggles that allow you to see holographic models that have been designed for buildings. So this would allow engineers and architects to interact with their designs in a way that has never been seen before. We would be able to meet someone regardless of where they were in the virtual building and see how the design is shaping up and see if there are any conflicts. This would change the industry and make 3D modeling essential for all engineering firms. It also seems like it could have practical applications if paired with Google Maps in experiencing the whole world around us. 

References:
1. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/01/2016-google-tracker-everything-google-is-working-on-for-the-new-year/9/#h5
2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/ces/11329790/Intel-shares-futuristic-vision-of-the-connected-world.html
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXVW4sUsh3A

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