I have a strong urge to tag this post with “weird” because, seeing and hearing a life-like artificial intelligence (AI) news anchors spitting out news is beyond weird. You read that right. As of today, AI anchors is a thing and China’s state-run news agency Xinhua is the first in the world to ‘employ’ not one, but two AI anchors. The anchors, officially known as “AI Synthetic Anchors,” are modeled after the agency’s human anchors, but with voices, facial expressions and lip movements animated and synthesized using deep learning techniques. Continue reading China’s Xinhua News Agency Now ‘Employs’ Two AI News Anchors
Tag Archives: Artificial Intelligence
Relationship Apocalypse Begins With Gateway Virtual Home Robot
It has been a while. It was on pre-order started two years ago and it is now finally available to the masses. We are talking about the kinda sad gadget from Gatebox called Gatebox Virtual Home Robot. The name sounds harmless enough, but this ‘robot’ is in fact a virtual wife of sort (yes, you heard that right!). You see, while this device does home automation, let you in on news, weather and whatnot, it is capable of even more. Something more, well, humanly. Continue reading Relationship Apocalypse Begins With Gateway Virtual Home Robot
Fake Celebrity Porn Is Not Only A Thing, It’s Easy To Create And We Should Be Very, Very Afraid
You have probably read about how a video recording of a person giving a speech can be fake and also, it should be of no surprise that fake celebrity porn is also common, but the latter is limited to still or some doppelgangers. Well, that’s until late last year when someone on Reddit showed that fake celebrity porn videos can be made easily with mind-blowing realism. Of course, by easy we meant home brewed, but it is not something a person who is clueless about computer can pull off. Still, what Redditor ‘deepfakes‘ did was so impressive that we should all be very afraid. Continue reading Fake Celebrity Porn Is Not Only A Thing, It’s Easy To Create And We Should Be Very, Very Afraid
3 Dynamic Trends Shaping the Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence crossed a new frontier this month as NASA discovered two new planets using Google AI software. The two planets, located in a system with eight known planets, were discovered by analyzing Kepler space telescope technology using the same type of AI image detection techniques used in today’s face recognition software. By training a neural network with 15,000 signals representing known planets, NASA was able to teach Google’s AI software to spot new planets. Google plans to release the software to the public later this year. Continue reading 3 Dynamic Trends Shaping the Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence
AI Turns Pixelated Photos Into Clear Images, May Make Anonymous Nude Images Not So Anonymous Anymore
This world is not picture perfect and it is literally not because, when you zoomed into an image, such as on a CCTV footage, it will be pixelated. Picture perfect world? I think not. However, that changes with EnhanceNet Artificial Intelligence-powered Image-scaling Program. Developed by researchers Mehdi S. M. Sajjadi, Bernhard Schölkopf, and Michael Hirsch over at the Max-Planck Institute of Intelligent Systems in Germany, EnhanceNet is described as “Single Image Super-Resolution Through Automated Synthesis” which takes a scale up low resolution photos and introduce new details into it to result in a significantly higher resolution image. Continue reading AI Turns Pixelated Photos Into Clear Images, May Make Anonymous Nude Images Not So Anonymous Anymore
This Is Otsaw O-R3, The World’s First Ground-Aerial Outdoor Security
This is O-R3, a four-wheel security robot from Singapore-based Otsaw Digital that is designed to take the place of humans to patrol large outdoor compound. With a chubby and somewhat diminutive stature, coupled with big round headlights that look like eyes, the O-R3 looks more like a cartoon character out to entertain kids. However, kids it will not entertain for it as more important tasks at hand. Beneath its cute appearance hides an array of sophisticated technologies, including high-tech sensors, advanced machine learning algorithm and 3D SLAM technology, that will allow it to execute patrol duties normally carried by humans. Continue reading This Is Otsaw O-R3, The World’s First Ground-Aerial Outdoor Security
Elon Musk Backs Startup To Explore Human Brain And Computer Interface
No. It is unlikely that we are living in a web of lies spun by the Matrix and surely, we can’t plug a cable into the back of our heads to download data into us instead of learning via the good’ol ways. However, it could happen if Elon Musk’s back Neuralink makes head ways in near future. Though granted, Neuralink is still a freshly announced startup, but the gist of the what they will be doing is, in layman terms, is to enable direction connections between a live human brain and a computer. Yeap. It sure does sound like Matrix kind of thing happening here. Continue reading Elon Musk Backs Startup To Explore Human Brain And Computer Interface
AI Helps Google To Turn Low-res Images Into More Visualizable Images
Tech staff: “Sir, I think may have our suspect on security cam.”
Detective: “Good! Pull it up.”
Detective: “Can’t see his face. Zoom it up, son.”
Tech staff: “Alright, zooming in.”
Detective: “There! He is the guy we are after!”
If the above scenario sounds familiar, it is because similar scenario has been on countless TV shows and Hollywood movies, and both you and I know it ain’t true. This scenario only exists in a perfect world, which for the record, ours isn’t it. All those zoom-in-and-still-clear-as-day resolution images depicted in TV shows and movies are nothing more than a tech fantasy. Continue reading AI Helps Google To Turn Low-res Images Into More Visualizable Images
In Future, Toyota Wants You To Form A Relationship With Your Car
You know how some wives are resentful of their husbands’ devotion to cars? Well, it looks like it is going to get worst in future, well, that’s if Toyota has its way. The Japanese automaker’s CALTY Design Research in Newport Beach, California has unveiled a concept ride, known as Concept-i, that’s designed to be emotive. Bestowed with advanced artificial intelligence, this man’s future mistress will learn with the driver “to build a relationship that is meaningful and human.” See? I told you husband and wife relationship is going to get worst, didn’t I? Continue reading In Future, Toyota Wants You To Form A Relationship With Your Car
Gatebox Virtual Home Robot Has The Potential To Be Like The Real-Life Her
Spike Jonze’s sci-fi drama Her (Annapurna Pictures, 2013) offers a grim insight into how tech can affect us emotionally. It tells of a story about a lonely writer who develops an unlikely relationship with an highly intelligent operating system and eventually falling in love with ‘her’. The notion behind Her sounds farfetched, but sadly, nothing could be further from the truth. The time where humans could be ‘hooked’ on a virtual person like Joaquin Phoenix’s character did is on the horizon and we think Gatebox Virtual Home Robot is the gadget that will start the ball rolling. Continue reading Gatebox Virtual Home Robot Has The Potential To Be Like The Real-Life Her