Pentagon pledges $2 billion for AI research

The US Department of Defense will put up to $2 billion towards artificial intelligence research over the next five years, the Washington Post reports. Steven Walker, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), announced the plan today at a symposium ou tside of Washington, DC. He said the agency wants to look into "how machines can acquire human-like communication and reasoning capabilities" and will fund dozens of new research projects going forward.

"This is a massive deal. It's the first indication that the United States is addressing advanced AI technology with the scale and funding and seriousness that the issue demands," Gregory Allen, an adjunct fellow with the think tank the Center for a New American Security, told the Washington Post. "We've seen China willing to devote billions to this issue, and this is the first time the US has done the same."

DARPA said it's looking to fund AI projects tackling a range of issues including security clearance vetting, reducing power needs for military machines and explainable AI, which will allow individuals to better understand the AI they're using. The move follows the recent establishment of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, created to help the Department of Defense "pursue AI applications with boldness and alacrity while ensuring a strong commitment to military ethics and AI safety."

While the Pentagon has worked with leading tech companies on its AI efforts, pushback has led some projects to be discontinued. Notably, Google's Project Maven generated outcry inside the company and it ultimately chose not to renew its contract with the Pentagon.

Via: Washington Post



via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2oMcdLz
RSS Feed

If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml, then send me


Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.

IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

Image
Note-taking app Evernote has fallen on hard times of late, culminating in its latest spate of job cuts impacting 15 percent of its workforce (54 employees). CEO Chris O' Neil -- an ex-Googler who took the reins in 2015 -- announced the firings at an all-hands meeting earlier today, reports TechCrunch . In a message on the Evernote blog , O' Neill admitted he'd set "incredibly aggressive goals" for the company in 2018. He continued: "Going forward, we are streamlining certain functions, like sales, so we can continue to speed up and scale others, like product development and engineering." The layoffs follow an exec exodus just weeks ago and the company's recent brand refresh (complete with a refined logo and wordmark). But critics are more concerned about its product, especially the free tier, which they claim lacks the perks to...
Read more

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic...
Read more

We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Image
Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems. We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs? ...
Read more