Author: Aidan Plunkett

Learning About Shapes Today, Ruling Over Humankind Tomorrow

On By Aidan PlunkettIn Artificial Intelligence, TechnologyLeave a comment

By now we have all heard the term AI or Artificial Intelligence used, and we’ve probably heard that big names like Microsoft, Google and Elon Musk are all in the AI game. A name we probably haven’t heard before is Covariant.ai, a developer of AI technology for warehouse robots. In an article from Wired.com by Will Knight, he brings this startup to our attention and explains how what they’re doing is innovative.

Knight begins by introducing how the winners of this year’s Turing Prize Geoffrey Hinton, Yann LeCun, and Yoshua Bengio, as well as other big names, such as Jeff Dean head of AI at Google, Fei-Fei Lin director of the AI Lab at Stanford, and Daniela Rus head of the Computer Science and AI Lab at MIT have all invested in Covariant.ai versus other companies that develop AI for use in warehouse or industrial context. 

The reason these well-versed ‘AI Luminaries’ decided to invest in this company is because of they are focused on AI’s learning capabilities. In 2017 when Covariant.ai was founded, they pioneered the application of machine learning to robotics. Now they’re beginning to make a name for themselves by leading the game of teaching warehouse robots how to grab and sort unfamiliar items through Reinforcement Learning and Imitation Learning. Reinforcement Learning boils down to an algorithm that trains itself through trial and error, similar to how animals learn through positive or negative feedback and Imitation Learning is learning by observing and an algorithm that runs simulations based on the information observed and already learned information. Pretty cool. 

Reinforcement Learning as well as Imitation Learning used to be considered unrealistic options due to the amount of computer/computing power required. But as technology continues to advance, the once seemingly insurmountable computer capacity and electricity needed to power the AI tech and corresponding programs has become more realistic, and is even showing success in Covariant.ai’s case.

As demand for robots in warehouse and/or industrial settings continues to increase (prediction of 12% increase in robot production between 2020-2022), companies like Covariant.ai’s fancy AI technology may not be needed to efficiently complete warehouse or industrial tasks, but as their AI quite literally continues to learn and grow, I can see a future of automated or AI technology running our planet. 

https://www.wired.com/story/ai-helps-warehouse-bots-pick-new-skills/

Chinese Social Media Erupts as Coronavirus Continues to Spread

On By Aidan PlunkettIn Censorship, China, Social MediaLeave a comment

When footage of a video posted on social media by official Chinese News Media that showed 137 health workers, bound for Wuhan and other areas affected by the Coronavirus, being praised for their sacrifice and heroism- it was met with sarcasm and criticism of how the outbreak was being handled.

In an article from the New York Times by Raymond Zhong, he writes about how the government released the video in an attempt to shape the public’s opinion surrounding the Coronavirus crisis, but the state-developed media only provoked angered comments and memes mocking government officials. As well as responses describing and posting images/videos of the reality of the situation in overcrowded and understaffed hospitals, untreated or neglected friends/family members, and even piles of seemingly lifeless bodies in hospital hallways, some presumed to be dead.

The Chinese government has a history of keeping a tight grip on censorship, but with the amount of content flooding social media because of the Coronavirus, and avoiding internet censors by speaking in ‘code’ because of the Coronavirus, Beijing is having trouble controlling the narrative. Articles and comments continue to be deleted and the Chinese government continues to warn citizens about the harm of ‘rumors’ and penalties that spreading them might bring. 

China’s government was able to cover up the SARS virus of 2000 because social media was at its early age which meant that only some reporters and journalists were focusing on it, and the scale of the issue was never realized by Chinese citizens. The age of smartphones and social media makes everyone with a camera and data plan a reporter which makes it much harder to bury a health crisis like the one posed by the Coronavirus. While the Chinese government argues that misinformation on internet platforms creates panic and reactions that cause damage when dealing with a public health crisis, but citizens still feel as if the government is withholding information and keeping economic and social stability above stopping the virus. 

Motives Behind the NFL ‘Inspire Change’ Ad is Full of Hypocrisy

On By Aidan PlunkettIn Political, Social Issue(s), Sports, TelevisionLeave a comment

The first time I saw this ad for the NFL’s “Inspire Change” program was when it premiered earlier this month during the AFC and NFC Championship games. The 60-second ad, set to air again during the Super Bowl, is about Corey Jones, cousin of retired NFL star Anquan Boldin, who was tragically shot and killed by an officer in plain-clothes who came upon Corey unwarranted and never identified himself as law enforcement.

The heartbreaking story is told by Anquan Boldin of how his cousin Corey Jones was murdered by a police officer and goes on to show a reenactment of the unprompted shooting: Corey’s car had broken down and he was waiting for a tow-truck on an I-95 exit ramp when (at the time) Palm Beach Gardens Police Dept. officer Nouman Raja entered the exit ramp from the wrong direction in an unmarked vehicle; as he approached Corey’s car in plain-clothes, Raja, who failed to say that he was police, began yelling and cursing, and proceeded to fire multiple shots into the car, killing Corey. Next, the ad shows news clips and Jones’ family reacting to the loss of Corey. 

When I first saw this ad, I found it to be powerful and profound for bringing attention to the issue of blatant, unjust stopping, harassment, brutality and killings of minorities, specifically black men by law enforcement across the United States. This systematic and recurring issue is one that needs to be dealt with; and to air it on such large stages as the NFL conference Championships and the Super Bowl is what I thought to be a step in the right direction. However, an article by AdAge.com suggests that the NFL’s motive behind the “Inspire Change” program is actually to save-face, in terms of PR perspective, by funding initiatives run by players or ex-players to distract the public from the fact that the NFL essentially banned Colin Kaepernick for protesting police brutality, and this specific ad, involving the cousin of ex-49er Boldin, brings up some pretty clear controversy and hypocrisy. Does the NFL support protesting or bringing attention to social issues, such as police brutality, or not? Is raising awareness okay as long as it’s off the field? Then why air this during the most watched NFL games of the year?

https://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/nfl-takes-police-shootings-black-men-new-ad/2228616

DOT to Make Auto Industry Tech & Features Speak the Same Language

On By Aidan PlunkettIn Auto Industry, Regulation, TechnologyLeave a comment

An article by Aarian Marshall from Wired.com brings up how terms like Automatic Emergency Braking, Collision Imminent Braking, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Collision Intervention, Autonomous Braking, and Dynamic Brake system all actually mean the same thing and are just some examples of the different words and phrasing that automaker’s marketing teams come up with to make their technology of automatic emergency braking systems to seem unique and appealing. 

As of a week ago, the Department of Transportation is supporting efforts to educate the entire auto industry- drivers, dealers, manufacturers and marketers on the approved language surrounding new technology in personal vehicles. The list of approved terms was released a year prior and states that when operating a vehicle, “the driver is responsible for the primary task of driving”, whether it be a Tesla using their ‘Autopilot’ feature or a Ford with ‘Pre-Collision Assist and Automatic Emergency Braking’. 

Image result for car safety technology

Studies by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety show that drivers overestimate the range of capabilities in features like ‘Autopilot’ or ‘Adaptive Cruise Control’ as well as automatic emergency braking systems. A review by AAA showed that in the U.S. automaker marketers use 20 different terms for adaptive cruise control and 19 different terms for blind-spot warning systems. Another study done by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety looked at police report data and insurance claim data to find that vehicles with front collision warning features were involved in 27% less front-rear accidents than those without and vehicles with front collision warning features and automatic emergency braking systems were involved in 50% less front-rear accidents. 

The list of approved terms released last year by the Department of Transportation won’t fix the issues of vague or confusing marketing in the auto industry but they will lead to a list of mandated terms of which manufacturers can use to describe their technological features. The list, as stated before, aims to educate drivers (consumers) about the reality of the capabilities of the features in their vehicles, but also will shape the future for regulation on informing consumers of what the fancy marketing terms actually mean. 

https://www.wired.com/story/auto-safety-features-speak-same-language/