How Tech is Advancing Our Society
Emerging Tech Roundup — January 08
The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.
This week in tech: The U.K. receives AI advice, CES goes virtual, AI robots advance recycling efforts, Microsoft chatbots use AI to mimic the dead, Korean refugees utilize VR to revisit their hometowns, and law students use VR to gain courtroom experience.
Independent Report AI Roadmap
(Gov.UK, January 06)
The U.K. government is looking for ways to advance their AI technology. The AI Council, an independent expert committee, acts as an advisor to the U.K. government and other high-level leadership. With the help of experts, the council was able to release a set of recommendations that will assist the government in their AI efforts.
As CES Goes Virtual in 2021, Forecasts Show a Mixed Reality for AR/VR
(Business Insider, January 04)
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will be virtual for the first time in over 50 years. During the show, well-known companies like CVS Health will be having discussions and demonstrations about different uses for AR/VR technologies across fields like health care and education. See the full article to learn what Business Insider predicts for AR/VR tech in 2021.
AMP Robotics Raises $55 Million for AI That Picks and Sorts Recyclables
(Venturebeat, January 04)
AMP Robotics has developed AI robots that can sort through recyclables. Using computer vision and machine learning, the robots can differentiate recycled objects by color, size, shape, and more. The robots are also self-learning and can analyze and store data about each item encountered. AMP Robotics recently raised $55M to expand their business operations, and the new funding will be used to develop new AI product applications to increase recycling rates.
Microsoft Wants to Make a Chatbot That Could Let Us ‘Talk’ to Dead Loved Ones
(UberGizmo, January 03)
Microsoft filed a patent that would be able to create a chatbot mimicking the way an individual speaks. The machine learning system collects information from social media profiles, emails, images, and other sources to chat like a person you know. This new tech could be used to “bring people back to life,” enabling users to chat with bots that speak like deceased loved ones. With this tech, there are privacy issues being raised, and people would have to agree to have their data used.
This Woman Left North Korea 70 Years Ago. Now Virtual Reality Has Helped Her Return
(CNN, December 29)
The Red Cross and South Korean VR company, Tekton Space, have partnered together to give North Korean refugees an opportunity to re-visit their hometowns using VR. The Korean War took place during the 1950s, forcing many families to move and separate. To help North Korean refugees revisit their hometowns that they have not seen for 70 years, the South Korean Ministry of Unification reached out to the Red Cross for help in developing a virtual experience. Soon after, Tekton Space was hired to create a VR experience using 3D designed based off of sketched images of Pyongyang.
Virtual Hearings May Serve Justice Better Than a Courtroom
(Law360, December 10)
Law students are using VR headsets to help them with their studies. Facebook recently donated Oculus VR headsets to Harvard Law School to help students practice in front of a virtual courtroom. The headsets provide a good introduction to courtroom proceedings and allows students to experience all of the nerves and emotions that accompany a real case.
