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Digital Planet: Facebook AI Shut Down

Factual: Science & Nature

cropped_Android-and-laptop.jpg

01/08/2017 GMT

Facebook AI Shut Down

BBC World Service - Digital Planet, Facebook AI Shut Down

Facebook shuts down robots after they invent their own language

Facebook AI shut down; Sweden Government data leak; Micro-Chipping employees; Robotic Eel tackling pollution

It has caused a storm on social media and chat rooms alike.  Facebook Artificial Intelligence had to be shut down after it was discovered the AI had been communicating with each other in a strange language.  Was it AI plotting to overthrow their human masters or had they simply modified human language for the purposes of more efficient interaction?

Sweden Government Data Leak
Governments store all kinds of information on us, like health records, passport information, criminal records and of course driver license details. Sweden, the country often voted as one of the ‘happiest place to live on earth’, is currently going through a political crisis. This is because the Swedish Transport Agency outsourced the handling of data to a private company, this despite warnings from the Swedish security services that it could compromise national security. That data has now been leaked and is said to affect almost everyone in the country. 

Microchipping Employees 
A US tech company has become the first to microchip employees.  These chips allow employees to pay for food and drink in the company’s break room, open doors and login to computers.  But what does this mean for employee monitoring?  What kind of information is stored?  Is this the future for all of us? 

Robotic Eel
A robotic eel has been designed to measure levels of pollution in water.  Each module is equipped with different sensors, testing for things like pollution levels, water conductivity and temperature.  The eel can swim through the water and pinpoint sources of contaminated and polluted water, sending back data in real time to a computer.


(Image caption:  Android and laptop © Getty Images)


Producer: Jack Meegan

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