Gigaom Minute – June 17

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Mini indoor robot blimps, Sesame Workshop and Watson, cheating on Chinese exams and pilotless planes are making news in today’s AI Minute. #Watson #robotics #AI #airtravel

Transcript

  • Georgia Tech has anounced a miniature autonomous robot blimp. A unique new concept for indoor flying robots, the blimp can detect faces and hand movements while autonomously following a human subject. It is powered by five small motors, propellers, a microcontroller, a battery, a wireless camera. Read more.
  • As recently reported by VentureBeat, Sesame Workshop and IBM Watson are teaming up to create a vocabulary app for children. The app is the first in a series of AI-based educational tools expected to arise from their new intelligent play and learning platform. The team encourages software developers, researchers, toy companies, and educators to “tap IBM Watson's cognitive capabilities and Sesame Workshop’s early childhood expertise to build engaging experiences to help advance children’s education and learning.” Read more.
  • Passing China’s annual university entrance exam is considered key to securing a white-collar future. As reported by Reuters UK some students are willing to risk cheating to make that happen. In response, Chinese education authorities are using “facial and fingerprint recognition technology, cellphone-signal blockers, wireless detectors and even drones in their fight to root out cheating.” Read more.
  • Would you take AI over a live pilot to fly your plane? Boeing Co is predicting you will. In a recent briefing prior to The Paris Airshow, the company described a future where AI guided jetliners may one day fly with no human pilots on board. While onboard flight computers already control take off, cruise and landing, proponents believe AI can help fill the 1.5 million pilot positions needed to meet growing travel demands over the next 20 years. Read more.
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