Microsoft’s recent announcement that it would end support for users of its Windows 7 operating system had stress written all over it. The company advised that important day-to-day tasks such as personal banking and online shopping would no longer be safe on users’ now out-of-date and hacker-friendly Windows computers. It’s hard to know how many people are […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Why laptops could be facing the end of the line
Technology must adapt to meet society’s needs
With an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit and excellent graduates, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has made important contributions to the “Made in Germany” technology brand over the past 150 years. Following in the footsteps of such illustrious inventors as Carl von Linde, who developed the first practical refrigeration machine, and Rudolf Diesel, whose engine […] … learn more→
Progressive changes in technology in a previous couple of years
Technology has been changing extremely fast and affecting our lives significantly. Whether we want it or not, technology forces us to accept changes it brings in our lives and the way we live our daily life. Every week some new gadgets arrive that makes doing things easier outdating their previous versions. The gadgets that are […] … learn more→
How science and democracy are alike
Science and democracy are concepts that have contributed to the common good after a process based on the pillars of Greco-Roman culture. The two have followed sinuous paths, sometimes adjacent, throughout history. And both are in danger. Inspired by a recent text by José María Izquierdo we launch the following question: do we know what democracy really consists of? Sometimes […] … learn more→
Social robots: how to relate to machines that pretend not to be
Social robots appear to be entities with feelings and relational capacity. They are technologies with pretensions to be social as people and other animals. Social robots do not use them, we relate to them. Your ability to address us on our own terms is the basis of your wonderful potential. However, it also involves certain concerns that are interesting to know. […] … learn more→
Ethics of AI: how should we treat rational, sentient robots – if they existed?
Imagine a world where humans co-existed with beings who, like us, had minds, thoughts, feelings, self-conscious awareness and the capacity to perform purposeful actions – but, unlike us, these beings had artificial mechanical bodies that could be switched on and off. That brave new world would throw up many issues as we came to terms with […] … learn more→
Web 3.0: the decentralised web promises to make the internet free again
Have you recently considered deleting your Facebook account, boycotting Amazon or trying to find an alternative to Google? You wouldn’t be alone. The tech giants are invading our privacy, misusing our data, strangling economic growth and helping governments spy on us. Yet because these few companies own so many of the internet’s key services, it seems there is little people can do to avoid having to […] … learn more→
Artificial intelligence must know when to ask for human help
Artificial intelligence systems are powerful tools for businesses and governments to process data and respond to changing situations, whether on the stock market or on a battlefield. But there are still some things AI isn’t ready for. We are scholars of computer science working to understand and improve the ways in which algorithms interact with society. AI systems perform best when the […] … learn more→
IBM launches commercial quantum computing – we’re not ready for what comes next
IBM recently unveiled what it claimed was the world’s first commercial quantum computer. While the announcement of the Q System One wasn’t scientifically groundbreaking, the fact that IBM sees this as a commercial product that organisations (if not individuals) will want to use is an important breakthrough. IBM has taken a prototype technology that has existed in […] … learn more→
The next great leap forward? Combining robots with the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things is a popular vision of objects with internet connections sending information back and forth to make our lives easier and more comfortable. It’s emerging in our homes, through everything from voice-controlled speakers to smart temperature sensors. To improve our fitness, smart watches and Fitbits are telling online apps how much we’re moving around. And across entire cities, interconnected […] … learn more→
