James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
In an effort to address the problem of fake news that some believe swayed the U.S. presidential election, Facebook Inc. has made some major changes to its Trending Topics section. Today Facebook announced that in the U.S., at least, trending news now …
First Jeopardy, then Go, and now AI is beating professional poker players
Artificial intelligence has wiped the floor with humans in games such as checkers, chess, Jeopardy! and, in perhaps its finest hour so far, beating flesh, blood and brain cells at the ancient Chinese board game of Go. But strategy games such as those cannot …
Trump appoints new FCC chairman, signaling the likely end of net neutrality
President Donald Trump’s decision to make Ajit Pai the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has provoked fears that the end of net neutrality is nigh. There has been some speculation that Trump is no fan of an open Internet and could be …
Samsung explains why its Note 7 phones exploded – and why it won’t happen again
Following a four-month investigation, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced at a press conference on Sunday the cause of the Galaxy Note 7 overheating and explosions that led to a very costly recall. After looking at possible hardware and software issues and testing 200,000 …
IBM CEO Ginni Rometty lays out guidelines for ethical AI development
With great power comes great responsibility: That was the gist of a set of principles for artificial intelligence development laid forth by IBM Corp. Chief Executive Ginni Rometty on Tuesday. Rometty (pictured) has made AI, or what IBM calls cognitive computing, the centerpiece …
Could this be Microsoft’s long-awaited Surface Phone?
Time and again in recent years, rumors have, ahem, surfaced regarding Microsoft Corp. merging at least the designs in its embattled phone division and its successful Surface line of two-in-one personal computer-tablet hybrid devices. The potential outcome: a Surface phone. As Microsoft Chief Marketing …
Facebook will crack down on fake news in Germany ahead of election
Facebook Inc. said Sunday that it will filter fake news stories in Germany in coming weeks, following reports that some politicians in Germany are worried about the influence alleged disinformation might have on the upcoming elections. German Chancellor Angela Merkel (above), who …
How Stanford researchers are using deep learning AI to fight blindness
Microsoft Corp. announced last year that it was intent on curing cancer, using artificial intelligence to do such things as tracking a patient’s tumor. The year before that, IBM Corp. chose healthcare as a prime market for Watson, saying the AI-driven cognitive system …
Wearables can actually predict illnesses, says Stanford study
If there’s one overriding reason people are using wearable devices such as Fitbits and Apple Watches, it’s to track their vital signs during exercise in the hope that they can improve their health. Now there’s evidence that some wearables, at least, have …