When humans and robots cross paths, the results aren’t just frustrating—the autonomous car, say, that’s too shy to turn left—they can also be fatal. Consider last year’s Uber crash, in which the self-driving algorithms weren’t coded to yield to an unexpected human jaywalker. At the WIRED25 conference Friday, Anca Dragan, a professor who studies human-robot… Continue reading AI Researcher Anca Dragan on Helping Robots Understand Humans
Author: Wired Magazine
Google Enlists Outside Help to Clean Up Android’s Malware Mess
Android has a bit of a malware problem. The open ecosystem’s flexibility also makes it relatively easy for tainted apps to circulate on third-party app stores or malicious websites. Worse still, malware-ridden apps sneak into the official Play Store with disappointing frequency. After grappling with the issue for a decade, Google is calling in some… Continue reading Google Enlists Outside Help to Clean Up Android’s Malware Mess
Uber’s Self-Driving Car Didn’t Know Pedestrians Could Jaywalk
The software inside the Uber self-driving SUV that killed an Arizona woman last year was not designed to detect pedestrians outside of a crosswalk, according to new documents released as part of a federal investigation into the incident. That’s the most damning revelation offered up in a trove of new documents related to the crash,… Continue reading Uber’s Self-Driving Car Didn’t Know Pedestrians Could Jaywalk
Facebook’s Logo Gets a Face-Lift
In the 15 years since Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook, the platform has undergone more than a few costume changes. It’s grown from dorm room hijinks to measure the relative hotness of Harvard undergraduates to the online pulpit of American politics. When Facebook filed to go public in 2012, Zuckerberg explained that Facebook was never meant… Continue reading Facebook’s Logo Gets a Face-Lift
Turkish ISP Blocks Social Media Sites Near Syrian Border
Turkey restricted access to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp in at least three cities in the southern part of the country for about 48 hours earlier this week as it launched an attack on northern Syria, according to data collected by civil society group NetBlocks and reviewed by WIRED. Turkey moved against Kurdish forces in… Continue reading Turkish ISP Blocks Social Media Sites Near Syrian Border
Eliud Kipchoge Is Set to Break the 2-Hour Marathon Barrier
On the morning of October 12, Eliud Kipchoge, the best marathoner on Earth, will set off from the Reichsbrücke Bridge in Vienna, Austria, with the goal of traversing 26.2 miles—42.165 kilometers—in less than two hours, almost half a minute faster than any person in history. A little less than 120 minutes later, the world will… Continue reading Eliud Kipchoge Is Set to Break the 2-Hour Marathon Barrier
Silicon Valley Cynicism in the Age of Trump and Zuckerberg
Elizabeth Warren had Facebook in her sights this week, using Twitter to ask a provocative question many of us were thinking to ourselves: “Trump and Zuckerberg met at the White House two weeks ago. What did they talk about?” In the process, she shined a light on the cynicism and culture of mistrust that’s rampant… Continue reading Silicon Valley Cynicism in the Age of Trump and Zuckerberg
Cities Examine Proper—and Improper—Uses of Facial Recognition
When longtime resident Christina Zhang tried to enter her apartment building in Manhattan’s Lower East Side neighborhood Saturday afternoon, she found herself enacting an all-too-familiar routine. The door wouldn’t open, so she began “dancing” around the lobby, bobbing and weaving her body to and fro. Her audience? A smart camera pointed at the entrance gate… Continue reading Cities Examine Proper—and Improper—Uses of Facial Recognition
California’s Power Outages Are About Wildfires—but Also Money
The red wind started to blow again this week—hot, dry gusts up to 75 miles per hour in some parts of Northern California. Usually, their arrival means wildfires are on the way, a recurring threat to life and property thanks to climate change and urban sprawl. This time was a little different, though. As the… Continue reading California’s Power Outages Are About Wildfires—but Also Money
Hong Kong Is the Latest Tripwire for Tech Firms in China
Over the past decade, China has embraced US sports and high-tech products like iPhones and Teslas, and US businesses granted access to China’s domestic market have benefited from a huge and increasingly wealthy set of consumers. For US tech companies, the ties often run deeper: They rely on China’s factories and supply chain and, increasingly,… Continue reading Hong Kong Is the Latest Tripwire for Tech Firms in China