*By Conor White*
If you thought artificial intelligence took major strides in 2018, buckle up; 2019 may well be an even bigger year for the industry. What are insiders watching ー and what will make the biggest entrance in 2019? Cheddar's Crystal Ball has generated a prediction: Open source A.I., which allows information to be shared freely across many platforms.
"This isn't just like throwing a website together using open source," said Lauren deLisa Coleman, digi-cultural trend analyst for Forbes.
"This is replicating our intelligence," she said.
But there's a glaring danger that accompanies open source A.I.: It may be co-opted by bad actors.
"Technology is always neutral," Coleman told Cheddar in an interview Friday. "Until you decide to use it for good or bad."
Adding to the complexity is that A.I. is virtually unregulated.
"There aren't any standards in place. No one is really checking for cultural bias \[for example\],"deLisa Coleman said.
"We know that policy makers on the Hill are looking at this," she added.
Twenty-three percent of respondents have a negative perception of artificial intelligence, according to a study by The Brookings Institute, a number the industry would like to see shrink ー and fast.
"It's kind of astounding and terrorizing at the same time," she said of the technology.
Although many workers fear A.I. will render them irrelevant, Coleman said that theory is a product of "panic."
In fact, "we're going to see human judgement needed more than ever," Coleman added.
President Donald Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to break a 2-2 tie ahead of the board considering the largest railroad merger ever proposed.
Ford is recalling more than 355,000 of its pickup trucks across the U.S. because of an instrument panel display failure that’s resulted in critical information, like warning lights and vehicle speed, not showing up on the dashboard.
Nvidia reported a 56% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 59% rise in net income compared to a year ago.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims audiences don't want to watch Netflix movies in theaters, but that seems not to be the case recently.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
