Artificial intelligence marks 50th anniversary

It has been 50 years since the advent of the first form of artificial intelligence (AI). At the American Association for Artificial Intelligence annual meeting this week, AI evangelists touted ways that a confluence of factors could put computer learning at the heart of a smoother-running world.

The Eagle.Com notes that, aided by exponential increases in computer processing power, AI researchers have developed programs that can automatically glean insights from documents and detect patterns in complex systems.

"Perhaps the biggest reason for today`s optimism is the Web`s emergence as an ever-richer storehouse of knowledge for AI programs to mine and re-use," adds the article.

A 38-foot, six-panel display about how IT is revolutionising war-fighting capabilities for soldiers is now on display at the Pentagon - the headquarters of the US Department of Defence.

The display, reports the official US Army News Service, explains how the Signal Corps has enabled Army communications throughout history.

"This new exhibit shows how we`ve moved to an era where IT dictates how today`s soldiers fight in combat," says lieutenant general Steven Boutelle, an Army division CIO.

Web pages that use innocent words like "Barbie" or "Furby", but actually feature sexual content, will be subject to felony charges, thanks to a Bill the US Senate approved on Thursday, writes News.com.

Anyone who includes misleading words or images intended to confuse a minor into viewing a possibly harmful Web site could be imprisoned for up to 20 years and fined, the legislation states.

"I appreciate the willingness of all members to put aside unrelated controversial issues so that we could focus on the core purpose of this Bill - protecting children," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, of Nevada, said during the floor discussion.