The information: A brand new robotic coaching mannequin, dubbed “KnowNo,” goals to show robots to ask for our assist when orders are unclear. On the identical time, it ensures they search clarification solely when crucial, minimizing unnecessary back-and-forth. The end result is a brilliant assistant that tries to ensure it understands what you need with out bothering you an excessive amount of.
Why it issues: Whereas robots may be highly effective in lots of particular eventualities, they’re usually dangerous at generalized duties that require widespread sense. That’s one thing giant language fashions might assist to repair, as a result of they’ve plenty of commonsense information baked in. Learn the complete story.
—June Kim
Medical microrobots that journey contained in the physique are (nonetheless) on their manner
The human physique is a labyrinth of vessels and tubing, filled with obstacles which might be troublesome to interrupt by means of. That poses a critical hurdle for docs. Sickness is commonly brought on by issues which might be laborious to visualise and troublesome to entry. However think about if we might deploy armies of tiny robots into the physique to do the job for us. They may break up hard-to-reach clots, ship medication to even probably the most inaccessible tumors, and even assist information embryos towards implantation.
We’ve been listening to about the usage of tiny robots in medication for years, perhaps even a long time. They usually’re nonetheless not right here. However specialists are adamant that medical microbots are lastly coming, and that they might be a sport changer for various critical illnesses. Learn the complete story.
—Cassandra Willyard
