When will a piece of software be better at your job than you are? While it’s hard to scientifically quantify things that haven’t happened yet, experts in machine learning predict that in the next 200 years or so, computers or robots will be able to beat humans at our jobs and even most of our hobbies. [More]
robot apocalypse
Startup Claims It Can Automate Copywriting Process, Leaving Copywriters Time To Finish Their Novels
By 1.22.15
All that junk promotional mail that ends up in your mailbox or e-mail inbox is presumably written by a human being. But many of these items are just variations on themes that have been played so many times that you could teach a machine how to write them. Which is apparently why some investors are putting their money into a startup that aims to automate the copywriting process. [More]
Korean Baseball Team Replaces Human Fans With Terrifying Remote-Control Robots
By 7.25.14
I’ve made no attempt over the years to hide my affection for the Philadelphia Phillies. I’ve even been known to attend a few dozen games a year, but sometimes I can’t always make it to the game, or — especially when the Phils don’t have much phight in them — it’s just too depressing to slog down to Citizens Bank Park and wonder why I masochistically pay to witness brutal, almost nightly beatings. If only I were a fan of the Hanwha Eagles. [More]
Amazon Asks FAA For Permission To Blacken The Skies With Delivery Drones
By 7.11.14
Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration laid down a speed bump in the road toward the impending robot apocalypse, clarifying that package-delivery drones like the ones being planned by Amazon and others are currently illegal. But, much like a locked door or a cinderblock wall will not stop a T-1000, a bit of bureaucracy will not stop Amazon from its destiny of creating Skynet Amazon Prime Air. [More]
Computer Contestant Dominates Top Humans In Jeopardy
By 2.16.11
Humans have now been rendered just about obsolete in terms of Jeopardy acumen, judging from the way know-it-all computer Watson owned two of the show’s most impressive players on Tuesday night’s episode, the second of three in which they competed. [More]
Verizon FiOS Customer Service Thinks You, A Human, Are Voicemail
By 12.4.09
Verizon’s customer service is operated by robots. Apparently, these robots are not too skilled at determining whether or not you are also a robot. This might be useful to know during the upcoming robot apocalypse (see this educational film about the subject,) but for reader Carlos it had no practical application. [More]
