Machine Learning Research
Walking the Dog: Training a robot to walk over unsteady terrain with RL.
A reinforcement learning system enabled a four-legged robot to amble over unfamiliar, rapidly changing terrain.
Analytics DeepLearning.AI
Machine Learning Research
Behavioral Cloning Shootout: AI learns to play Counter Strike Global Offensive.
Neural networks have learned to play video games like Dota 2 via reinforcement learning by playing for the equivalent of thousands of years (compressed into far less time). In new work, an automated player learned not by playing for millennia but by watching a few days’ worth of recorded gameplay.
The Batch Newsletter
The Batch: Zillow's New Neural Net, Optimizing Traffic City-Wide, Classifying Creepy Crawlies, Behavioral Cloning
In a recent letter, I noted that one difference between building traditional software and AI products is the problem of complex product specification. With traditional software, product managers can specify a product in ways...
Letters
Developing AI Products Part 3: Coping With Product Specification
In a recent letter, I noted that one difference between building traditional software and AI products is the problem of complex product specification.
Tech & Society
Lighter Traffic Ahead: NoTraffic promises shorter commutes with computer vision.
Traffic signals controlled by AI are keeping vehicles rolling citywide. Several U.S. cities are testing systems from Israel-based startup NoTraffic that promise to cut both commute times and carbon emissions.
Business
Home Sweet AI-Appraised Home: Inside Zillow's neural network for home price predictions.
Real estate websites helped turn automated real-estate assessment into a classic AI problem. The latest approach by a leader in the field gets a boost from deep learning.
Science
Bugbot: How AI can help with the insect biodiversity crisis.
An insect-sorting robot could help scientists grapple with the global biodiversity crisis. An automated insect classifier sucks in tiny arthropods, classifies them, and maps their most important identifying features.
The Batch Newsletter
The Batch: Amazon's Grab-And-Go Grocery, The Trouble With Ethical AI, Airlines Optimized, Few-Shot Learning
Last week, I mentioned that one difference between traditional software and AI products is the problem of unclear technical feasibility. In short, it can be hard to tell whether it’s practical to build a particular AI system.
Letters
Developing AI Products Part 2: How To Assess Technical Feasibility
Last week, I mentioned that one difference between traditional software and AI products is the problem of unclear technical feasibility. In short, it can be hard to tell whether it’s practical to build a particular AI system.
Business
Flight Paths Optimized: How one airline uses AI to plan its flights.
An AI system is helping aircraft avoid bad weather, restricted airspace, and clogged runways. Alaska Airlines will route all its flights using a system from Airspace Intelligence called Flyways.
Tech & Society
Is Ethical AI an Oxymoron?: Survey finds tech pros are pessimistic about ethical AI.
Many people both outside and inside the tech industry believe that AI will serve mostly to boost profits and monitor people — without regard for negative consequences.
Business
No Cashier? No Problem: Amazon supermarkets go cashier-less thanks to AI.
Shoppers at Amazon’s newest grocery store can skip the checkout line. Amazon opened its first full-scale supermarket that monitors which items customers place in their cart and charges them automatically when they leave. It calls the system Just Walk Out.