Read the latest articles from Futurism (Page 903)

An army of clearly-fake "Amazon FC Ambassador" accounts once more flooded Twitter to brag about a job that offers great perks like "using a real bathroom."
Science & Energy

Those Obviously-Fake Amazon Warehouse Workers Are Still Tweeting

"Actually, we aren't robots!"

By Dan Robitzski

Amazon confirmed that those bizarre "fulfillment center ambassadors" on Twitter are actually real employees, not the bizarre chatbots that they sound like.
Future Society

Amazon: Those Bizarre Brand Ambassadors Are Real Employees

Amazon is paying people to tweet about their numerous bathroom breaks.

By Dan Robitzski

DARPA's Subterranean Challenge is kicking off today, and robotics teams from across the nation are mapping underground environments with robots.
Robotics

These Robots Could One Day Explore Caves on Distant Planets

"If there is life in the solar system, these are the most likely places to harbor it."

By Victor Tangermann

Now there's an AI assistant to help DJs pick songs for their sets in real time. It's unclear what, exactly, is left for the DJ to do.
Artificial Intelligence

If You Were Worried DJs Were Working Too Hard, This Idiotic AI Literally Picks Songs for Them

It's like going to a concert where someone just plugged in their iPod Shuffle.

By Dan Robitzski

Report: The World’s First Solar Road is an Absolute Disaster
Advanced Transport

Report: The World’s First Solar Road is an Absolute Disaster

Thunderstorms and rotting leaves did a number on the road's solar panels.

By Victor Tangermann

It turns out that the NSA, the secretive intelligence agency, uses the same version of the messaging app Slack as your office.
Future Society

The NSA Won’t Say Anything About Its Slack Account

The government agency uses an off-the-shelf messaging app.

By Dan Robitzski

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) set out with an ambitious task, to build a robodog which combined all the best parts of Siri, 3D-printing, and robots like Boston Dynamics SpotMini.
Boston Dynamics

This Boston Dynamics-Esque Bot Has Horrifying, Human-Like Eyes

It looks like it's wearing the eyes of its last victim.

By Jacob Banas

To carry their dirt bikes into the desert, an electric car conversion company chopped off the back of a damaged Tesla Model S to turn it into a pickup.
Tesla

Watch This Hacked-Together Tesla “Pickup” Do Wicked Donuts

"Epiphany! Let's go chop off a Tesla."

By Victor Tangermann

For the past few months, UPS has sent giant self-driving trucks on the roads to deliver cargo loads between Phoenix, Tucson, and Arizona.
Self-Driving Vehicles

UPS Has Been Quietly Shipping Packages on Self-Driving Trucks

The company announced a minority stake in an autonomous trucking startup.

By Victor Tangermann

Elon Musk has said that he hopes Neuralink will help people keep pace with future AI. But psychologist Susan Scheider warns that would be ill-advised.
Brain

Scientist: Merging Your Brain With AI Would Basically Be Suicide

"You could augment your intelligence with chips, but there will be a point at which you end your life."

By Dan Robitzski

Smart oven maker June Ovens is in the news this week, thanks to reports of their smart ovens allegedly turning themselves on overnight.
Internet Of Things

WiFi-Enabled Smart Ovens Are Preheating Themselves at Night

The company's explanation: sometimes you hit the wrong button on your phone. And, you know, accidentally start your oven.

By Victor Tangermann

Chinese search engine Sogou is creating AI author avatars to narrate the writers' books in both their voices and their likenesses
Artificial Intelligence

These AI Author Avatars Will Read Their Books to You

The tech could save writers from weeks of recording sessions.

By Kristin Houser

A startup developing a marijuana breathalyzer just secured funding through Y Combinator, one of the world's top accelerators.
Robots and Machines

This Startup Created a Marijuana Breathalyzer

And it now has the backing of top accelerator Y Combinator.

By Kristin Houser

Fraternities at Unversity of Texas are signing contracts with Tinder or Bumble to promote the app on campus in exchange for sponsored parties.
Future Society

Frats Are Signing “Exclusive Contracts” to Use Tinder or Bumble

People need to have an account to get into some parties.

By Dan Robitzski

Amazon claims its Rekognition software can now detect fear on a person's face, as well as provide a better estimate of their age.
Artificial Intelligence

Amazon Claims Rekognition Can Now Detect Fear

The facial recognition tech has also gotten better at estimating ages, Amazon says.

By Kristin Houser

Scientists suggest that Jupiter may have collided with and absorbed a giant protoplanet when the solar system was forming some 4.5 billion years ago.
Science & Energy

Jupiter May Have Absorbed a Smaller Planet

Did the solar system's largest planet eat one of its siblings?

By Dan Robitzski

Comcast customers are finding it harder and harder to stay within their data caps as streaming technology and quality improves.
Science & Energy

Comcast Is Gouging People Who Watch Too Much Netflix

"The first month I blew through the cap like it was nothing."

By Dan Robitzski

Astronomers have reported finding eight new repeating fast radio bursts, potential alien signals, brining the total number of known repeaters up to 10.
Science & Energy

Astronomers Detect Eight New Potential Alien Signals

The number of known repeating FRBs just jumped from two to 10.

By Kristin Houser

YouTubers who discuss LGBTQ issues are suing YouTube after finding that their videos get demonetized or age restricted on the site.
Future Society

LGBTQ YouTubers File Suit Over Discrimination

The lawsuit says YouTube unfairly targets the LGBTQ community.

By Dan Robitzski

The FAA is banning anyone from bringing an Apple recalled MacBook on flights — though it's not clear how it plans to enforce the ban.
Robots and Machines

FAA Bans Exploding MacBooks From Airplanes

But its plans to enforce the ban aren't clear.

By Kristin Houser