Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Friday 6 april 2018
Italy's robot concierge a novelty on the way to better AI

By COLLEEN BARRY and robots, medical robots and
CHARLENE PELE logistics systems robots.
PESCHIERA DEL GARDA, In 2016, 7,200 public rela-
Italy (AP) — Robby Pep- tions robots like Softbank's
per can answer questions Pepper, used for mobile
in Italian, English and Ger- guidance and informa-
man. Billed as Italy's first tion, were sold — a full 135
robot concierge, the hu- percent increase over the
manoid will be deployed previous year. "Beyond the
all season at a hotel on techy novelty to engage
the popular Lake Garda to customers, the current use
help relieve the desk staff of robots for customer ser-
of simple, repetitive ques- vices is completely imprac-
tions. tical, very simply because
During one of Robby's first artificial intelligence digital
shifts, Mihail Slanina, a agents are way too stupid
guest from Moldova, con- to be practical beyond
gratulated the robot on his what the time is and what
skills. the weather is," said Rich-
"He's like a real person, he's ard Windsor, a technology
really good," she enthused. analyst based in London.
"He talks, he shook my Their current limitations
hand." are best illustrated by the
Developed by Japan's In this photo dated March 12, 2018, Mihail Slanina, a guest from Moldavia, asks robot Robby Pep- fact that the two best arti-
Softbank Robotics, Robby per for information at the front desk of hotel in Peschiera del Garda, northern Italy. ficial intelligence systems,
as he has been christened Associated Press Google Assist and the Chi-
by the hotel where he's nese company DuerOS by
resident has been taught not to mention accents, tons serve mainly as novel- tion of Robotics, based in the Chinese company Bai-
a list of questions such as which will help improve his ties — humanoid versions Frankfurt, Germany, fore- du, do not currently make
the locations of the spa, knowledge, vocabulary of an Alexa or Siri meant casts sales of professional such robots, he said.
restaurants and opening and ability to answer. to marvel customers. They service robots will grow Windsor predicts that such
hours, programmed by the The use of such robots is represent an expansion in between 20 percent and robots will fall off once their
Italian digital services com- growing in services sec- automation, but one that's 25 percent a year through current novelty wears off,
pany Jampaa. The summer tors like tourism, where the likely to be scaled up only 2020, from about 79,000 only to reappear when the
tourist season will provide scale of business can over- when better artificial intel- last year. That includes technology has improved,
Robby with a crash course whelm staff with menial ligence is developed. such diverse categories as something he sees off in the
in unanticipated questions, tasks. Most of the automa- The International Federa- defense robots, cleaning long-term.q

At a Glance: Zuckerberg to testify, other probes pending

— CONGRESS: Zuckerberg — INDIVIDUAL STATES: The Cambridge Analytica is
is set to testify April 10 in a attorneys general for 37 that it acquired personal
joint hearing of the Senate U.S. states and territories data in an unauthorized
Commerce and Judiciary have written a letter seek- way.
Committees and April 11 ing details on how Face- — U.K. PARLIAMENT: The
before the House Energy book monitored what app U.K. parliamentary media
and Commerce Commit- developers did with data committee has summoned
tee. This will be his first-ever collected on Facebook us- Zuckerberg to testify. The
testimony before Con- ers and whether Facebook chairman, Damian Collins,
gress. Individual congres- had safeguards to prevent says his panel has repeat-
sional members have also misuse. edly asked Facebook how
written Facebook seeking ___ it uses data. He says Face-
answers. IN EUROPE: book officials "have been
— FEDERAL TRADE COM- — EUROPEAN UNION: The misleading to the commit-
MISSION: Tom Pahl, acting EU is contacting data pro- tee."___
director of the FTC's Bureau tection authorities in its ELSEWHERE:
In this Nov. 9, 2017, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zucker-
berg meets with a group of entrepreneurs and innovators dur- of Consumer Protection, member nations and in — AUSTRALIA: Australian
ing a round-table discussion at Cortex Innovation Community says the agency's probe the United States to bet- authorities say they are in-
technology hub in St. Louis. will include whether the ter follow up investigations vestigating whether Face-
Associated Press company engaged in "un- into whether Facebook book breached the coun-
fair acts" that cause "sub- breached EU privacy laws. try's privacy law, which
By The Associated Press inappropriately accessed stantial injury" to consum- — U.K. INFORMATION requires organizations to
Facebook CEO Mark Zuck- data on as many as 87 mil- ers. Facebook reached COMMISSION: Britain's in- ensure personal informa-
erberg will testify before lion Facebook users to in- a settlement with the FTC formation regulator has tion is held securely.
Congress next week. His fluence elections. in 2011 offering privacy seized evidence from the — INDIA: India's govern-
appearance comes as au- Here's a look at the various assurances, though the London office of Cam- ment has sent a notice to
thorities around the world investigations and requests FTC's probe may extend bridge Analytica. Informa- Facebook asking wheth-
investigate allegations that for information. to Facebook's compliance tion Commissioner Eliza- er the personal data of
the political data-mining ___ with U.S.-EU principles for beth Denham has said the Indian users has been
firm Cambridge Analytica IN THE UNITED STATES: transferring data. prime allegation against compromised.q