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New York Looking for Algo Chief; New Use of Facial Recognition in China; Bling Raising $90 Million
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The algorithm chief will report to Jeff Thamkittikasem, director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations. PHOTO: MAYOR'S OFFICE OF OPERATIONS
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New York looks to hire algorithm chief. New York City is looking to hire an official to establish guidelines for how city agencies should develop and use systems that rely on algorithms and related technologies, reports WSJ’s Jared Council.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, last week signed an executive order to create the position, which carries the title of algorithms management and policy officer. The hire will report to Jeff Thamkittikasem, director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations, who also oversees the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics and the Mayor’s Office of Information Privacy. Mr. Thamkittikasem said the new position will initially be supported by existing Office of Operations staff and more personnel will be hired over time.
The citywide use of algorithms. New York City runs about 50 agencies, including its police and fire departments, the New York City Housing Authority and the Department of Education. Algorithms are used to help determine which children are placed at which schools, for instance, and to spot crime patterns. One of the duties of the algorithm chief will be helping agencies assess algorithms for potential bias, Mr. Thamkittikasem said.
Mr. de Blasio created the new position following a report published this month by the city's Automated Decision Systems Task Force, which was launched in spring 2018 and is slated to dissolve in January.
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Facial-recognition technology was demonstrated at an artificial-intelligence conference in Shanghai in August. PHOTO: ROMAN PILIPEY/SHUTTERSTOCK
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Chinese subway promotes facial recognition. China leads the world in facial-recognition and other new surveillance technologies. And the country continues to expand their use. A Beijing subway station plans to use a facial-recognition gateway during rush hour to cut down on passenger checks and ease congestion, Bloomberg reports. Still, mass surveillance with artificial intelligence even has the tightly controlled Chinese media raising concerns, Bloomberg notes.
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New York tells FedEx robot to get off its streets. Robots are popping up everywhere. “The 2010s have given us robots that can care for us, robots that can wow us and robots that give us the willies,” CNET reports. Still, not everyone is happy they’re invading every corner of our lives. New York City warned FedEx to stop operating its delivery robots in the city after one of the devices was seen traveling around lower Manhattan, the New York Post reports. The test machines use AI, motion sensors and stair-climbing
wheels to navigate sidewalks and roads. The city’s transportation department said motor vehicles are banned from city sidewalks, according to the Post. A FedEx representative said in a statement that the delivery bot was just “visiting New York.”
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Bling Capital raising $90 million. Angel investor turned venture capitalist Ben Ling is about to close $90 million in new funds just a year after his firm’s launch, WSJ’s Katie Roof reports based on a person familiar with the matter. Bling Capital is finalizing a $60 million early-stage fund and a $30 million opportunities fund for follow-on investments. The person familiar with the matter said Bling still has unspent capital in its first funds and the new capital will be reserved for a later date, likely some time in mid-2020. Bling invests across a range of categories including consumer technology, marketplaces and mobile-focused businesses. Examples of Bling’s
recent portfolio companies include Vise AI, which combines artificial intelligence with financial advice, and Edify Labs Inc., which helps businesses manage customer engagement.
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State Street says wider adoption of 5G technology will help spur the use of AI across devices. (WSJ)
An AI project is analyzing the complexity of patient health to predict who might need hospitalization. (ZDNet)
Pricefx, which optimizes prices with AI, raised $25.3 million in funding. (VentureBeat)
The Pentagon is looking for vendors to provide “system engineering and third party system integration services” for the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. (Nextgov)
GE Healthcare launched a new program aimed at speeding up AI adoption among health providers. (ZDNet)
The Defense Department, Space Command, Missile Defense Agency and industry are integrating AI into space-based systems and technology to accelerate threat detection. (Fox News)
Japan’s Preferred Networks’ robot can find laundry even if someone moves it. (CNN Business)
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The WSJ Pro AI newsletter will take a break on Thursday and Friday. We wish everyone a great Thanksgiving, and we will be back on Monday.
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