A company in China has invented a $1,000 A.I.-enabled brick that tracks mosquitoes in flight and burns their wings off with a laser. The United States may be ahead of China in developing A.I. models, but the device is an example of how quickly China is putting powerful computing into consumer products. The technology also has military potential. As Keith Bradsher, who saw a demonstration, writes, "It's not hard to imagine how a system that tracks and shoots down mosquitoes today could be adapted to target drones tomorrow."
The risks are considerable. A laser powerful enough to dispatch a mosquito is powerful enough to damage your eyes. To protect people and animals that are not mosquitoes, A.I. software recognizes them and prevents the laser from shooting, even in darkness. A camera also identifies shiny surfaces so beams don't ricochet elsewhere.
Keith's description of the device's effectiveness is striking. After the demonstration, he examined the fallen bugs. Their wings were gone, but their legs and bodies appeared intact. They couldn't fly, even when he waved his hand directly over them.
Elsewhere, the New York Times built a high-resolution, 360-degree panorama from the top of the Washington Monument, 555 feet above the National Mall. It shows President Trump's changes to the city, including a new helipad outside the White House and a ballroom rising where the East Wing once stood. A number of federal judges have said Trump cannot build some elements without congressional approval, but Republicans who control Congress have not pushed back, allowing him to remake Washington as he wants.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing