Technology

Artificial Intelligence - machines that work like the human brain - computers that can think. It's the stuff of science fiction, but it's also very real and developing faster than you may realize. Just this week, tech giant Google announced the purchase of an artificial intelligence firm - the company's ninth robotics oriented purchase in a little over a year. From asking your smart phone for directions to self-driving cars to robots programmed to act like humans, AI is everywhere and it's certainly uncharted territory. What does it mean when we create computers that are potentially smarter than people? Our guest today warns, if we don't tread lightly, it could mean the end of the human era. A panel of experts joins us to explain how artificial intelligence works and discuss the practical applications and ethical considerations of this controversial technology.

Venture capital investment is best known for funding technology start-ups, including, once upon a time, Google and Facebook. The amount of venture capital funding is also an indication of how many start-ups or early stage companies a region is producing. The latest numbers in North Carolina show the state still has not recovered from the recession.

There's a drive-thru ATM in Charlotte, N.C., that looks pretty standard, but it has an extra function: a button that says "speak with teller."

The face of a woman wearing a headset sitting in front of a plain blue background flashes onto the ATM screen. "Good afternoon," she says. "Welcome to Bank of America. My name is Carolina. How are you today?"

She's one of a cadre of Bank of America employees in Florida and Delaware call centers, where they remotely control ATMs across the country. I ask for $26.

"Just a $1, a $5 and $20," I say.

The word 'Hacker' brings to mind a nefarious computer nerd stealing credit card information or disrupting websites. But a hacker has traditionally been someone who was into technological 'tinkering' and innovation. Queen’s University of Charlotte is promoting hacker culture by teaching digital and media literacy with a “hackathon.” We'll also meet the founder of a digital meet-up site called Charlotte Hackerspace. It's a place where geeks can feel free to tinker and in some cases, evolve technology. Join us as we plug into the rise of Hacker Culture.

Many school systems are wrestling with ways to serve students with mobile technology such as tablets. But Guilford County Schools has learned there’s a downside to the devices. The district has suspended its tablet program after students reported 1,500 cracked or broken screens in just the first month of school. 

There is a wave of new design coming and visionaries say it promises to be one of the most important technological advances of our time. 3D, or additive printing, holds possibilities that sound like science fiction, like printing new artificial limbs, human tissue, and medical tools. One company is designing a 3D printer that could someday print an entire house. But there are skeptics who say that 3D printing is expensive and their uses are still more fiction than fact. We'll look at this astonishing new technology with a Charlottean who happens to be an expert, when Charlotte Talks. Originally aired 6/27/13.

Earlier this week, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department launched a new crime-mapping system. It's much easier to use, updated more frequently and you can even pull it up on your smartphone.  

As technology becomes fully integrated in classrooms, students aren’t the only ones learning. Teachers must operate computers, a variety of applications and other electronic devices while also catering their lesson plans to these technologies. A growing number of schools provide students with laptops or tablet computers and some Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools are even encouraging students to bring devices to school through a Bring Your Own Technology initiative. A 2010 analysis by the U.S. Department of Education concluded that students whose higher educations' blend online and face-to-face interactions outperform others, but how does this apply to grade school students? What are parents and students saying? We’ll discuss the costs, the risks, and the increasingly digital world of learning when Charlotte Talks.

Like the rest of the state, Gaston County is facing a shortage of people with the skills required to work in 

today's high tech factories. Gaston College hopes to address the issue with a training center for students and local residents. This week, the college received a one-and-a half million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

One of the largest aerospace systems providers in the world opened its headquarters in West Charlotte Friday. UTC Aerospace Systems designs and manufactures products like propellers and engines and was founded last year after several mergers and acquisitions. Executives say it expects to add about 50 more jobs in the next five years.