What is artificial intelligence and is it here yet?

In 2012 the UK government launched a list of the Eight Great technologies of the future. Here's what they are and what role maths has to play in them.

Researchers have unveiled the first prototypes of robots that can develop emotions and express them too. If you treat these robots well, they'll form an attachment to you, looking for hugs when they feel sad and responding to reassuring strokes when they are distressed. But how do you get emotions into machines that only understand the language of maths?

Controlled chaos produces realistic behaviour in robotic cockroach

You play tennis like a champion compared with the best of robots, if you play tennis at all.