The legal industry seems more dusty than dynamic; the robes and wrinkles that mark those at the top of the field hardly scream modernity. But change is afoot, as powerful market forces are driving law firms to adopt modern corporate efficiency, and new technology, including artificial intelligence, is helping them do so. In areas like document discovery and due diligence, automated systems that accelerate legal work are already relatively widespread. More recent advances have started eating away at tasks higher up the legal food chain, too.

The next A.I. frontier? Academia. With evidence that graduation rates at U.S. universities have been plummeting for half a century, higher learning is turning to artificial intelligence and data crunching to help turn the tide by using predictive tools to reach students and address their concerns faster, even before the students approach college authorities with their problems.

Do you need a sitter for your dog? Or someone to scoop the poop while you spend precious minutes of your time meeting a deadline? Would you like to track your dog’s activity while you finally take that long-overdue vacation — and possibly speak with your pet while away? Pet product companies across the globe are increasingly developing robots that can tackle these needs.

From the U.S. to Norway, researchers, tech firms and maritime companies are investing in and testing autonomous ships for trade, amid a growing consensus that such vessels are the future of maritime shipping. In the Netherlands, 20 maritime businesses formed a consortium to study and demonstrate the potential of autonomous maritime transport. In theory, ships manned and monitored autonomously suffer from lower risk of human errors, and would thereby offer greater safety.

You hate the time it takes to commute to the coworking space where you’ve scheduled a meeting. But you’re uncomfortable calling professional contacts from home. Help is on its way. Literally. Autonomous mobile offices and shops will soon be able to come to you. A new wave of companies is designing these driverless shops and offices that will fundamentally reverse the idea of the commute.

The trainer sees you struggling and suggests a change. As you do better, the trainer shouts encouragement — “Awesome! There goes 100 calories!” — before you move on to the next routine. Don’t thank her or him. Thank it — the trainer is a machine. A growing number of companies are using artificial intelligence to power health and fitness apps and workout machines, offering users a level of personalization unimaginable just five years ago.

We all know China is emerging as a leader in artificial intelligence. And, yes, lax privacy laws may have helped. But there might be another reason, too. The country’s collective-oriented Eastern belief systems, such as Buddhism and Confucianism, are better suited to artificial intelligence than Western individualistic thinking, which is more susceptible to panicked reactions, research suggests. There’s also a growing body of research that shows Eastern philosophies could make A.I. more ethical.

Life's too short to not dream big! The OZY Genius Awards support college students' young, bright minds.

Application Deadline is October 31, 2022! Don't wait!

Recent advances in autonomous vehicles and robotics, including self-driving wheelchairs, could greatly improve the independence and lives of the elderly and the infirm. Other developments include robots to dispense medication, fetch food and even provide companionship. But some health care experts ask: How much will these self-driving vehicles and robotic aides cost, and who’s going to pay for them?

The benefits of robotic surgery are becoming more attractive to doctors and patients. The wider use of robots in the operating theater could allow for other applications like telesurgery — in which the robot isn’t controlled by a surgeon in the same room but potentially by one on the other side of the world. New ultrafast networks like 5G (fifth-generation telecommunications technology) could allow people living in rural areas or developing countries to have surgeries in local hospitals equipped with a robot, instead of having to travel thousands of miles for treatment.

Researchers in many nations are developing minuscule nano-robots that are emerging as the next frontier in medical science. Unlike implantable devices that stay where they are placed, these robots are mobile and can be directed by outside human operators or even move around with some autonomy. This mobility lets them carry out diagnostics, organ repair and even perform surgeries from the inside, reducing the extent to which tissues need to be cut.

In what aspect of your life would you most like help from a robot or artificial intelligence?