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05 January, 2017

Lego A/S pulled back the curtains Wednesday on an update to its classic building toy at the CES tech confab in Las Vegas. Dubbed Lego Boost, the new kits bring brick creations to life with simple motors and sensors while teaching the basics of programming. Unlike Lego’s more-complex Mindstorms systems, which are used in schools to teach robotics, the Boost system was designed for children as young as age 7, and feels closer to the classic brick experience.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/lego-bricks-come-alive-1483506122

Most of the attention around automation focuses on how factory robots and self-driving cars may fundamentally change our workforce, potentially eliminating millions of jobs. But AI that can handle knowledge-based, white-collar work are also becoming increasingly competent. One Japanese insurance company, Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance, is reportedly replacing 34 human insurance claim workers with “IBM Watson Explorer,” starting by January 2017.

https://qz.com/875491/japanese-white-collar-workers-are-already-being-replaced-by-artificial-intelligence/

A new French law establishing workers’ “right to disconnect” goes into effect today. The law requires companies with more than 50 employees to establish hours when staff should not send or answer emails. The goals of the law include making sure employees are fairly paid for work, and preventing burnout by protecting private time.

http://fortune.com/2017/01/01/french-right-to-disconnect-law/