Greg Wayne, Director in Research at Google DeepMind, reveals exciting insights about Project Astra, a cutting-edge universal AI assistant prototype. He discusses its unique abilities, such as real-world interaction and multilingual processing, showcasing its potential to support individuals with disabilities. The conversation dives into the AI's memory management, ethical considerations, and proactive features, grasping the challenges of creating an invaluable companion. Tune in to discover how this groundbreaking technology could redefine daily assistance!

What can the human brain teach us about AI? And what can AI teach us about our own intelligence? These questions underpin a lot of AI research. In this first episode, Hannah meets the DeepMind Neuroscience team to explore these connections and discovers how our brains are like birds’ wings, what training a dog and an AI agent have in common, and why the simplest things for people to do are, paradoxically, often the hardest for machines.If you have a question or feedback on the series, message us on Twitter (@DeepMind using the hashtag #DMpodcast) or email us at podcast@deepmind.com.Further readingBBC: An AI playlistWait But Why: The AI RevolutionCoursera: AI for everyoneMedium: Machine Learning for HumansGoogle Arts & Culture: 25 moments that have defined AIRoyal Society: What is Machine Learning?The Algorithm: A weeklyemail newsletter from MIT Tech ReviewDeepMind blog: neuroscience and AI: a virtuous circleNature: Far-sighted birds plan breakfast the evening beforeInterviewees in this episode: Deepmind CEO and co-founder, Demis Hassabis; Matt Botvinick, Director of Neuroscience Research; research scientists Jess Hamrick and Greg Wayne; and Director of Research, Koray Kavukcuoglu.Credits:Presenter: Hannah FryEditor: David PrestSenior Producer: Louisa FieldProducers: Amy Racs, Dan HardoonBinaural Sound: Lucinda Mason-BrownMusic composition: Eleni Shaw (with help from Sander Dieleman and WaveNet)Commissioned by DeepMind Please like and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. Want to share feedback? Or have a suggestion for a guest that we should have on next? Leave us a comment on YouTube and stay tuned for future episodes.