How an AI-powered Digital Assistant Increases Productivity in Business
How an AI-powered Digital Assistant Increases Productivity in Business

Powered by artificial intelligence, digital assistants have emerged as groundbreaking tools that transform the way business professionals work. From translating documents and converting files to provide research data and benchmarks, digital assistants are playing an important part in increasing productivity. In the following case study, we show how an AI-powered digital assistant makes a difference in a number of consultancies and large corporations. Let’s see how human augmentation is a “win-win”.

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Jim SinurJim Sinurbusiness productivity, AI, AI-powered digital assistantComment
The Age of AI, A YouTube Series Presented by Robert Downey Jr
The Age of AI, A YouTube Series Presented by Robert Downey Jr

Robert Downey Jr is best known as Tony Stark, the character behind Iron Man in the Avengers movies. It is said that Downey Jr modeled his portrayal of Stark on Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla and SpaceX, and one of the most outspoken commentators about artificial intelligence. Musk says that by developing advanced AI we are “summoning the demon,” and that we must work hard and fast to ensure it remains safe. In fact he thinks we must develop the technology to link our minds intimately with AI systems so that instead of being replaced by them, we can be enhanced by them.

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Calum ChaceCalum ChaceRobert Downey Jr, artificial intelligence, Elon Musk, The Age of AIComment
Failing Architecture? Digital Twins to the Rescue!
Failing Architecture? Digital Twins to the Rescue!

We are hearing the tales of severely ill or dying enterprise architectural efforts in even the best of organizations. It really shouldn’t be a surprise as architectural efforts are long, slow and change before they are complete. Even if an organization manages to complete one, things are changing so fast the value of even a rare complete architecture is dubious at best. Leveraging digital twins can be a game changer for architecture. A digital twin is a digital replica of physical assets, processes, people, places, systems and devices that can be used for management purposes.

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Jim SinurJim SinurJim Sinur, Architecture, Algorithms, Digital TwinsComment
21st-Century Schizoid Man? A Review Of '21 Lessons For The 21st Century' By Yuval Harari
21st-Century Schizoid Man? A Review Of '21 Lessons For The 21st Century' By Yuval Harari

The title of Yuval Harari’s latest best-seller is a misnomer: it asks many questions, but offers few answers, and hardly any lessons. It is the least notable of his three major books, since most of its best ideas were introduced in the other two. But it is still worth reading. Harari delights in grandiloquent sweeping generalisations which irritate academics enormously, and part of the fun is precisely that you can so easily picture his colleagues seething with indignation that he is trampling on their turf. More important, some of his generalisations are acutely insightful.

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Calum ChaceCalum Chace21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Yuval HarariComment
Is AI Making Us All Data Hoarders?
Is AI Making Us All Data Hoarders?

Today the emphasis on AI is nearly all about machine learning and a form of machine learning called deep learning. These are data heavy (Data, Events, Voice & Image) approaches that deliver some very nice benefits, but are we getting hooked on data? We see folks everywhere creating data lakes about to be data oceans that we are going to boil later. Meanwhile we have to pay homage to expensive Data Czars and Data Scientists because we want to keep more data for the future and somehow AI will make sense of it later. I’m not so sure this is a strategy that will lead us to be competitive with others in the world.

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Jim SinurJim SinurJim Sinur, Data Hoarders, data, AI, Data Scientists, LearningComment
10. Competency Centers: Digital Transformation Debts post-Covid-19
10. Competency Centers: Digital Transformation Debts post-Covid-19

The post-Covid-19 world is becoming increasingly decentralized and connected. The disruptions are accelerating. This is the last of the 10-part series on Digital Transformation Debt post-Covid-19. It is the fitting conclusion for enterprises that face the transformational challenges of Covid-19. We started the 10-part series on Digital Transformation Debt post-Covid-19 era with Culture – the most critical dimension. We end in this part with Competency Centers. In some ways, those are the parentheses: all the other parts fit in between these two. The Culture sets the tone and direction. The Competency Center governs the best practices. It is time to alleviate the Digital Transformation Debts and start the journey!
#competencycenter #coe #centerofexcellence

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Setrag Khoshafian, post Covid-19, digital transformationSetrag KhoshafianSetrag Khoshafian, COVID-19, Digital TransformationComment
Preparing For Tomorrow's Workforce In A World Run By Machines
Preparing For Tomorrow's Workforce In A World Run By Machines

Our increasing fascination with the hyper-performance of machines, smart software and AI is casting a shadow over our elusive and ephemeral ‘human-only skills.’ As our working environments shift dramatically it’s time for a change in our performance metrics, too. My recommendation comes in the form of ‘Key Human Indicators,’ designed to protect and encourage human agency in our future workforces. Let me explain.

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Gerd LeonhardGerd LeonhardGerd Leonhard, Workforce, MachinesComment
AI is ready and willing; are humans?
AI is ready and willing; are humans?

Many humans enjoy Artificial Intelligence personally at home – ranging from just-for-you movie recommendations on Netflix to product recommendations on Amazon. On the contrary, most humans don’t use AI professionally at work. AI-based recommendations are powerful and personalized for you, so why hasn’t it become an everyday phenomenon at work? What if, with your permission and oversight, AI could automatically do your repetitive tasks? What if AI suggested the answer for your next business email reply? What if AI could suggest solutions for your complex work problems based on decades of data from billions of humans and projects?

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Shar GovindanShar GovindanAI, machine learning, business, workComment
Review of “More from Less,” by Andrew McAfee
Review of “More from Less,” by Andrew McAfee

Andrew McAfee wants to cheer you up. If you read his latest book with an open mind, he might well succeed. McAfee, an MIT economist, is joining the New Optimists (Bill Gates, Stephen Pinker, Hans Rosling and others) in trying to persuade us that the world is not going to the dogs. The central claim of “More From Less” is that capitalism and technological progress are allowing us “to tread more lightly on the earth instead of stripping it bare.” Unfortunately, he admits, this good news is hard for many people to believe because catastrophism has such a strong hold on our imaginations.

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Calum ChaceCalum ChaceAndrew McAfee, More from Less, The New Optimists, Catastrophism, climate change, inequality, populismComment
Is The Goal-Driven Systems Pattern The Key To Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)?
Is The Goal-Driven Systems Pattern The Key To Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)?

Since the beginnings of artificial intelligence, researchers have long sought to test the intelligence of machine systems by having them play games against humans. It is often thought that one of the hallmarks of human intelligence is the ability to think creatively, consider various possibilities, and keep a long-term goal in mind while making short-term decisions.

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editorial, Ron SchmelzerRon Schmelzergoal-driven systems, AGI, artificial general intelligenceComment
Ten Lasting Impacts of The Virus
Ten Lasting Impacts of The Virus

We’re all wondering how to survive the virus: how to stay alive, and also solvent. Assuming we manage that, what will be its lasting impacts?

1. Appreciation of exponentials

The rising death tolls in many countries has been shocking to watch. Many people are getting their first up-close-and-personal view of the astonishing power of exponential growth. Assuming we manage that, what will be its lasting impacts?

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Calum ChaceCalum Chaceexponentials, UBI, digital nomads, tele, telemedicine, acceptance, COVID-19, lasting impacts, automationComment
Succeed with Digital Transformation by Breaking Down Silos
Succeed with Digital Transformation by Breaking Down Silos

Over three decades ago – in 1988 – Phil S. Ensor coined the phrase, "functional silo syndrome” to describe a top down managed organization with vertical departmental silos, characterized by “mistrust” and a lack of cooperation. The negative and destructive impact of “silo” thinking has been known for some time. Yet, while most executives recognize the importance of breaking down silos – they struggle to make it happen.


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Andrew SpanyiAndrew SpanyiDigital Transformation, silos, Andrew Spanyi, HyperautomationComment
9. Blockchain Decentralization: Digital Transformation Debts post-Covid-19
9. Blockchain Decentralization: Digital Transformation Debts post-Covid-19

Part 9 of the ten-part series on Digital Transformation Debt expands upon the post-Covid-19 Decentralized World's emergence. Decentralization is achieved through Blockchains and Blockchain solutions. All the Bitcoin transactions are recorded in the distributed, replicated, and decentralized Blockchain of Bitcoin. There is not one single "Blockchain." There are many Blockchains and in different categories. Ethereum, for instance, has its Blockchain. Variants of Bitcoin, which have "forked" for various reasons, have their Blockchain.

Blockchain is the enabler of the Decentralization trend. This article covers the Blockchain applications, trends, and architecture - especially in the post-Covid-19 era for digital transformation.

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blockchain, COVID-19, Setrag KhoshafianSetrag KhoshafianSetrag Khoshafian, Blockchain, Digital Transformation, digital transformationComment
Surveillance Capitalism And Anti-Capitalism
Surveillance Capitalism And Anti-Capitalism

In the last few years, the computer scientists and entrepreneurs who fuel Silicon Valley have gone through a bewildering series of transformations. Once upon a time they were ostracised nerds. Then they were the lovable geeks of the Big Bang Theory TV show, and for a short while they were superheroes. (In case you’re wondering, geeks wonder what sex in zero gravity is like; nerds wonder what sex is like.) Then it all went wrong, and now they are the tech bros; the anti-heroes in the dystopian saga of society’s descent into algorithmic rule by Big Brother, soon to be followed by extermination by Terminators.


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Calum ChaceCalum Chacesurveillance capitalism, anti-capitalism, Shoshana ZuboffComment
Debunking The Myths And Reality Of Artificial Intelligence
Debunking The Myths And Reality Of Artificial Intelligence

A few years ago, it was hard to find anyone to have a serious discussion about Artificial Intelligence (AI) outside academic institutions. Today, nearly everyone talks about AI. Like any new major technology trend, the new wave of making AI and intelligent systems a reality is creating curiosity and enthusiasm. People are jumping on its bandwagon adding not only great ideas but also in many cases a lot of false promises and sometimes misleading opinions.

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Dr. Ahmed El AdlDr. Ahmed El AdlDebunking Myths, artificial intelligence, Dr. Ahmed El AdlComment
The Unexpected Consequences of Big Data
The Unexpected Consequences of Big Data

Big Data is the unexpected resource bonanza of the current century. Moore’s Law driven advances in computing power, the rise of cheap storage and advances in algorithm design have enabled the capture, storage, and processing of many types of data previously that were unavailable for use in computing systems. Documents, email, text messages, audio files, and images are now able to transform into a usable digital format for use by analysis systems, especially artificial intelligence. The AI systems can scan massive amounts of data and find both patterns and anomalies that were previously unthinkable and do so in a timeframe that was unimaginable. While most of the uses of Big Data have been coupled with AI/machine learning algorithms so companies and understand their customer's choices and improve their overall experience (think about recommendation engines, chatbots, navigation apps and digital assistants among others) there are uses that are truly industry transforming.

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Jim Sinur, Ed PetersJim SinurJim Sinur, Big DataComment
Can AI Really Be Responsible?
Can AI Really Be Responsible?

On August 20, 2020, The Responsible Innovation Project, held an academic and industry roundtable on Responsible AI, raising the question: Can AI really be responsible? The goal was to arrive at a collective understanding of the challenges and strategies for building AI responsibly. The participatory roundtable included multi-disciplinary academic and industry leaders, practitioners, and researchers working on technology and AI or at the intersection of technology, policy, and humanities. The diverse group converged on one meta-theme: The need and desire to put society and people front and center of Technology and AI. And the struggle to figure out how.


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AI, Alka RoyAlka Royartificial intelligence, ethics, ai, data science, Emerging Tech, Techno-Fusion, The Greater GoodComment
How to Survive The Upcoming AI Tsunami
How to Survive The Upcoming AI Tsunami

Like it or not we are all going to get inundated by AI, Robotics and Automation opportunities. As organizations or individuals, we will have to decide how we are going to respond. Since we can no longer count on AI going back into another “AI Winter” because it is not going away. We will have to decide on AI as a trend and each AI encounter we will be facing. Our choices on AI will either make us win or lose in the short term and the long run. What are the responses to AI we can exercise?

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Jim SinurJim SinurJim Sinur, ai, artificial intelligenceComment