Government, An Integral Partner For Exploring Artificial Intelligence

On June 24, an upcoming conference will explore the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sectors. AI World Government will gather leaders across government, industry and academia to discuss the challenges and potential solutions of AI in automating our expanding digital world. The event is described as “a comprehensive three-day forum to educate and inform public sector agencies on the strategic and tactical benefits of deploying AI and cognitive technologies.”

The topic of AI is garnering attention in government and industry. Research and consulting firm Gartner describes AI as a “technology that appears to emulate human performance typically by learning, coming to its own conclusions, appearing to understand complex content, engaging in natural dialogs with people, enhancing human cognitive performance or replacing people on execution of non-routine tasks.”

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Machine Learning for Shovel Tooth Failure Detection

The steel teeth on mining excavation equipment like rope shovels and front end loaders are wear items that must be replaced as part of regular maintenance. During normal operation, the connection that affixes a tooth to the shovel or loader bucket occasionally fails, causing tooth detachment. A detached tooth presents a serious hazard if it enters the haulage cycle and makes its way into a crushing unit, where it may become stuck and require the dangerous task of manual removal. Furthermore, wayward teeth cause substantial lost time and production due to jammed crushers and damage to downstream processing equipment. Therefore, it is critical to detect when a shovel tooth goes missing as soon as possible so that preventative action may be taken.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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