Daily Archives: June 28, 2021

Where does your enterprise stand on the AI adoption curve? Take our AI survey to find out.

At its heart, artificial intelligence is an analytics tool. Its value comes from the ability to parse through enormous amounts of data, without direct human supervision, to identify patterns and anomalies that can then be put to use.

But since human-driven analytics have existed for centuries, long predating the modern computer age, how will this new generation of technology change the game? And how can organizations make sure they are getting their moneys worth once this technology is pushed into production environments?

The key element that AI brings to analytics is context, Oracles Joey Fitts and MIT research fellow Tom Davenport recently wrote in the Harvard Business Review. Under traditional analytics, the analyst was rarely an expert in the system or process being analyzed. They knew analytics, not marketing or sales or data networking. Their ultimate recommendations often lacked the context that can only come from broad knowledge and experience.

In an AI-driven framework, however, an algorithm can be trained to understand the thing it is analyzing and can then incorporate far more data at a much faster pace to deliver highly contextualized results. Ultimately, this is expected to push these powerful analytics tools to the people who require them so the analytics experts can devote their time to what they do best: crafting the models needed to make AI analytics faster and more accurate.

This need for context is best illustrated when applied to a common enterprise function, such as marketing. Arguably one of the most data-intensive disciplines in modern business, marketing is often subject to competing interpretations of the truth depending on the context in which data is presented.

AI excels at predictive analytics, the ability to spot future trends based on past and current data, according to Mike Kaput, chief content officer at Marketing AI Institute. This capability, of course, is like gold to a marketing team. At the same time, AI delivers prescriptive analytics the ability to make recommendations based on predictive analyses. In both cases, todays AI engines are capable of sifting through massive amounts of data to ensure these results are being presented within the full context of all available information, and they also have the ability to refine their algorithms to improve themselves using their own past analyses.

This ability to learn is one of the key differences between AI and simple automation. An automated system may still be able to parse a lot of data, provided it is structured properly and designed to address the specific needs for which the system was designed, according to analytics firm Avora. For instance, a simple reporting tool will update itself with new information over time, but it wont be able to provide new insight into changing data unless someone builds a dashboard that allows it to do so.

Likewise, simple automation cannot answer general queries related to diminishing performance and other factors. This typically requires hours if not days worth of work by a data analyst, who more than likely will still only collate a limited amount of data. A properly trained AI engine, on the other hand, could produce results to multiple questions within minutes.

Perhaps the best way to view AIs contribution to analytics is through one of the oldest analytical methods of all: the cost-benefit model. On the cost side, it requires a fairly sizeable upfront investment, provided you are building the underlying infrastructure from scratch. But this cost will amortize over time as output scales. On the benefit side, AI can crunch vastly more data than even an army of analysts could, and it can draw data from an untold number of sources to identify problems and/or opportunities that would otherwise remain hidden.

Ultimately, it will push analytics capabilities into the hands of knowledge workers who can best benefit from the insights tailored to their unique challenges, making the entire organization more efficient and productive.

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How AI is changing the nature of analytics - VentureBeat

PISCATAWAY, N.J., June 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Futurism is set to present its next-gen e-commerce platform at the eCom World. As a trusted digital transformation (DX) partner for 1000-plusfortune companies, Futurism aims to reinvent the entire e-commerce landscape with its flagship e-commerce platform, Dimensions.

"We are excited to be a part of the world's largest e-commerce event. As a digital transformation leader, it gives us immense pleasure to share space with some of the most amazing and successful technology leaders, digital transformation experts and DTC brands from across the world,"said Mr. Sheetal Pansare, CEO of Futurism Technologies Inc.

Dimensions and AI

"Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not the next big thing in the tech world. In fact, it is already one. Giants like Google, Amazon and Microsoft have invested heavily in AI in recent years to deliver personalized and super-enriching experiences to their users. What many retailers and e-commerce businesses fail to realize here is thatyou don't have to be an Amazon-size business to enjoy the benefits of AI and win at customer service and personalization,"added Mr. Pansare.

Dimensions can help bridge that gapsince the platform is armed with advanced AI capabilities to help deploy intelligent and human-like virtual agents or chatbots that use machine learning (ML) and NLP algorithms to come up with smart and personalized answers to customer concerns/queries.

Today, e-commerce is all about providing personalized experiences and smarter customer journeys. It is like walking into a store and everyone there knows what you want already.Dimensions leverages AI to understand customer behavior and help create personalized recommendations and/or messages based on a user's history. This type of personal touch is the key to win at e-commerce in today's digital-first age.

"We are excited to revolutionize the e-commerce landscape through our future-ready e-commerce platform. As a part of our digital transformation offering, we have reinforced Dimensions with out-of-the-box automation and AI capabilities that can help to predict inventory and automate critical processes like procurement, warehouse optimization, payments and support,"said Mr. Pansare.

About Futurism:

Futurism Technologies Inc. has evolved as a trusted digital transformation (DX) partner for more than 1,000 fortune organizations spanning across healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and various other verticals. Futurism provides DX services across the entire value chain including e-commerce, digital infrastructure, business processes, digital customer engagement, and cybersecurity. We've spent nearly two decades leveraging the disruptive power of technology and digital including AI, IoT, Cloud, Mobile, RPA, Blockchain, etc. to help our clients embrace their DX goals in a non-disruptive and secure way.

Learn more about Futurism Dimensions at https://www.futurismdimensions.com/.

Contact:

Chris GarnerAssociate VPMobile: +1-732-377-3717Email:[emailprotected]

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Futurism Dimensions to Reimagine the Future of e-Commerce With AI and Integrated Digital Marketing at the eCom World - PRNewswire

A UK-based applied science company, focused on supporting cancer diagnostics with machine learning, is bringing its award-winning solution to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Kheiron Medical Technologies has partnered with the UAEs Atlas Medical to launch Mia, its breast cancer screening solution that supports radiologists in reducing errors in cancer detection, in the region.

Launched in 2019, Mia which stands for mammography intelligent assessment uses artificial intelligence (AI) to work as a second reader in workflow. Should the radiologist (first human reader) and Mia disagree on a result, then a second radiologist is brought in for a third opinion.

Our mission at Kheiron is to support breast screening professionals in the fight against breast cancer with proven and effective AI-enabled tools, said Alex Hamlow, Kheirons Chief Commercial Officer. Were excited that Mia is the first AI independent reader solution available for use within the breast screening community in the UAE. Based on its performance in the UK and Europe, Mia represents a major breakthrough in helping radiologists dramatically improve breast cancer detection and patient outcomes.

He continued: According to the WHOs International Agency for Research on Cancer, breast cancer was the most prevalent of all cancers detected in the UAE in 2020, accounting for 38.8% of all new cancer cases detected in women. Im excited that Mia can help both radiologists and the women they care for.

WHY IT MATTERS

There are several advantages to using AI technology in cancer screening, says the company.

Using AI technology for the second screening frees up clinicians to spend time with patients, reduces the pressure to find more radiologists, and has the potential to screen greater numbers of women more quickly.

It also prevents unnecessary biopsies.

According to a statement by Kheiron, Mia has learnt to read mammograms to the same level of detail as a consulting radiologist.

ON THE RECORD

I am delighted that Kheiron Medical Technologies is bringing their breakthrough AI platform for breast screening, Mia, to the Gulf region, and that the UKs Department for International Trade played a role in making this happen, said Simon Penney, Her Majestys Trade Commissioner for the Middle East. Kheirons technology brings pioneering AI to the frontline, freeing up clinicians time and helping to save lives.

V. Kalyanasundaram, General Manager for Atlas Medical in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, added: We are looking forward to bringing the Mia solution to the breast screening community throughout the UAE. It has tremendous potential to transform breast screening for radiologists and for women.

By improving radiologist productivity and empowering breast screening professionals to detect potential malignancies more accurately and quickly, Mia ultimately will help save more lives in the fight against breast cancer.

In addition to the UAE, Mia is reportedly set to launch soon in Qatar and Oman, pending local requirements.

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British AI solution for breast cancer screening arrives in the UAE - Mobihealth News

By Clara-Laeila Laudette and Supantha Mukherjee

BARCELONA (Reuters) - IBM will offer telecom operators Verizon and Telefonica new services ranging from running 5G over a cloud platform to using artificial intelligence, the U.S. technology company said on Monday.

Big technology players such as Microsoft and Amazon are vying for a share of 5G revenue by offering telecom operators next-generation software tools.

IBM, using technology it obtained from buying software firm Red Hat, will offer the telecom operators cloud services to run their networks and assist them in selling products tailored to customers. No financial terms were disclosed about the tie-ups, which broadened IBM's existing partnerships with the two firms.

A cloud platform uses software instead of physical equipment to perform network functions, helping telecom operators build 5G networks faster, reduce costs and sell customised services.

"It's a disruptive time in this particular market segment, telcos are trying to position themselves as the destination for services like augmented reality, machine learning and AI," Darell Jordan-Smith, vice president of Redhat, told Reuters.

On the AI front, IBM and Spain's Telefonica have created a virtual assistant that they say will remove friction points, such as long wait times, by automating the handling of frequently asked questions and tasks like billing.

"We see this as an existential moment for telco operators with 5G: architecturally, they're looking to gain more control on their platforms and rethink their network as a digital world rather than a structured physical model," said Steve Canepa, IBM's general manager for communications business.

(Reporting by Clara-Laeila Laudette and Supantha Mukherjee in Barcelona)

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With cloud and AI, IBM broadens 5G deals with Verizon and Telefonica - Yahoo Finance

Qualcomms best mobile processor, the Snapdragon 888, is getting even more powerful at MWC 2021 with the announcement of the Snapdragon 888 Plus. The upgraded model boasts a boosted clock speed, bumping the Kryo 680 CPU from 2.84GHz up to 2.995GHz (which Qualcomm is optimistically rounding up to 3GHz in its marketing.)

Also getting upgraded is Qualcomms sixth-gen AI Engine. Where the base Snapdragon 888 could perform 26 trillion operations per second (TOPS) for AI tasks, the 888 Plus is approximately 20 percent more powerful, capable of 32 TOPS.

Midyear refreshes for its top chips are nothing new for Qualcomm, which took similar approaches with the Snapdragon 855 Plus and 865 Plus, each serving as more powerful mid-cycle updates for the standard 855 and 865 models. The company also did an additional refresh on the 865 at the beginning of 2021 with the launch of the Snapdragon 870, a sort of Snapdragon 865 Plus-plus that offered additional improvements and a higher clock speed.

It likely wont be long before the Snapdragon 888 Plus starts to show up, either. Qualcomm says that the first phones with the chip should be announced in Q3 2021. Honor has already said that itll be using the new chip in its upcoming Magic 3 flagship, with Motorola, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Asus also planning devices featuring the Snapdragon 888 Plus.

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Qualcomms Snapdragon 888 Plus ups the CPU and AI performance - The Verge

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Finalytics.ai, the creator of the first journey orchestration platform purpose-built for community financial institutions, has published a new report on the digital experience at the top 50 credit unions. The report highlights a series of critical challenges credit unions face when it comes to meeting the ever-heightening expectations of their members about digital experiences.

According to Craig McLaughlin, CEO of Finalytics.ai, "Every time members engage with their credit unions through digital channels, any gap between their expectations and the digital experience offered is reinforced. We see these gaps erode loyalty over time causing many members to abandon their credit unions for mega banks, FinTechs and digital-only banks.

The Finalytics.ai report provides a snapshot of key industry trends and a heuristic review and ranking of the user experience at the largest 50 credit unions by asset size in the United States. The report is the result of comprehensive review of each organizations digital presence including their commercial website, online account origination, digital marketing, key features and functionality, SEO optimization, web analytics and overall member experience.

The Finalytics.ai review also ranked the credit unions they surveyed to determine the top five overall and in several categories.

The top-ranked overall leaders are:

"We are strong believers in the power of community which is why are launching our platform initially for credit unions. Deep personalization at scale delivers on the people helping people movement and we are delighted to play a role in helping communities survive and thrive, said McLaughlin. To continue to play this important role, credit unions will need to embrace new technology that allows them to contextually delight their members at scale. We are seeing an increasing number of forward-thinking credit unions respond by adopting tools that unlock the value of the data they already have using the power of machine learning to create a digital experience tailored specifically to the needs of the individual member.

To learn more about the findings in the Finalytics.ai report, download the 2021 CU Digital Experience report.

Finalytics.ai is the first journey orchestration platform purpose-built for community financial institutions. Using proprietary AI to enrich the data that matters most to financial organizations, Finalytics.ai drives more meaningful one-to-one digital experiences across the entire funnel from search to convert. For more information: http://www.finalytics.ai.

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Finalytics.ai Report on Digital Experience at Top 50 Credit Unions Points to Critical Challenges Across the Industry - Business Wire

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Native.AI, a real-time market and consumer intelligence provider, today announced a new platform for Food & Beverage (F&B) and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies that enables brands to uncover, analyze and act on customer feedback to improve product offerings. The company also announced $1.75mm of strategic pre-seed funding from current and former leaders at several top companies and government agencies including Blue Apron, The Kellogg Company, USDA and more.

Natives new AI-powered platform uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to deliver real-time analysis of consumer feedback from Point of Sale (POS), e-commerce reviews, social media and smart labels. With a better understanding of consumer feedback, brands can confidently assess preferences around taste, price, packaging and other attributes. This allows them to proactively adjust product formulations, supply chains, pricing, packaging and more to increase sales, satisfaction and loyalty.

Consumers are driving market disruption and fueling innovation within the F&B and CPG industry. Without their feedback, it is incredibly difficult to make products that fit customers ever-changing preferences, especially in a cluttered marketplace, said Frank Pica, co-founder and CEO of Native.AI. With 30,000 new CPG products launching every year, the competition is cutthroat. Our intelligence allows brands to understand customers like never before and make real-time decisions on product development and differentiation. Our pre-seed funding by some of the greatest innovators in the F&B space speaks to the strong demand for this level and speed of insight.

The companys rapid growth and momentum in the F&B and CPG industry has gained attention from market-leading founders, executives and investors from Blue Apron, USDA, The Kellogg Company, Bunge, USAKO Group, Oppenheimer & Co., Conagra, Archer Daniels Midland, Grain Millers and Capital Innovators.

The initial addressable market for AI solutions in the CPG industry represents an incredible $7.5B of the total $62B AI market and is growing at a 42% CAGR, said Ilia Papas, founder and former CTO of Blue Apron. Native fills a massive gap by equipping brands with the real-time intelligence they need to innovate and differentiate. The early market demand and customer ROI has been remarkable.

Natives platform gives independent F&B brands access to first-party consumer data which has historically been hoarded by retailers. By enabling brands to take back control of their data, Native is a catalyst for innovation and differentiation in a competitive CPG marketplace. Proven use cases and benefits of Natives new platform include:

Native was founded in 2018 as a real-time consumer intelligence provider for Agrifood brands. After a couple years of success, Pica and Co-Founder & COO Sarah Sanders uncovered untapped demand in the larger CPG market. This insight guided a pivotal product evolution and expansion into the F&B and CPG industry. Today, Native works with Agrifood, CPG, produce and cannabis brands to fuel personalized, high-quality product development and innovation.

For more information on Native.AI, please visit http://www.gonative.ai.

About Native.AI

Native.AI provides a real-time consumer and market intelligence platform that empowers brands to uncover, analyze and act on customer feedback to improve product offerings and drive innovation. Its AI-powered natural language processing (NLP) technology collects real-time data from Point of Sale (POS), e-commerce reviews, social media, smart labels and more to allow brands to assess sentiment around taste, packaging, price and more. The insights equip brands to adjust product formulations, supply chains, pricing, packaging and more to increase sales, satisfaction and loyalty. Founded in 2018, Natives customers span F&B, CPG, agrifood, cannabis and produce industries.

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Native.AI Launches New Consumer Intelligence Platform to Help F&B and CPG Brands Create Products that Customers Love - Business Wire

Re/insurance broker Aon has decided to extend its strategic alliance with Zesty.ai, a tech firm that uses artificial intelligence to assess climate and non-catastrophe risk, following the approval of a new wildfire risk model in California.

The California Department of Insurance (CDI) recently approved two underwriting and rating filings, including Z-FIRE, Zesty.ais AI-driven predictive model for wildfire risk assessment.

The filings that used the model were independently reviewed and evaluated by Aon, and represent the first AI model ever approved by the CDI.

Z-FIRE is designed to enhance insurers risk selection and rate setting, while helping them to understand the impact of climate change on wildfires and in turn their portfolios.

Equally, Zesty.ai asserts that consumers benefit from better transparency by seeing how renovating and upkeeping their properties can impact their wildfire score.

Initially forming their strategic alliance in 2019, the expanded relationship between Zesty.ai and Aon is focused on the accelerated deployment of AI and Machine Learning (ML) applications that help P&C insurance carriers close the property data gap.

The goal is to improve the carriers risk selection and rating for both personal and commercial lines of business, while helping obtain the full value of these data-driven decisions in their reinsurance transactions.

Aon and Zesty.ai have also broadened their collaboration to develop AI models for additional perils, such as severe convective storms (e.g., hail) and flood.

Were committed to helping clients leverage emerging technologies to advance their strategic initiatives, from increasing the availability of insurance to address the underserved, to allowing for better risk segmentation, ultimately resulting in higher transparency for reinsurance treaties, said George deMenocal, CEO of Aons U.S. Reinsurance Solutions.

Our collaboration with Zesty.ai is part of Aons technological evolution to deliver new products that meet clients needs today and tomorrow, in a transparent and efficient way. The recent approval of Zesty.ais model by the CDI further validates the future potential of AI-driven predictive analytics and the power of these collaborations.

Attila Toth, Founder and CEO of Zesty.ai, also commented: A deep understanding of every property is key to an equitable and stable insurance market. As the need to better measure climate risk increases, we are constantly refining our models and developing new ones and working with Aon greatly accelerates the adoption of these data-driven solutions. Were proud to doubling down on our alliance with Aon to help carriers across North America improve every aspect of the underwriting, rating and reinsurance process.

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Aon and Zesty.ai gain approval for AI wildfire model in California - Reinsurance News

More and more companies are using AI to recruit and hire new employees, and AI can factor into almost any stage in the hiring process. Covid-19 fueled new demand for these technologies. Both Curious Thing and HireVue, companies specializing in AI-powered interviews, reported a surge in business during the pandemic.

Most job hunts, though, start with a simple search. Job seekers turn to platforms like LinkedIn, Monster, or ZipRecruiter, where they can upload their rsums, browse job postings, and apply to openings.

The goal of these websites is to match qualified candidates with available positions. To organize all these openings and candidates, many platforms employ AI-powered recommendation algorithms. The algorithms, sometimes referred to as matching engines, process information from both the job seeker and the employer to curate a list of recommendations for each.

You typically hear the anecdote that a recruiter spends six seconds looking at your rsum, right? says Derek Kan, vice president of product management at Monster. When we look at the recommendation engine weve built, you can reduce that time down to milliseconds.

Most matching engines are optimized to generate applications, says John Jersin, the former vice president of product management at LinkedIn. These systems base their recommendations on three categories of data: information the user provides directly to the platform; data assigned to the user based on others with similar skill sets, experiences, and interests; and behavioral data, like how often a user responds to messages or interacts with job postings.

In LinkedIns case, these algorithms exclude a persons name, age, gender, and race, because including these characteristics can contribute to bias in automated processes. But Jersins team found that even so, the services algorithms could still detect behavioral patterns exhibited by groups with particular gender identities.

For example, while men are more likely to apply for jobs that require work experience beyond their qualifications, women tend to only go for jobs in which their qualifications match the positions requirements. The algorithm interprets this variation in behavior and adjusts its recommendations in a way that inadvertently disadvantages women.

You might be recommending, for example, more senior jobs to one group of people than another, even if theyre qualified at the same level, Jersin says. Those people might not get exposed to the same opportunities. And thats really the impact that were talking about here.

Men also include more skills on their rsums at a lower degree of proficiency than women, and they often engage more aggressively with recruiters on the platform.

To address such issues, Jersin and his team at LinkedIn built a new AI designed to produce more representative results and deployed it in 2018. It was essentially a separate algorithm designed to counteract recommendations skewed toward a particular group. The new AI ensures that before referring the matches curated by the original engine, the recommendation system includes a representative distribution of users across gender.

Kan says Monster, which lists 5 to 6 million jobs at any given time, also incorporates behavioral data into its recommendations but doesnt correct for bias in the same way that LinkedIn does. Instead, the marketing team focuses on getting users from diverse backgrounds signed up for the service, and the company then relies on employers to report back and tell Monster whether or not it passed on a representative set of candidates.

Irina Novoselsky, CEO at CareerBuilder, says shes focused on using data the service collects to teach employers how to eliminate bias from their job postings. For example, When a candidate reads a job description with the word rockstar, there is materially a lower percent of women that apply, she says.

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LinkedIns job-matching AI was biased. The companys solution? More AI. - MIT Technology Review

FREMONT, CA June 28, 2021: AVer Information Inc., the award-winning provider of video collaboration solutions and education technology solutions, announced today the launch of the innovative VB130 All-In-One Distance Learning Collaboration Solution. Designed for the evolving K-12 distance learning classroom, the VB130 combines 4K video and selectable 120o or 90o Field of View with clear bult-in audio to give remote students a true in-class experience, while allowing in-class students and their teacher to hear audio from classmates at home.

The VB130 video bar features advanced AI technology combining SmartFrame technology with voice tracking to keep the teacher in camera view while reducing background noise so remote learners do not lose site of their teacher. The 4X zoom focuses on the teacher as he or she moves about the classroom, while USB connectivity allows it to seamlessly integrate with all distance learning platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and others.

The built-in soundbar provides clear audio for the class while remote learners are participating, while the built-in microphone captures teacher and in-class audio for remote students to clearly hear. Its compact size at under 14 inches wide makes the VB130 extremely portable, easily moving it from class to class, or even brought home if the situation calls for it.

A manual privacy shutter is included to ensure the camera is not broadcasting during classroom downtime or during private conferences while the built-in illumination keeps the class or teacher visible during low-light situations.

The VB130 is the perfect all-in-one audio and video distance learning solution for schools and districts who are moving forward with long-term distance and hybrid learning options for remote students, says Thi Tran, Product Marketing Manager, K-12. The VB130 is also compact and portable, so if school shut-downs ever occur again, it can easily be taken home for remote teaching.

About AVer Information Inc.:

Founded in 2008, AVer is an award-winning provider of education technology and video collaboration camera solutions that improve productivity and enrich learning. From accelerating learning in the classroom to increasing competitive advantage for businesses, AVer solutions leverage the power of technology to help people connect with one another to achieve great things. Our product portfolio includes Professional Grade Artificial Intelligence Enabled Auto Tracking Cameras, Zoom and Microsoft Teams Certified Enterprise Grade USB Cameras, Document Cameras and Mobile Device Charging Solutions. We strive to provide industry leading service and support that exceeds our customers expectations. We are also deeply committed to our community, the environment and employ stringent green processes in all we do. Learn more at averusa.com and follow us @AVerInformation.

eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspectsfrom legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.

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AVER LAUNCHES ADVANCED 4K AI ALL-IN-ONE DISTANCE LEARNING COLLABORATION SOLUTION - eSchool News