The Briefing on Artificial Intelligence

The latest news, trends and data in AI and automation

In Data:

AI News in Numbers

76%

The percentage of UK consumers that consider digital customer support channels such as chatbots an important part of their interaction with businesses, according to research by Genesys. However, the human touch is still valued, with 71% saying they get the best customer service when a human is involved.

Nine Out of Ten

The rate of global business leaders that believe artificial intelligence will enhance decision making, according to research by Tata Communications. In in-depth research with 120 global business leaders, the company also found that three out of four expected AI to create new roles for their employees.

39%

The percentage of European companies that plan to adopt artificial intelligence as part of their operations by 2020, according to research by Spiceworks. At present just 13% use some form of artificial intelligence. Notably, the rate is higher in Europe than it is in North America.

82%

The percentage of security professionals that are concerned about the use of artificial intelligence in attacks against their company, according to research by the Neustar International Security Council.

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2030

The year artificial intelligence will drive double-digit growth in the European industrial sector for the first time, according to research by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). By 2030, AI is expected to be driving 11.6% growth, while reducing margins by 10.4% as the sector embraces the possibilities of Industry 4.0.

Five

The number of new artificial intelligence technology centres that are being launched in the UK to aid the use of the technology in healthcare. The initiative, which was announced by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy at the start of November, will see AI used to speed up diagnosis and improve patient outcomes.

The Key Moments in Artificial Intelligence This Month

China Unveils AI Newsreader

Chinese state news agency Xinhua News has unveiled a virtual newsreader that is almost indistinguishable from its human counterparts. Developed in partnership with Chinese search engine Sogou, the 'AI synthetic anchor' is designed to disseminate news quickly and efficiently. There are two versions of the newsreader, one English-speaking, one Chinese-speaking, both with different faces.

Source: BBC

US Air Force in GAI Work

The US Air Force has confirmed that it is working on the development of general artificial intelligence (GAI). Something of a holy grail for the technology, GAI involves wide-ranging, human-like intelligence where software can effectively 'think'. US Air Force scientist Paul Yaworsky has outlined his work towards GAI in a paper published on ArXiv.

Source: TNW

Robot Addresses Parliament

SoftBank's social robot Pepper became the first robot to give evidence in a UK parliamentary meeting in October. The robot was giving evidence to the Education Committee on the future of AI in education. It made the case for robots forming a wider part of future education, highlighting the importance of soft skills alongside technology. The Pepper in question is based at Middlesex University.

Source: BBC

AI Portrait Sold at Christie's

An AI-created portrait of Edmond de Belamy has been sold at Christie's for $432,000. It is the first portrait created by an AI to be sold at the world-famous auction house, and has attracted considerable debate about what makes it 'art'. The painting is signed with “min max Ex[log(D(x))] + Ez[log(1-D(G(z)))].”, an AI alternative to the traditional artist's signature.

Source: Verdict