Artificial Intelligence makes life better

Grandpa Jiang, a 73-year-old man suffering from lumbar diseases, found “a best friend and assistant” in a new senior care center in the Pudong New Area.

It’s a robot called UFU that looks like a normal wheelchair initially. But it can be adjusted to a standing position and moved with a control stick and is specifically designed for elderly people and those recovering from surgery. 

“I can walk and move like normal people with the best friend UFU. Therefore my daughter needn’t come to look after me every day,” said Jiang, who hasn't been able to stand or move by himself for more than a decade.

Artificial Intelligence Revolution: This is why Universities are Reexaminig curriculums

Artificial Intelligence Revolution

Artificial Intelligence is slowly taking over given its ability to enhance efficiency in various operations. Increased automation, thanks to the machine learning technology, is gradually becoming a reality. Amidst the transformation, there have been concerns that the technology could render many people jobless. However, that appears not to be the case.

The synergies up for grabs with Artificial Intelligence are one of the reasons why institutions of higher learning are increasingly taking note of the technology. Programs designed to equip students with relevant skills pertaining to the machine learning technology are slowly cropping up, having become clear the kind of impact the technology is poised to have in the labor market.

Thanks to AI, 40-50% of the current jobs should be viable over the next 15 years, even with higher levels of automation. The technology is poised to have a significant impact on the way people, as well as machines, carry out operations in the labor market. This is in part because of an increase in computing power that is making it possible for AI-powered machines to carry out functions normally designated to humans. While AI will displace old jobs, it will also give rise to new jobs.

The availability of vast troves of data has made it possible to train machines leveraging artificial intelligence to achieve specific goals as well as tasks. Advancement in AI technology means there is a likelihood that AI-powered machines could in the future exceed human intelligence. There is also the probability of an emergence of a new form for AI that is well beyond human intelligence.

Shaping the Future Of Technology Governance: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the software engine that drives the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Its effect can be seen in homes, businesses and political processes. In its embodied form as robots, it will soon be driving cars, stocking warehouses and caring for the young and elderly. AI holds the promise of solving some of society’s most pressing issues but also presents challenges such as inscrutable “black box” algorithms, unethical use of data and potential job displacement.

As rapid advances in machine learning (ML) increase the scope and scale of AI’s deployment across all aspects of daily life, and as the technology can learn and change on its own, multistakeholder collaboration is required to optimize accountability, transparency, privacy and impartiality to create trust.

Our Platform brings together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors to co-design and test policy frameworks that accelerate the benefits and mitigate the risks of AI and ML.

Microsoft announces skilling initiative in artificial intelligence for government officials in charge of IT

In line with the government’s Digital India vision, Microsoft India launched the Digital Governance Tech Tour, a National program to deliver critical AI and intelligent cloud computing skills to the Government officials in charge of IT across the country. The initiative comprises a series of physical and virtual workshops and aims to train 5,000 personnel over a period of 12 months. This announcement reaffirms Microsoft’s commitment to empowering government organizations to leverage AI and secure cloud technology for efficient, transparent and productive governance.

AI and intelligent technologies are becoming all-pervasive today, driving change across businesses, communities and governments. As India advances towards fulfilling its vision of becoming a $5 trillion economy, applying AI and data analytics using secure and compliant cloud-based tools can provide actionable, predictive and effective citizen-focused services while empowering more secure inter-departmental and cross-agency collaboration. Through this program, Microsoft will help upskill government officials, equipping them with the digital skills and experience needed today and – in the future – to successfully deploy cloud-based solutions.

How China Is Revolutionising Education Using Artificial Intelligence

In China, huge strides are already being made when it comes to integrating education students with artificial intelligence.

In July 2017, China’s highest governmental body, the State Council, introduced the Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan (NGAIDP). It was aimed at connecting AI with most parts of life in China, including healthcare, transportation, government, and education. With a plan to becoming a world leader in AI by 2030, the NGAIDP roadmap, released by the Communist Party’s powerful State Council emphasized increased education in AI at primary and middle schools. 

If we talk about education, the Chinese have been working on creating intelligent education. The Chinese government’s ambitious plan would require huge amounts of research in AI, supported by professionals trained in the technology. The Chinese government has set 2030 as the deadline to integrate AI with the Chinese infrastructure. In this regard, huge strides are already being made when it comes to educating the populace using AI. This way China is working to not only making its young population familiarise with the technology, but it is also revolutionizing how education is being imparted. According to an estimate, China led the way in over $1 billion invested globally last year in AI education. 

Start-ups Are Spearheading AI In Chinese Education Industry

The integration of AI with the education sector in China is also growing fast, particularly after the government incentivized the use of AI through tax breaks. Chinese tech startups have ramped up AI projects under the government’s support and secured funding from investors. Many of those projects have been launched in the country’s schools for creating intelligent education systems. 

Artificial Intelligence to Drive Future Weapons Development

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly permeating the defense industry to aid and improve human decision-making. Over the past few years several new products and technologies have come into play which indicates that this technology is on an upward trajectory.

AI has a clear edge in areas such as super-fast decision-making required in repetitive tasks and combining multiple data inputs from various sensors to throw up options for decision-making and even making some of these decisions by itself.

AI in defense has given rise to autonomous weapons, ones that act on their own based on programmed threats.

In March 2019, the UN held a meeting to discuss a ban on autonomous weapons called by 25 nations which were opposed by the US, South Korea, Russia, Israel, China, and Australia. These countries have made substantial investments in unmanned, autonomous systems.

Semiconductor industry leads in artificial intelligence adoption: Accenture

The semiconductor industry is the most bullish about adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and understanding the significant impact it will have on their industry, according to Accenture Semiconductor Technology Vision 2019, the annual report from Accenture that predicts key technology trends likely to redefine business over the next three years.

Three-quarters of semiconductor executives surveyed for the report (77%) said they have adopted AI within their business or are piloting the technology. In addition, nearly two-thirds of semiconductor executives (63%) expect that AI will have the greatest impact on their business over the next three years, compared with just 41% of executives across 20 industries. These ranks AI higher for chipmakers than other new disruptive technologies surveyed, including distributed ledgers, extended reality, and quantum computing.

AI, comprising technologies that range from machine learning to natural language processing, enables machines to sense, comprehend, act and learn in order to extend human capabilities. According to the report, AI will have a two-fold impact on chipmakers: opening new market opportunities for them and improving the design and the fabrication process.

“AI will be a major growth driver for the semiconductor industry in light of high manufacturing costs and the growing complexity of chip development,” said Syed Alam, a managing director at Accenture who leads its Semiconductor practice globally. “To capture this opportunity, chipmakers should leverage AI technologies and partnerships to increase efficiency across their operations.”

A 5G Revolution

Nearly nine in 10 semiconductor executives (88%) say that 5G, the next generation of wireless technology, will revolutionize their industry by offering new ways to provide products and services. This revolutionary impact is being driven by the high demand for 5G-enabled smartphones, growth in autonomous vehicle manufacturing, and the rise in government initiatives for building smart cities.

The report also cites challenges that 5G network implementations pose for the semiconductor industry, including the high costs for technology and infrastructure advancements and the concerns around privacy and security.

Workforce reskilling

The report finds that companies must support a new way of working for their employees. Three in five semiconductor executives (37%) expect to move more than 40% of their workforce into new roles in the next three years, which will require substantial reskilling.

“Technology advancements such as AI, 5G and IoT will force semiconductor companies to fundamentally reimagine the skilling of their workforces,” said Dave Sovie, senior managing director, and global High Tech industry lead. “To do that, they will need to empower and skill their workforce to conceive, make, distribute and support the next generation of products in the marketplace.”