The robots are coming. And they might let humanity flourish. #AI

There is much talk and stress about the robots taking our jobs, and for sure they will. But there are still uniquely human traits that the robots cannot replace, if ever. Maybe the robotic revolution will allow us to be even more human than in a long time. The industrial revolution have given us riches, but for sure also sent many people into a mechanic rut. Maybe this is a way back to who we once were.

Losing your job to robots is no longer a sci-fi fantasy. Here are eight skills that can keep your job from being handed off to a robot.

If You Have These Skills, No Robot Will Ever Take Your Job

Samsung is launching Bixby – their own #AI assistant, competing with Siri and Alexa

The personal assistant scene is for sure getting crowded, and most of these products are still really bad at handling language and understanding what we want. But since this is an exponential technology, and since so many companies are fighting for the top, we will for sure see a major development in this area. I guess we just need to, again, judge where such helpful technology passes the border to being creepy. The best things these companies can do, besides continue the development, is to treat us with respect regarding the information it accesses and shares.

Bixby, the new Siri-like digital assistant, will be included in Samsung’s highly anticipated Galaxy S8.

Source: Samsung’s new AI assistant will take on Siri and Alexa – Mar. 21, 2017

Amazing 3D-printing progress: Siemens print gas turbine blades #AI

It was just a matter of time before we could see this: A 3D-printed metallic component which will be used in very harsh environments. In just a few years this could change how components are sourced, manufactured, or shipped (or, rather, not shipped).

Successful first full load engine test of Additively Manufactured blades.

Source: Additive Manufacturing: 3D printed gas turbine blades – Industry & Automation – Pictures of the Future – Innovation – Home – Siemens Global Website

How companies are preparing to use Artificial Intelligence #AI

Instead of letting artificial intelligence (AI) be something abstract that scientists spend time on, companies can already prepare to use these technologies. When Infosys asked 1600 companies on how they plan to invest in AI, they responded like this:

Interestingly, 53% aim at developing knowledge and skills and 43% aim at using it for building a strong culture (here called “ethos”). This means that already today there are ideas on how to transform work. Meanwhile, for many companies, AI is still a step into the unknown, as reported by ZDNet in “Artificial intelligence: How to build the business case”. In this article, people especially see value from analyzing big data quickly. In order for the data be useful, however, you run into legal and ethical challenges that need to be solved first. And it will for sure involve a big disruption for certain professions when AI enters their domains:

“Peers recognises AI could also help change the way lawyers work, yet he also expects a cultural challenge. Senior partners trust their associates to spend hours considering the details of legal documents. Trusting computers to undertake the same task in seconds presents a different form of dependence. It’s a big shift because the reputation of that lawyer and firm is on the line”.

One way to look at the upcoming opportunities of AI is by reading “5 global problems that AI could help us solve” from World Economic Forum (WEF).

They list five problems AI could solve:

1. Healthcare

2. Making driving safer

3. Transforming how we learn

4. Help us be smarter about energy

5. Helping wildlife

By applying the ideas from the above chart on the practical ideas such as those from WEF, we can set a direction. Therefore, entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs could ask questions like: “How could our development of knowledge and skills make driving safer by using AI?”. Let the ideas flow, and then later separate the crazy ones from the revolutionizing ones (there’s a fine line between these two).

Since AI still is quite early in the development, we still have time to answer such big questions. But we should not relax, I believe. AI is developing exponentially, meaning it will look radically different just one or two years from now. Therefore, take the time already now to think about how to make AI work for you.

Both images are taken from the linked resources, and belong to them

Autonomous or driverless cars, and will we buy them?

It is easy to get a bit sloppy when writing about future technology that will change our lives. For example, not using the distinction between autonomous and driverless cars correctly.  It turns out, however, that there are methods to knowing what we are talking about exactly.

Here 360 published The difference between autonomous and driverless cars, where they outline the six levels of automation. Many of us have level 1 cars today, with basic parking assistance and the like, while a few are at level 2. The levels also relate to the autonomous/driverless distinction:

“Starting at Level 2, you can call a car autonomous because it makes its own driving decisions. Following this argument, you can also call it self-driving, although the term seems more adequate for cars at Level 4 and 5.”

One reason these levels are not used in our everyday language, is that these kind of cars are still rare on the roads. This had led some researchers to focus on simulation what will happen, as in Majority of human drivers don’t ‘bully’ autonomous vehicles. One conclusion of their tests, is that:

“What we have found suggests that people find it hard to recognise automated vehicles and/or don’t yet understand how automated vehicles behave. In terms of their driving behaviour, they therefore treat them as they would any other vehicle. It is possible that this could change as exposure to autonomous vehicles increases, but more evidence is needed to substantiate this.”

The advancement in the auto industry with new cars being produced, and research like the one above, will help clear these questions as we move forward. A central concern is still attracting us as consumers. What if no-one wants a driverless car? says that consumers could be the biggest barrier to autonomy. We are so used to being in full control of our vehicles, that higher levels of automation might feel strange at first:

“Survey respondents overwhelmingly preferred Level Four autonomy, where a human still had the option of taking control of the car. Almost 10% vowed they would never buy a fully autonomous car while 40% wanted to keep driving information private, even if that made the roads less efficient.”

All images are fetched from the respective articles, and are their property

“Wanted: AI experts to build the robots that will replace them – Computerworld” #AI

Last month, global audit firm PwC posted a vacancy for an “AI Guru” at its Sydney office. The position required data analytics knowledge, experience in supervised and unsupervised machine learning, with basic programming and database ability an advantage.

Source: Wanted: AI experts to build the robots that will replace them – Computerworld

“Inside Amazon’s robot-run supermarket that needs just 3 human workers | New York Post” #AI

If you’re a robot stealing somebody’s job, it’s best to stay hidden. That’s what Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos appears to be thinking, as his Seattle-based web giant has contemplated a

Source: Inside Amazon’s robot-run supermarket that needs just 3 human workers | New York Post

“AI will soon replace hundreds of thousands of public sector workers – and that’s a good thing” #AI

The Monday commute will not feel quite so bad this morning for millions of commuters on the stricken Southern network.

Source: AI will soon replace hundreds of thousands of public sector workers – and that’s a good thing