Africa
The global economy will be $16 trillion bigger by 2030 thanks to AI
It's widely accepted that artificial intelligence (AI) will have a huge impact on our lives in the coming decades -- but what's its value to the global economy? According to a new report, global GDP will be 14% higher in 2030 as a result of AI -- the equivalent of $15.7 trillion, more than the current output of China and India combined. The report, Sizing the Prize, was launched by PwC in a session at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2017 in Dalian, China. Improvements to labour productivity will account for over half of all economic gains from AI between now and 2030, while increased consumer demand resulting from product enhancements will account for the rest. Regional gains will be most strongly felt in China, which will receive a 26% boost to GDP in 2030, followed by North America (14.5%).
Lunch gets seriously weird when an AI decides what's on the menu
I know this isn't Instagram, but fuck it. I'm writing an article about what I had for lunch. If you haven't tuned out already, don't worry. Earlier today, I attended a press event for IBM's Watson at London's iconic Wimbledon tennis grounds. Sandwiching the presentations and panels (pun 100-percent intended) was a'cognitive breakfast' and a'cognitive lunch.' Say what?
A giant with feet of clay: on the validity of the data that feed machine learning in medicine
Cabitza, Federico, Ciucci, Davide, Rasoini, Raffaele
This paper considers the use of Machine Learning (ML) in medicine by focusing on the main problem that this computational approach has been aimed at solving or at least minimizing: uncertainty. To this aim, we point out how uncertainty is so ingrained in medicine that it biases also the representation of clinical phenomena, that is the very input of ML models, thus undermining the clinical significance of their output. Recognizing this can motivate both medical doctors, in taking more responsibility in the development and use of these decision aids, and the researchers, in pursuing different ways to assess the value of these systems. In so doing, both designers and users could take this intrinsic characteristic of medicine more seriously and consider alternative approaches that do not "sweep uncertainty under the rug" within an objectivist fiction, which everyone can come up by believing as true.
There and Back Again: A General Approach to Learning Sparse Models
Sharan, Vatsal, Tai, Kai Sheng, Bailis, Peter, Valiant, Gregory
We propose a simple and efficient approach to learning sparse models. Our approach consists of (1) projecting the data into a lower dimensional space, (2) learning a dense model in the lower dimensional space, and then (3) recovering the sparse model in the original space via compressive sensing. We apply this approach to Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF), tensor decomposition and linear classification---showing that it obtains $10\times$ compression with negligible loss in accuracy on real data, and obtains up to $5\times$ speedups. Our main theoretical contribution is to show the following result for NMF: if the original factors are sparse, then their projections are the sparsest solutions to the projected NMF problem. This explains why our method works for NMF and shows an interesting new property of random projections: they can preserve the solutions of non-convex optimization problems such as NMF.
Machine learning is here. How switched on are you?
Machine learning, which used to be something only computer scientists in server rooms discussed, has become a hot topic, along with big data and artificial intelligence (AI). Machines develop algorithms that allow them to make predictions, such as the shows you might want to watch on Showmax or Netflix, to use a simple example. Machines will also update their models as new data is received, without human intervention. Advances in machine learning have caused many to fear that machines will replace human jobs. However, I'd like to argue that it can offer enormous benefits to business, and that now is the time to invest in it.
Trump OKs $2 billion surveillance drone sale to India
WASHINGTON โ The Trump administration has authorized the sale of unarmed surveillance drones to India, the manufacturer said Friday, as the two nations' leaders prepare for their first face-to-face meeting. India initiated its request to buy 22 Guardian MQ-9B unmanned aircraft for maritime surveillance last year. The deal is estimated to be worth about $2 billion. The offer is still subject to congressional approval. The green light from the administration marks a further deepening in defense ties before India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Modi's two-day visit to Washington, which starts Sunday, takes place amid uncertainty over the relationship because of differences on trade and other issues.
'Superhero' 3D printed hands help kids dream in Argentina
Being born without fingers can be tough for any child. Getting new ones - especially red and blue superhero themed digits - has made 8-year-old Kaori Misue a vibrant playground star. Flexing her wrist muscles to bend the plastic fingers, she can work with tape and stickers at an arts and crafts class. She can ride a bike, skip a rope and bake pastries with her mom. Misue has a brand new prosthetic hand thanks to the genius of 21-year-old inventor Gino Tubaro and his 3D printer.
CIOs Tackle Leadership in the Era of Digital Disruption - Smarter With Gartner
How does a California winery founded in 1933 transform a culture rooted in farming to an innovative business capable of seizing digital opportunity? Sanjay Shringarpure, CIO at E&J Gallo Winery, was hired in 2014 to help grow technology from a cost center role and add business value, he told the audience of CIOs on a panel at Gartner CIO Leadership Forum in Phoenix, Arizona. Shringarpure shared that his approach was to create five major platforms to invest in for growth. For the agriculture platform, three interns were tasked with the challenge of determining how to digitalize the time-consuming process of checking whether the grapes were ready to harvest. The result was an innovative app that reduces labor costs while increasing the acreage scheduled for harvest each season in a shorter period of time.
Inspector gadget: how smart devices are outsmarting criminals
Richard Dabate told police a masked intruder assaulted him and killed his wife in their Connecticut home. His wife's Fitbit told another story and Dabate was charged with the murder. James Bates said an acquaintance accidentally drowned in his hot tub in Arkansas. Detectives suspected foul play and obtained data from Bates's Amazon Echo device. Bates was charged with murder.
Seeking the world's new artificial intelligence gorilla - maybe born in the RSA? - BizNews.com
We should all be blessed with friends like my pal Stafford Masie. Energetic, enthusiastic and hugely knowledgeable, on a scale of smartness he's the only one of my pals whose intellect is in the same league as Simon Marais, the late chairman of Allan Gray. Stafford is deeply plugged into the tech world, a great advantage for his friends as he willingly helps the rest of us understand the big trends shaping the world. Our breakfast was a celebration of sorts. Stafford's most recent venture, the multibillion mobile payments product Thumbzup, is a huge success with its Absa relationship expanded to now include clients like Mr Price and even Uber.