When Melissa Moore was tinkering around with RNA in the early 90s, the young biochemist had to painstakingly construct the genetic molecules by micropipette, just a few building blocks at a time. Inside the MIT lab of Nobel laureate Phil Sharp, it could take days to make just a few drops of RNA, which ferries a cell's genetic source code to its protein-making machinery. She didn't imagine that nearly three decades later she'd leave academia to work for a company that cranks out the stuff 20 liters at a time. Moore heads up RNA research at Moderna Therapeutics. Worth an estimated $7 billion, it's one of the most valuable private healthcare companies in the world, according to CB Insights.

On Tuesday, Israeli software company Plataine demonstrated a new app for the face-mounted gadget that understands spoken language and offers spoken responses. Think of an Amazon Alexa for the factory floor. The app points to a future where Glass is enhanced with artificial intelligence, making it more functional and easy to use. Plataine, whose clients include GE, Boeing, and Airbus, is also working to add image-recognition capabilities to its app. The Israeli company showed off its Glass app at a Google conference in San Francisco promoting the company's cloud computing business.

AI is continually improving climate models. As the planet continues to warm, climate change impacts are worsening. In 2016, there were 772 weather and disaster events, triple the number that occurred in 1980. Twenty percent of species currently face extinction, and that number could rise to 50 percent by 2100. And even if all countries keep their Paris climate pledges, by 2100, it's likely that average global temperatures will be 3 C higher than in pre-industrial times.

There's been a lot of skepticism about the future of advertising. For most of the past decade, digital advertising has advanced considerably, with major corporations spending a majority of their marketing budgets trying to increase their online visibility. And with this, one of the main challenges facing marketers is breaking through the clutter to reach their target audience. However, the rise of obtrusive and irrelevant ads on the web has led to a backlash in public opinion and an increase of ad-blocking software. In response, some of advertising's biggest spenders have started to shift their focus towards other avenues such as experiential marketing - a strategy that focuses on creating a physical experience for consumers.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announced that InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has collaborated with Baidu to introduce the next generation of intelligent hospitality. Smart Rooms, which are powered by artificial intelligence, are expected to improve and redefine customer hotel experience in China's hospitality industry. From now on, guests staying at InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun and InterContinental Guangzhou Exhibition Centre will be amongst the first to enjoy the AI Smart Rooms. A total of 100 AI-powered Club InterContinental suites will be available at InterContinental hotels in gateway cities and key destinations across China within the year. Customized for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the AI solution is developed by Baidu's DuerOS Platform.

A group of tech experts are developing a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot to help victims of domestic violence more easily access the justice system and counselling programmes as the problem balloons in Thailand. Studies have shows that people live in fear of judgement and may be more embarrassed to relay the whole truth about the sensitive and often, humiliating, experience. Some fear the pity that falls upon them when they relay their experiences and others do not understand why the person that they are relaying their experience to, does not show any pity or any emotion for that matter. This is where the AI machines are brought into the picture when it comes to domestic violence. People understand that they are speaking to just a machine.

These front runners differ in many ways; they discuss a set of key practices they should follow to differentiate themselves while building a customer experience strategy for an AI-driven environment. They aim for a holistic approach to deploying AI in customer experience. So how should organisations augment their customer experience processes for an AI world? Front runners keep their consumers at the centre of their AI initiatives, as opposed to other organisations more focused on factors such as cost and ROI. They are also more likely to focus on the impact on the customer experience and the applications consumers prefer.

Foreign Minister Taro Kono agreed Wednesday with his German counterpart to promote free trade amid a rising protectionist tide, while supporting a rules-based international order. During talks in Tokyo, Kono and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stressed the importance of closer economic ties just days after the signing of a free trade agreement between Japan and the European Union. "The free, open and rules-based international order faces a serious challenge," Kono said during a joint press briefing with Maas. "Closer cooperation between Japan and Germany, (countries) that share the same values such as democracy, and lead Asia and Europe … is taking on greater importance than ever." The signing earlier this month of the free trade deal, which covers about a third of the world's economy, has been seen as symbolic of the concerted effort to counter the increasingly protectionist steps taken by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Comment Debate has raged for months over various internet giants' forays into providing next-generation technology for war. For example, in March, dissenters at Google went to the press about the web goliath's contract with the US military's Project Maven, which aims to fit drones with object-detecting AI among other things. This US Department of Defense project apparently began a year before, in April 2017. Google has always maintained that its computer vision TensorFlow APIs are for "non-offensive" purposes only and repeatedly denied the malicious use of its technology in its Maven contract with the Pentagon. Over 3,000 staff signed an open letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, stating that "Google should not be in the business of war".

Building upon an existing partnership, Emirates Aviation University (EAU) and Coventry University have revealed plans to launch a new research centre and doctoral training college. Set to be established in Dubai, the Research Centre for Digital Innovation and Artificial Intelligence is tasked in exploring the potential application of digital technologies and AI across a number of sectors including aviation, security and smart cities. "Our partnership with Coventry has always added value to the education that our students received and it's proved to be successful. The opening of the new research centre and doctoral training college is a testament to our growing commitment to always provide students with the best tools to develop their skills and capabilities", said Dr Ahmad Al Ali, Vice-Chancellor of Emirates Aviation University. The research centre's programme will reportedly be closely aligned with academic objectives of the Coventry University's Research Institute for Future Transport and Cities. It will include activities aimed at supporting the growth of Dubai's aviation sector, as well as discovering new approaches in urban development. While research students will be based in Dubai, they will not only have support from Coventry University academics, but also the opportunity to travel and visit Coventry.