Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to intelligence exhibited by machines. It lies at the intersection of big data, machine learning and computer programming. Computer programming contributes the necessary design and operational framework. It can make machines capable of carrying out a complex series of computations automatically. These computations can be linked to specific actions in the case robots (which are in principle programmable through computers).

A new white paper by the Robotics Industries Association (RIA) says that as many as 2 million US manufacturing jobs will go unfilled in the next ten years due to a lack of skilled workers. According to the paper: "80% of manufacturers report a shortage of qualified applicants for skilled production positions, and the shortage could cost US manufacturers 11% of their annual earnings." Sought-after skills include: computer vision, algorithm design, robotics, vision systems, motion control, robot design, safety expertise, application developers, human-robot interface design, PLC controls, mechatronics, networking, and integration. According to Deloitte's 2016 Global Manufacturing Competitiveness Index, manufacturers rank talent as the most critical driver of global manufacturing competitiveness. "The skills gap is the industry's number one concern," said A3 President Jeff Burnstein in an interview, "and it's threatening the US manufacturing industry's ability to compete globally."

A new patent application has revealed that Disney is looking into the development of robotic versions of its animated characters. The document describes "soft body" robots built specifically for "physical interaction with humans". It doesn't mention any specific characters, but the images alongside the filing show off a bulbous torso resembling that of Big Hero 6's Baymax. The entertainment firm's application repeatedly stresses the importance of safety. It says the robots would have a "rigid support element" and soft, deformable body parts that could potentially be filled with a gas or fluid.

The population of India is the second-largest for any country in the world, trailing only China. The country also has the world's second-largest road network, following the United States. However, the combination of population and road network also leads to a number of traffic accidents in the South Asian country, with over 200,000 deaths caused as a result in 2013, according to estimates by the World Health Organization. One of the factors that lead to road accidents in the country is collisions between vehicles and animals. And while most other animals are chased away from roads, cows -- which are venerated by many Hindus, who form over 80 percent of India's population of over 1.2 billion -- are usually given a free rein to do as they will.

It's just over a year since Google's DeepMind unit stunned the world when its AlphaGo AI beat Go legend Lee Se-dol 4-1 in a five-game match; the result demonstrated mastery of a feat that had eluded computer scientists for decades and sparked a flood of new interest in the field of artificial intelligence. But there was one possible "gotcha" that Go devotees could hold onto: Lee Se-dol was once, but is no longer, quite considered the greatest player on the planet. That distinction is now considered to belong to Ke Jie, a 19-year-old Chinese player ranked number 1 worldwide. A professional since the age of ten, Ke has beaten Lee several times in high-profile matches in recent years, including three finals victories in the three months leading up to Lee's AlphaGo match. And next month, Ke will get his own showdown with DeepMind's AI.

Many industry analysts are predicting and projecting what the future of business technology will look like. Specifically, how our interactions with virtual and augmented realities will merge with mobile technology. One of the biggest industries that will be impacted is retail. So what does shopping look like in the near future? When Amazon came out with Amazon Go recently, it was hailed as a revolutionary concept.

MUMBAI: Global financial services consulting and technology services provider, Synechron has launched'Neo' a set of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based solutions for the financial services industry. Neo brings together Synechron's digital, business, and technology consulting to allow financial institutions to deploy cutting-edge, AI solutions that solve complex business challenges. Synechron has built 14 reusable applications – Accelerators – that allow financial institutions to reduce time-to-market when applying AI to enhance business operations, reduce operating costs, and create better client experiences. The Accelerators use techniques like Natural Language Processing (NLP), Chatbots, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Cognitive Machine Learning, Data Science, and Robo-Advisors to address a range of use cases. The AI Accelerators enable financial industry players to solve complex data challenges, efficiently address regulatory and compliance requirements, and service growing customer needs.

A high school teacher in a black coat enters the classroom. "Good morning," he says to the students before starting his lecture, with his right hand busily scribbling something on a blackboard and his left holding a physics textbook. Then, while holding the chalk and the textbook, he points at a female student and asks a question. "OK, that's correct," he says, giving her the OK sign with his third hand. The 28-second YouTube video titled "Three-handed Sensei" (jtim.es/OFd530aIiZV),

Okaya & Co. Ltd., a Nagoya-based trading company for iron and steel, is set to open an office in Silicon Valley in California in the hope of teaming up with tech-savvy ventures there. "I want to learn about new business models that utilize IT," said Okaya President Tokuichi Okaya. He is especially interested in developing a self-driving truck convoy, where a driver mans the first truck while other trucks follow automatically, in a bid to address driver shortages. "We hope to resolve social issues by partnering with a local startup that has the technology for automated driving," an Okaya & Co. staffer said. Okaya is one of many companies in the Chubu region heading to the U.S. technology hub in search of new business ideas and partners.

Founders Factory, a company that aims to create and scale startups, has hired former Imperial College London researcher Jeffrey Ng as its chief scientist. At Founders Factory, Ng -- who has cofounded several of his own software companies, including visual search and image recognition recognition company Cortexica Vision Systems -- will help to develop new artificial intelligence (AI companies, while also providing support to AI companies on the Founders Factory accelerator programme, such as Iris.AI and illumr. In an email to Business Insider announcing the hire, Founders Factory touted Ng's expertise in big data, natural language processing, computer vision and deep learning deployment of AI platforms. "Building and accelerating new startups in six diverse sectors opens up exciting new ways to apply AI," said Ng in a statement. "It's the energy and vibrancy of the Factory that's the main draw for me, coupled with the chance to open up the AI toolbox to bring new products to life."