"Alexa, can you order me a pizza from Dominos?" "Alexa, do you know Siri?" These are just some of the questions you might enjoy asking Alexa on your smartphone now that Amazon has brought the voice control feature to the Android version of the app. But before you start geeking out, here's the rundown of the most recent update: Until recently, the Amazon Alexa app could only be used to control settings for the Echo, Dot, and other supported devices. Considering what the AI-powered assistant is actually capable of, this is nothing to get excited about. But now all that has changed as Amazon brings voice control to the Android version of the app, making Alexa a full-fledge digital assistant on Android handsets.

For Elon Musk, the term artificial intelligence conjures apocalyptic scenarios of autonomous robots wreaking destruction in a world dominated by hyper-intelligent machines. Stephen Hawking foresees a future in which smart machines replace sluggish humans across a range of activities, driving millions out of work.

For Elon Musk, the term artificial intelligence conjures apocalyptic scenarios of autonomous robots wreaking destruction in a world dominated by hyper-intelligent machines. Stephen Hawking foresees a future in which smart machines replace sluggish humans across a range of activities, driving millions out of work. Last month Bill Gates, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, imagined a gentler future – one with longer holidays and more free time. "The purpose of humanity is not just to sit behind a counter and sell things, "he said. We can all speculate about the future.

Our lives are already enhanced by AI – or at least an AI in its infancy – with technologies using algorithms that help them to learn from our behaviour. As AI grows up and starts to think, not just to learn, we ask how human-like do we want their intelligence to be and what impact will machines have on our jobs? We are well on the way to a world in which many aspects of our daily lives will depend on AI systems. Within a decade, machines might diagnose patients with the learned expertise of not just one doctor but thousands. They might make judiciary recommendations based on vast datasets of legal decisions and complex regulations.

The firm, called MarketsFlow, has seen strong demand for its equity raising more than 215 per cent of its target. Marketsflow, a new digital wealth management platform, has closed a fully funded investment round via equity crowdfunding. Initially looking to raise £210k, the fundraise has seen more than £562k of commitments from nearly 800 investors giving Marketsflow a pre-money valuation of £2.4m. Describing itself as using innovative machine learning and AI-based Intelligence to power its robo-advice service, Marketsflow launched its first digital wealth platform in January 2017. In October it subsequently applied to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK regulator, for wholesale/retail Advisory permissions.

Sophia Genetics has received a CE-IVD mark for its molecular diagnostics test, which will improve the detection of leukemia. Swiss company Sophia Genetics is a leader in the field of data-driven medicine, with its artificial intelligence (AI) technology already been used to analyze the next-generation sequencing data of over 160,000 patients' around the world. Today, the company has received a CE-IVD mark for its molecular diagnostics tool, meaning it can be traded within the European single market. The technology reads the genome more precisely to improve the diagnosis of leukemia and boost the personalization of cancer care. By receiving a CE mark, the company now has permission to trade its product within the European single market as it has shown no adverse effects on human health or the environment.

The supermarket chain Tesco could face a bill of £4bn in a case over equal pay for women, writes BBC business editor Kamal Ahmed. Lawyers say female staff could get up to £20,000 in back pay, having received less money than men for comparable work. Paula Lee, of Leigh Day solicitors, said the most common rate for women was £8 an hour, whereas for men the hourly rate could be as high as £11 an hour. Up to 200,000 workers could be affected by unequal pay, she added. Tesco said all its staff could progress equally and were paid fairly, whatever their gender or background.

Up to 30% of UK jobs could be impacted by automation by the early 2030s, but a new report from PwC suggests the country's economy could grow by 10% in that time. Discover how improving diversity in your workplace can help to contribute to better business outcomes. You forgot to provide an Email Address. This email address doesn't appear to be valid. This email address is already registered.

"Our vision is for the UK to become the best place in the world for business developing and deploying AI to start, grow and thrive, to realise the benefits the technology offers," the report'Growing the artificial intelligence industry in the UK' suggests.

We are well on the way to a world in which many aspects of our daily lives will depend on AI systems. Within a decade, machines might diagnose patients with the learned expertise of not just one doctor but thousands. They might make judiciary recommendations based on vast datasets of legal decisions and complex regulations. And they will almost certainly know exactly what's around the corner in autonomous vehicles. "Machine capabilities are growing," says Dr Stephen Cave, Executive Director of the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI).