Artificial intelligence, robots, and automation are rising in importance in many areas. As noted in the recent book, "The Future of Work: Robots, AI, and Automation," there are exciting advances in finance, transportation, national defense, smart cities, and health care, among other areas. Businesses are developing solutions that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations and using these tools to improve the way their firms function. Yet there also are concerns about the impact of these developments on jobs and personal privacy. A Pew Research Center national survey revealed considerable unease about emerging trends.

Apple has invested $380 million to help the firm that makes the chip that powers it's iPhone X boost production. Finisar Corp is getting a $390 million investment from Apple to revive a plant in Texas. It makes laser chips called vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, or VCSELs. Finisar will use the money to reopen a 700,000-square-foot plant in Sherman, Texas to ramp up production of laser chips called vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, or VCSELs, used in Apple's iPhone X (pictured) Apple said the investment will allow Finisar to boost production of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. Apple uses it for Face ID, Animoji and Portrait mode selfies with the iPhone X TrueDepth camera and the proximity-sensing capabilities of AirPods.