Machine learning focuses on the development of computer programs that can teach themselves to grow and adapt when exposed to new data. It is increasingly impacting our lives nowadays, as machines play an important role in banking and financial services, healthcare, retail, publishing, and in the social media, robot locomotion and gaming domains. When we start the journey of life as new born babies, we inherit the characteristics of our parents. We don't know what to do and when to do what. As we grow up, our parents and elders teach us how to walk, talk and take various decisions in our lives and, as time passes, we gain experience and knowledge.

Exciting changes are underway for technology in health care. In our post about what to expect in 2017 we touched on many key trends, but one particular emerging technology deserves a closer look: artificial intelligence (AI). "While the U.S. health industry lags behind other industries … in deploying emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, and virtual reality, 2017 is the year to prepare for the eventual arrival of these technologies and their impacts on business models, operations, workforce needs, and cybersecurity risks," stated consulting firm PWC's annual trend report. Here are three ways that artificial intelligence is being used to predict patient outcomes, potentially transforming the way doctors treat patients. In December 2016, Microsoft India, in collaboration with the country's L V Prasad Eye Institute, launched Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare (MINE), a research group that will leverage artificial intelligence to deliver large-scale eye care.

In one vision of the future of transportation, humans are mere passengers, the ballistic baggage of all-knowing, all-seeing computers zipping about, safely and efficiently in fully autonomous cars. And the robot drivers are coming, no doubt. But if you want to retain any control of how you move through Tomorrowland--or just improve how you navigate today's world--you'll need a tool that upgrades your skill level. You'll need augmented reality, the oft-confused cousin of virtual reality that integrates digital intel into your natural view. Thanks to efforts like Mircosoft's HoloLens and secretive startup Magic Leap, the tech that many people know from Pokémon Go will be a $90 billion market by 2020, according to consulting firm Digi-Capital.

The potential of AI is often praised by academics, technologists and the press, but there is little information about how to adapt to this new technology and its influence on modern-day jobs. How should managers prepare themselves to ensure that they will excel in this new world of artificial intelligence? Accenture recently conducted a research, surveying 1,770 managers from 14 countries and 37 interviewed executives responsible for the digital transformation of their company. By identifying this data, the researchers established five practices that is essential for a manager to master, to be successful. The survey, conducted by Vegard Kolbjornsrud, Richard Amico and Robert J. Thomas, found that managers spend more than half their time on administrative coordination and control tasks, despite what levels they are managing.

Five years ago, accounting professional Ryan Tietjens found himself in conversation with a handful of strangers who were also going through the motions in their respective corporate jobs. Tietjens and his new-found business partners realised they shared a common desire -- they wanted to build a business out of a new cloud platform that they knew would disrupt the accounting world. That business became Interactive Accounting, an Australia-based company that helps startups transition into scalable and connected beasts. Back when artificial intelligence (AI) was still thought of as a gimmick straight out of Hollywood, accounting was somewhat monotonous and unnecessarily time consuming, Tietjens said. "Accounting was really taking data from one source and putting it into a software platform, completing your financial accounts, exporting the data out, putting it in to another platform, and then moving on to the next job."

They cover more than 70% of the earth's surface and the sheer size of the oceans makes tracking and measuring life under water an enormous task. New advances in satellite observation, open data and machine learning now allow us to process the massive amounts of data being produced. And they could not have come at a better time for protecting life under water, which is United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal No. 14 (SDG14). Last year was particularly challenging for most life underneath our world's oceans. Despite the dearth of bad news for the world's oceans, there is hope that 2017 can turn the tide for life under the sea thanks, in part, to machine learning.

Whether you're interested in cognitive computing, artificial intelligence or machine learning, you probably know that the fourth industrial revolution is well underway and accelerating rapidly. The speed of change presents a challenge to developers who want to stay abreast of the latest ideas and approaches. Conferences, workshops and other meetings provide opportunities to learn where the jobs and technology is headed and a chance to learn and practice the skills necessary to keep up. Why you should attend: AI engineers, practitioners, researchers and scientists will discuss the latest developments in the field, while tutorials and workshops will give attendees a chance to hone their skills. Speakers will be drawn from a wide variety of sectors, including Microsoft, MIT, the National Science Foundation and NASA Ames Research Center.

Air New Zealand has made its first foray into the field of artificial intelligence (AI) unveiling its new chatbot, Bravo Oscar Tango – Oscar for short. Oscar will initially assist customers with commonly asked queries, saving them time and offering a more personalised experience than searching a traditional Frequently Asked Questions section online. As with other AI technology, Oscar will learn based on the conversations people have with him, becoming more user friendly and more helpful the more he interacts. Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Avi Golan says Oscar has been launched as a beta product allowing customers to play an active role in training him. "This is a new approach for us, getting Oscar out fast and in the early-development stages so that we can build and co-create with our customers.

AI is the next big thing, and I am not just referring here to my company brand. I mean artificial intelligence, or so-called machine learning technologies. The impact for financial advice and advisers is positive, profound and, I have to say, imminent. When global information technology research firm Gartner issued its strategic technology predictions for 2017 last October, artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning themes led the top 10. As Gartner's report states: "During the next 10 years, virtually every app, application and service will incorporate some level of AI in much the same way as consumer appliances have incorporated microprocessors. "Some of these apps will be obvious intelligent apps that could not exist without AI and machine learning.

The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh may not seem a likely setting for a major scientific breakthrough. But on Tuesday, it was: Libratus, an AI system developed by Carnegie Mellon University, beat the world's top four human players in a 20-day tournament of Head's-Up No-Limit Texas Hold'em poker. Libratus, developed by Carnegie Mellon's Tuomas Sandholm, a professor of computer science, and Noam Brown, a Ph.D. student in computer science, competed against Dong Kim, Jimmy Chou, Daniel McAulay, and Jason Les in a competition called "Brains Vs. Artificial Intelligence: Upping the Ante"--during which 120,000 hands were played. "This is the last frontier," said Sandholm during a press conference on Tuesday.