Scientists at Osaka University built a new computing device from field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) that can be customized by the user for maximum efficiency in artificial intelligence applications. Compared with currently used rewireable hardware, the system increases circuit density by a factor of 12. Also, it is expected to reduce energy usage by 80%. This advance may lead to flexible artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that provide enhanced performance while consuming much less electricity. AI is becoming a part of everyday life for almost all consumers. However, implementing these algorithms often require a large amount of computing power, which means large electricity bills, as well as big carbon footprints.

Whereas 4G brought us the network speeds necessary for online apps and mobile-streaming, 5G represents a monumental leap forward. Beyond the improvements to our existing ecosystem of devices--more speed and better stability--researchers believe that 5G can serve as the underpinning for fully-connected industries and cities. Change doesn't happen overnight, and for us to experience 5G's true potential, we'll need to be patient. In light of this, today's infographic from Raconteur visualizes the forecasted impact of 5G to help us identify the countries and industries that will most effectively leverage its power. To make this easier to digest, here are the five industries which stand to benefit the most.

TinyML, as a concept, concerns the running of ML inference on Ultra Low-Power (ULP 1mW) microcontrollers found on IoT devices. Yet today, various challenges still limit the effective execution of TinyML in the embedded IoT world. As both a concept and community, it is still under development. Here at Ericsson, the focus of our TinyML as-a-Service (TinyMLaaS) activity is to democratize TinyML, enabling manufacturers to start their AI businesses using TinyML, which runs on 8, 16 and 32 bit microcontrollers. Our goal is to make the execution of ML tasks possible and easy in a specific class of devices.

CLARA analytics ("CLARA"), the leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the commercial insurance industry, today announced multiple additions to its executive team. Dustin Oxborrow joins the company as senior vice president of sales, while Brian Sullivan was named senior vice president of customer success, and Chris Koverman becomes vice president of engineering and operations. The new hires come as demand for CLARA's products continues to rise. "CLARA is growing rapidly, with aggressive plans to expand into new areas within the commercial insurance industry," said Gary Hagmueller, CEO of CLARA. "To continue executing on all fronts, we've been on a mission to hire key personnel with highly specialized skill sets. I am incredibly excited that Dustin, Brian and Chris have joined us. Their collective talents and expertise will help drive the company forward as we work to transform the insurance industry with strategic, meaningful applications of AI." New team members' career highlights include: Over the past year, CLARA has seen demand for its products dramatically accelerate.

Is human judgment the crucial missing link needed to achieve true AI? Is the embodiment of human judgment a required ingredient in achieving true AI? It is a rather seemingly simple question to proffer, though any mindful answer is likely to be notably elongated. Slightly restating the question, in order for AI to become a vaunted version of AI, which let's say we might all collegially agree is demarked as the equivalent of human-like intelligence, this weighty question is asking whether there needs to be some means to encompass or include what we variously describe or denote as "human judgment" for AI to be true AI. If you say that yes, of course, the only true AI is the type of AI that showcases its own variant of human judgment, you are then putting forth a challenge and a quest to figure out what human judgment portends and how to somehow get that thing or capability into AI systems. Indeed, please be aware that some assert that human judgment is the missing secret sauce that is the Holy Grail toward arriving at true AI.

Are you ready for Skynet? What about synths destroying the colonies of Mars as seen in Picard? With so much fiction bleeding apocalyptic images of artificial intelligence (AI) gone wrong, we'll take a look at some possible scenarios of what could actually happen in the rise of artificial intelligence. While many researchers and computer experts aren't worried, new technologies need risk-assessment. But, some high profile scientists like Elon Musk and the late Stephen Hawking sounded the alarm years ago, and there is some reason for concern.

These and many other insights are from MIT Sloan Management Review's recent study completed in collaboration with SAS, How AI Changes the Rules: New Imperatives for the Intelligent Organization. A copy of the survey can be downloaded here (PDF, 24 pp., no opt-in). It's a quick, interesting read that provides examples from enterprises actively adopting AI today, sharing their lessons learned. The methodology is based on a global online survey completed during June and July 2019, interviewing 2,280 survey respondents from MIT Sloan Management Review readers. MIT Sloan Management followed up with interviews with analytics experts, including practitioners, consultants, and academics.

The world's tech industry will be shaped by China, artificial intelligence, cancel culture, and a number of other trends, according to the Future Today Institute's 2020 Tech Trends Report. Now in its 13th year, the document is put together by the Future Today Institute and director Amy Webb, who is also a professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. The report attempts to recognize connections between tech and future uncertainties like the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as the spread of epidemics like coronavirus. Among major trends in the report, 2020 will be the synthetic decade. "Soon, we will produce'designer' molecules in a range of host cells on demand and at scale, which will lead to transformational improvements in vaccine production, tissue production and medical treatments. Scientists will start to build entire human chromosomes, and they will design programmable proteins," the report reads.

Israel is no stranger to innovation. Widely acknowledged as a Startup Nation, Israel has focussed exceptional levels of time and effort on building a ripe environment in which new tech companies can flourish. Towards the end of the 2010s, it became clear that there was a national push towards the development of Artificial Intelligence startups within urban hubs like Tel-Aviv. AI is set to generate revenues in excess of $10 billion over the coming years, and as a result, AI-based investments have been surging. In fact, as much as 37% of the capital raised in recent years was reserved for AI companies, according to Science Business.

Due to their unique oversight, governments have a surplus of data at their fingertips. Used properly, this available data could enable them to create beneficial programs that tackle problems in economics, policy, transportation, and civic life. Unfortunately, the majority of that data is untapped. Here are the facts about AI startups needing data, and how that helps governments. All hope is not lost, though.