The Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are three technologies that are converging to disrupt nearly every industry. IoT refers to a connected network of objects embedded with technology that enables the collection and exchange of data. Cloud computing is the storing and retrieval of data, and accessing application programs via the Internet. Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence by machines. We are currently in the midst of the rise of the first wave of this technological convergence.

As I learned from my work in flight dynamics, to keep an airplane flying safely, you have to predict the likelihood of equipment failure. And today we do that by combining various data sets with real-world knowledge, such as the laws of physics. Integrating these two sets of information -- data and human knowledge -- automatically is a relatively new idea and practice. It involves combining human knowledge with a multitude of data sets via data analytics and artificial intelligence to potentially answer critical questions (such as how to cure a specific type of cancer). As a systems scientist who has worked in areas such as robotics and distributed autonomous systems, I see how this integration has changed many industries.

Graphics chipmaker Nvidia handily beat fourth quarter earnings targets Wednesday thanks to strong customer interest in its deep learning technology. The company reported a net income of 297 million, or 35 cents per share (statement). Non-GAAP earnings were 52 cents per share on a revenue of 1.4 billion, up 12 percent year-over-year. Wall Street was looking for earnings of 32 cents per share with 1.31 billion in revenue. For the year, Nvidia brought in 5.01 billion in revenue, a 7 percent increase from fiscal 2015, with earnings of 1.67 per share.

Scientists agree that machines will begin to think for themselves in the near future. What's not clear is how they'll feel about us when they do. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have recently seen computers beat humans at games like chess and pass IQ tests set for humans . And plenty of experts have cautioned against the rising intelligence of machines. Physics professor Stephen Hawking and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk are some of the names that have spoken about the dangers of robots turning on humanity.

VC-backed artificial intelligence startups, which have seen a sevenfold increase in funding since 2010, have also seen corporations take a greater interest. While acquisitions of VC-backed AI startups by major corporations -- including Vocal IQ by Apple, Wit.ai by Facebook, and DeepMind by Google -- have been in the spotlight recently, corporate involvement in investing in these startups has also grown. Deals to AI startups involving corporates saw a 15x increase between 2010 and 2015. Just in the last quarter, companies including H2O.ai (Transamerica Ventures and Capital One Ventures), Gridspace (Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator) and Mobvoi (Google) saw backing from prominent corporates. Our artificial intelligence category covers startups primarily focused on developing AI, across areas including image processing, natural language processing, machine learning, deep learning, and predictive APIs, among other core applications.

Facebook is one of several businesses preparing for a future of chatbot communication. The social media company plans to make some key announcements around chatbots and live chat during next week's F8 conference in San Francisco. Chatbots are chat robots designed to simplify digital interaction. Through the power of artificial intelligence and human communication, chatbots are able to hold conversations and perform tasks for users. This presents a tremendous opportunity to businesses, which could use chatbots to replace 1-800 numbers as part of their customer service strategies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has four seasons: hype, disappointment, funding drought, and renewed interest. I've been involved in AI research for quite some time -- I became a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) in 1993 -- and I've weathered several seasonal cycles. What I'm seeing now, however, is the most puzzling cycle yet; either I'm getting old and addled, or the current cycle is unique in its magnitude. In these Big Data days, the big talk about AI's potential reminds me of what happened at the peak of earlier cycles (see, for example, the recent Wall Street Journal article. Once again, the focus is on a single technical component -- deep learning -- and hopes seem to be building that it can solve many very hard problems easily and more or less magically.

The robots are 3D-printed in one single step using functional hydraulics. "All you have to do is stick in a battery and motor, and you have a robot that can practically walk right out of the printer," said Daniela Rus, director at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). In a new paper, CSAIL researchers presented a process they call "printable hydraulics." The technique involves using a 3D inkjet printer to stack up material half the width of a human hair one layer at a time. The material is then dried using high-intensity ultraviolet light, which solidifies certain parts.

Microsoft has trained its artificial intelligence software to replicate and produce original paintings based upon the works of Rembrandt van Rijn in the hope to refine its deep learning and facial recognition programmes. In actual fact, the above image is an entirely original tribute to the master's works, created by a machine. The battle between humans and AI has been reignited after Google reaped the benefits of the excessive man hours applied to its AlphaGo software in March, which saw the computer program defeat Go champion Lee Se-dol 4-1 repeatedly in the Chinese board game, embarrassing one of humanity's finest players. Now Microsoft is now flouting its AI abilities, having tasked it with studying classic paintings to produce a brand new Rembrandt painting. ING, Microsoft, Delft University of Technology, The Mauritshuis and Museum Het Rembrandthuis all pitched in to birth the aptly named'The Next Rembrandt' project.

The thousands of bright orange automatons that haul shelves full of merchandise at Amazon's fulfillment center here could be seen as a sign of the impending doom of the human workforce. But the 500 or so full-time workers employed at this site have something robots won't have for many years, according to experts. Humans have an intuitive understanding of the movement of objects, and fine motor skills that give them a firm hold on key warehouse operations like packaging and stowing goods. That helps explain why Amazon.com, The company has 30,000 robots -- but more than 230,000 employees, not counting the temporary staff it hires during the peak holiday period.