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Boxbot, a startup focused on self-driving delivery vehicles, announced today that it has raised a $7.5 million round of seed funding. This new funding round was led by Artiman Ventures, and includes an investment from Toyota AI Ventures, a subsidiary of the Toyota Research Institute. Boxbot is working to address the "last-mile" problem in logistics, through a combination of robotics and autonomous systems.

The Open Philanthropy Project is proud to announce our first class of AI Fellows – seven very promising machine learning researchers to whom we're collectively recommending a total of about $1.1 million in PhD fellowship support over the next five years. These fellows were selected from more than 180 applicants for their academic excellence, technical knowledge, careful reasoning, and interest in making the long-term, large-scale impacts of AI a central focus of their research. We believe that progress in artificial intelligence may eventually lead to changes in human civilization that are as large as the agricultural or industrial revolutions; while we think it's most likely that this would lead to significant improvements in human well-being, we also see significant risks. The AI Fellows have a broad mandate to think through which kinds of AI and ML research are likely to be most valuable, to share ideas and form a community with like-minded students and professors, and ultimately to act in the way that they think is most likely to improve outcomes from progress in AI. For more on the Open Philanthropy Project's views about the potential impacts of AI, see our previous blog posts.

The significant advancements made over the last decade in the abilities and cost of parallel computing, algorithms, big data and the transfer to the cloud is expected to bring artificial intelligence (AI) out of laboratories and into the mainstream world. AI is broadly defined as any intelligence demonstrated by machines or software. If a machine is capable of doing more than processing data, for example deriving knowledge from it, and augmenting human decision making, it can be considered as AI. According to data published by Grand View Research, the global artificial intelligence market is projected to reach USD 35.87 billion by 2025, while growing at a CAGR of 57.2 percent. A report by Goldman Sachs emphasized the sweeping changes AI is already causing across a variety of sectors, including advertising (programmatic ad buying), retail (customized recommendations) and investing.

AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Many companies today want to tap into artificial intelligence quickly but are not sure where to start. With the launch of AI Express, Mastercard will help companies develop a tailored artificial intelligence model that answers real business questions and can be swiftly deployed. Interest in artificial intelligence is strong: More than 80 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs see the technology as very or extremely important to their company's future, according to a study by Fortune. Viewed as a vital capability for industries that have rich data, many companies still lack the experience and expertise to extract the intelligence that can improve consumers' experience. "If data is the oil that powers the digital economy, artificial intelligence is the refinery," said Ajay Bhalla, chief security solutions officer at Mastercard.

Microsoft is making another huge play, but this time it's in the world of IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (artificial intelligence). Microsoft Azure, the company's cloud computing service, is making a huge splash into the fast-growing IoT enterprise. In getting into IoT space, the Redmond-based company [VIDEO] has teamed with C3, a Silicon Valley-based IoT company. The two tech companies plan to work on technologies to help enterprise customers accelerate their IoT and AI development, according to SDX Central. Reports by SDX Central and Business Wire presented most of the information used in this article.

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and platforms become integral to advanced operations in nearly every industry, blockchain is inserting itself as a means to enhance AI applications in both form and function. Blockchain has the potential to allow AI technologies to become more collaborative in nature and therefore increase their operating efficiency. Additionally, the potential for bolstered revenue streams is also apparent, as blockchain is projected to grow to $20 billion by 2024 according to Transparency Market Research and the Grand View Research projects the AI market will be worth more than $35 billion by 2025. As previously noted, leaders in the AI landscape are turning to blockchain to finetune various applications. Active tech companies in the markets this week include Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTC:GOPH), Overstock.com

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to transform the productivity and GDP potential of the global economy. According to a report by PWC, strategic investment in different types of AI technology is needed to make that happen. PWC's research shows that 45% of total economic gains by 2030 will come from product enhancements, stimulating consumer demand. This is because AI will drive greater product variety, with increased personalization, attractiveness and affordability over time. AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion1 to the global economy in 2030, more than the current output of China and India combined.

LOS ANGELES – Google-owned Waymo is adding as many as 62,000 Fiat Chrysler minivans to its autonomous fleet in an expanded collaboration announced by the companies on Thursday. Delivery of the Chrysler Pacifica minivans was expected to begin later this year, with the automaker also exploring the potential to build Waymo technology into a self-driving car it might add to its model line-up for consumers. "FCA is committed to bringing self-driving technology to our customers in a manner that is safe, efficient and realistic," chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne said in a release. "Strategic partnerships, such as the one we have with Waymo, will help to drive innovative technology to the forefront." Waymo plans to launch the "world's first self-driving transportation service" this year, with people able to summon rides from driver-less vehicles using a smartphone application.

Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car company (formerly under Google), has been using modified vans for years to privately test its autonomous tech. In late 2016, Waymo announced that its first production car would be a modified Chrysler Pacifica. Now the company is looking to buy a few more minivans - 62,000, to be exact. Alphabet announced today that it struck a deal with Chrysler to buy 62,000 additional Pacifica hybrid vans for Waymo, increasing the company's number of vehicles by 100 times. Waymo is already testing a small fleet of completely autonomous taxis in Arizona.