Key Takeaway: Shape Security, which became a unicorn last month after raising $183 million to date, has developed an AI-powered engine that helps distinguish humans from bots and protects businesses from an increasing threat of cyberattacks. It is now one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. When Chipotle customers across the country complained this […]

With damage related to cybercrime projected to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021, enterprises are putting more emphasis than ever on securing their digital and organizational assets. While rudimentary machine learning has played a role in cyber threats for some years, today there's talk of the looming threat of malicious AI: AI-powered cyber-attacks capable of causing massive damage worldwide without the involvement of human operators. To better understand the threats and opportunities presented by AI in the cyber security space, we went to the AI Summit San Francisco to catch up with Justin Fier, director of cyber intelligence and analytics at Darktrace – the company putting AI to work on cyber defense. Justin's background is in the US intelligence community, and today works with Darktrace's global customers on threat analysis, defensive cyber operations, IoT security, and machine learning. What are the key takeaways from your AI Summit keynote?

Global technology company Bosch is launching a new sensor system powered by artificial intelligence, called the SoundSee, to the International Space Station. This module comes equipped with microphones and uses machine learning to detect and analyze sounds it hears. It then uses these sounds to establish a baseline, and continuously compares new audio to be able to immediately discover potential mechanical issues that could cause problems. It will also be used to provide information about the current performance of the ISS systems, and when they need maintenance or repair. The Bosch SoundSee will be installed on the Astrobee robot whose ultimate goal is to take over mundane activities to enable astronauts to focus on their work.

After years of development, Alphabet's drone delivery service Wing is officially open for business. The company announced the beginning of service for residents of Christiansburg, Virginia, who will be able to order over-the-counter medication, snacks, and other small items and have them airlifted straight to their homes by a drone. Initially, Wing will deliver goods on behalf of three partner companies with FedEx, Walgreens, and Super Magnolia, a local Virginia grocery store chain. After years of preparation, Alphabet's drone delivery service Wing has officially begun operations in Christiansburg, Virginia The company made the announcement via a blog post on Medium and included a video showing how the delivery service will work. The FAA approved Alphabet's drone delivery program in March, and the company announced it's plans for'store to door' of more than 100 products in Virginia last September.

NSF's AI Research Institutes program will support longer-term research than typical grants. The National Science Foundation today announced the creation of a new program that will significantly advance research in AI and accelerate the development of transformational, AI-powered innovation by allowing researchers to focus on larger-scale, longer-term research. The National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes program anticipates approximately $120 million in grants next year to fund planning grants and up to six research institutes in order to advance AI research and create national nexus points for universities, federal agencies, industries and nonprofits. "Advances in AI are progressing rapidly and demonstrating the potential to transform our lives," said NSF Director France Córdova. "This landmark investment will further AI research and workforce development, allowing us to accelerate the development of transformational technologies and catalyze markets of the future."

Machine learning tools are now in use at two-thirds of UK financial institutions, with the technology entering a new phase of maturity and more advanced stages of deployment, according to a survey conducted by the Bank of England.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have been utilized for years in the field of healthcare and continue to grow tremendously each year with its ability to advance medicine and discoveries in the industry. The term "precision medicine", sometimes referred to as "personalized medicine," is a relatively new term in the healthcare field but the idea has been around for many years in the industry. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, precision medicine is "an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person." Precision medicine helps physicians determine more personalized treatments for patients considering individualized approaches instead of a blanketed approach for all patients. They do this by looking at a patient's genetic history, location, environmental factors, lifestyle and habits to determine a plan of action for treatment.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have been utilized for years in the field of healthcare and continue to grow tremendously each year with its ability to advance medicine and discoveries in the industry. The term "precision medicine", sometimes referred to as "personalized medicine," is a relatively new term in the healthcare field but the idea has been around for many years in the industry. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, precision medicine is "an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person." Precision medicine helps physicians determine more personalized treatments for patients considering individualized approaches instead of a blanketed approach for all patients. They do this by looking at a patient's genetic history, location, environmental factors, lifestyle and habits to determine a plan of action for treatment.

USGIF's GEOINT Community Week brings together the defense, intelligence, homeland security, and geospatial communities at-large for a week of briefings, educational sessions, workshops, technology exhibits and networking opportunities. USGIF is looking for volunteers to share our Intro to GEOINT presentation at your local schools during GEOINT Community Week. This is a great way to give back by helping EdGEOcate our future leaders. We have prepared presentation materials for you that are geared toward upper elementary through lower high school grades and provide an overview of GEOINT--geography, maps, satellites, imagery, remote sensing, GIS, and careers. The presentation takes 45 minutes to one hour and is highly interactive with games, Q&A, stories, videos, and much more.

Chinese citizens will soon have to start using facial identification in order to sign up for internet services or get a new mobile number. The Chinese government announced last month that residents applying for a new mobile or internet device will have their faces scanned by telecommunications carriers. The new rules will apply from December 1. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which is the state agency responsible for internet and technology regulation, wrote that the decision was part of its moves to "safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of citizens in the cyberspace" and prevent fraud, according to Quartz. Recent reports indicate that China has around 854 million internet users.