Artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics are making their way into politics. TechRepublic met with L2's vice president of data Paul Westcott to discuss what role these technologies play in helping political campaigns effectively target messages and create strategies. Only within the past few years have campaigns began utilizing these new technologies. Campaigns and politics are always behind the consumer. "There's no comparison between say what Amazon is doing versus what even a presidential campaign is doing," Westcott said.

I first came across this book when I was reading analysts' review of President Xi Jinping's New Years' address during the turn of the year and this book was apparently one of the two books on AI and robotics that was on the Chinese President's bookshelf. Piqued by this revelation, I then subsequently learnt that this book was also on Bill Gates' recommended reading list. The book's full title, "The Master Algorithm – How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine will Remake our World," provided the necessary hyperbole that helped me make my decision to read it. Whilst I had some rudimentary of what algorithms do, how AI will impact the world we live in, and how machine learning is being used across various industries from healthcare, to education to security. At the heart of machine learning is the ability of learners to use algorithms to collate data, create meaningful and actionable insights from the data and determine or execute next steps or tasks.

The largest portal Breaking Israel News published article based on my interview with Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz: "Artificial intelligence in the End-of-Days: Killer Bots for Gog or Dry Bones to Praise God?" And He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of Hashem!" Ezekiel 37:4 (The Israel Bible) Artificial intelligence is advancing at a lightning pace and is already being adopted for military use, raising questions as to what role this powerful new technology will play in the end-of-days. Will it be a terrifying rogue combatant in the final Biblical War of Gog and Magog, or will it be an unforeseen savior of mankind and even have a possible role in the resurrection of the dead? In one potential end-of-days scenario, technology plays a destructive role for humanity. A video, titled "Slaughterbots" and produced by the notorious Campaign to Stop Killer Robots illustrates this outcome in which autonomous drones armed with explosive charges wreak havoc on society.

In the year 1900, the world was in the midst of a machine revolution. As electrical power became more ubiquitous, tasks once done by hand were now completed quickly and efficiently by machine. Sewing machines replaced needle and thread. A hundred years later, in the year 2000, machines were again pushing the boundaries of what was possible. Humans could now work in space, thanks to the International Space Station.

Conventional models, while still solid, are no longer up to the heightened challenges of the present. Exponentially improving technologies for the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence are enabling urban developments with much higher levels of efficiency and flexibility to conserve resources, promote security, and boost the quality of life. The key development is not the technologies themselves, but their integration around a holistic view of urbanization that enables a series of smart services. Instead of focusing on single services, or specific buildings or highways, leading organizations around the world are using IoT and analytics to optimize infrastructure generally and evolve with changing needs. While getting there will take a great deal of investment and expertise, the result will be places where residents thrive in unexpected ways in their personalized urban developments.

Predicting the outcome of a general election is a challenge. But combining quantum computing with neural network technology could improve forecasts, according to a new study that used just such a network to model the 2016 US presidential elections. "Using this application is a way of demonstrating the potential of these new sorts of algorithms, and the kind of problems that quantum computing might be able to assist with in the future," says Michael Brett, CEO of data analytics company QX Branch, which conducted the study.

The government on Friday approved an outline for raising the optional age for tapping public pensions to 71 or older to address the national labor shortage stemming from Japan's falling birthrate and rapidly graying population. The ministry will consider revising the related laws in fiscal 2020 to encourage people in their 60s or older to continue working. The ministry's outline notes that older adults are physically healthier than previous generations and are highly motivated to continue working or participate in community activities. In addition, the outline says the government will review the "standardization of life stages according to age categories." "Depopulation in rural areas is expected as the pace of aging picks up. It is important to realize a society where people of all generations can widely and actively participate," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said during a meeting on the issue Friday.

In July, Beijing published a plan to create a 10 trillion yuan ($1.48 trillion) artificial intelligence industry in the People's Republic by 2030, making China the world leader in AI instead of the current kingpin, the US. "Artificial intelligence has become a new engine of economic development," the document reads. "We must take initiative to firmly grasp this new stage of development for artificial intelligence and create a new competitive edge." What did Washington say in response to this report? While American tech titans like Alphabet and Facebook lead the world in AI development, the US has no federal plan to develop the crucial emergent technology and the White House has been mum on the subject.

It's a question that was under discussion as this year's Munich Security Conference kicked off on Friday (February 16). Her country was the victim of a massive hacking attack that was widely blamed on Russia. "I have been really worried as an Estonian--Estonia is a digital state compared to many others--that our capacity to internationally agree and regulate for technological development has been extremely low," Kaljulaid told euronews. "We haven't managed to do any progress, for example, even on cyber issues". Members of the public present in the audience said they are worried about robot soldiers, and self-piloted weaponised drones.

A new broad oncology deep learning suite from the cloud-based medical imaging software solutions company Arterys Inc. was approved on Thursday, Feb. 15 for 501(k) clearance by the FDA, according to a report by Business Insider. The clearance is for Aterys new Oncology AI software aimed to advance medical imaging accuracy and consistency, according to the report. This is the fifth FDA clearance Arterys has received for its deep learning cloud-based software. Specifically, the deep learning oncology software will be able to help clinicians measure and track tumors or potential cancers in solely liver and lung magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans and apply radiological standards with ease. "The evaluation of primary and metastatic disease in the lung and liver are among the most valuable contributions of radiologists to the care of patients with cancer," said radiologist and Arterys co-founder Albert Hsiao, MD, PhD, in a prepared statement.