BEIJING (Reuters) - China's State Council on Thursday issued a guideline for the development of the country's information technology (IT) industry. The State Council expects China's IT industry to reach 6 trillion yuan ($901 billion) in value by 2020, based on an average annual growth rate of 11 percent. The report includes references to nascent developments in e-commerce, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) as well as technology for traditional industries including medicine and education. Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. The agency says people facing deportation have been released from detention because their home countries have blocked their return.

There seems to be a modern day gold rush as companies explore how to use machine learning in clinical decision support software. Unfortunately for libertarians, FDA will regulate some of that software because of its risk profile. While the 21st Century Cures Act that passed last December exempted certain CDS from regulation and indeed FDA intends to exempt even more, FDA will continue to regulate high risk CDS. The question is: how will FDA regulate high risk CDS when the software involves machine learning? Some might assume that machine learning in healthcare is so new, we have no idea how FDA will react.

Despite the enormous changes in recent years, including the emergence of the plethora of significant new market players – including fintech start-ups, established payment, technology, and information firms, telecoms, and other providers, the financial services market is indeed in the middle of a revolution and this is down to both technology and regulations. This begs the question of how financial services incumbents will fare is far from settled and offers a scenario wherein these incumbents looking to grow shareholder value will need to build and sustain new competitive advantages. The European Commission's revised Payment Service Directive (PSD2) represents a broad sweep of financial services sector regulations that will come into force next year. In summary, PSD2 creates the opportunity for digital actors to link directly into payment systems via API's. The regulation will require that banks provide these API's so that third-party service providers will be able to directly access customers' accounts.

When the crew of an $80-million super-yacht in the Ionian Sea checked its computer, they realized they were drifting slightly off course, likely as a result of strong currents buffeting their ship. The crew made adjustments and went back to work--without realizing they were now taking directions from a hacker. In the bowels of the ship, Todd Humphreys, an associate professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas at Austin, worked with his team to feed the super-yacht's crew false navigation data using a few thousand dollars worth of hardware and software. The crew was completely unaware they were now piloting in a direction of Humphreys' choosing. Thankfully, it was all an experiment that took place with the yacht owner's blessing.

Among the 22 Turing Laureates in attendance at the conference were: Front row, from left: Whitfield Diffie (2015), Martin Hellman (2015), Robert Tarjan (1986), Barbara Liskov (2008). Second row, from left: Vinton Cerf (2004), Richard Karp (1985), Richard Stearns (1993), Dana Scott (1976).

I applaud Peter J. Denning's Viewpoint "Remaining Trouble Spots with Computational Thinking" (June 2017), especially for pointing out the subject itself is often characterized by "vague definitions and unsubstantiated claims"; "computational thinking primarily benefits people who design computations and . . . Moreover, the accompanying table outlined various historic definitions of "computational thinking," including a comparison of what Denning called the "new" and the "traditional" view of the subject. However, my own interest in computational thinking differs somewhat from Denning's. First, I question the legitimacy of the term "computational" itself. Why say it, when the very subject is "computers" and the chief academic approach to their study is "computer science"? If one looks at how computers are actually used, it may come as a surprise to learn that few such uses actually involve computing. For example, applications that deal with scientific and engineering problems are of ...

Algorithms are replacing or augmenting human decision making in crucial ways. People have become accustomed to algorithms making all manner of recommendations, from products to buy, to songs to listen to, to social network connections. However, algorithms are not just recommending, they are also being used to make big decisions about people's lives, such as who gets loans, whose résumés are reviewed by humans for possible employment, and the length of prison terms. While algorithmic decision making can offer benefits in terms of speed, efficiency, and even fairness, there is a common misconception that algorithms automatically result in unbiased decisions. In reality, inscrutable algorithms can also unfairly limit opportunities, restrict services, and even improperly curtail liberty.

Key Points – In today's increasingly interconnected world, hacks, breaches and malware attacks have become a way of life. Cybercrime is projected to cause $6 trillion in damages by 2021. Cybersecurity threats are growing at a record pace. Cybercrime is projected to cause more than $6 trillion in damages by 2021, and businesses are estimated to invest $1 trillion over the next five years to try to mitigate these threats. According to Bloomberg, security incidents increased by 40% in 2016 from the previous year, setting a new record.

With good humor and fantastic stories, Milo Jones take us through the history and virtues of AI, connecting it with leadership and presenting an optimistic future. Dr. Milo Jones has been a Visiting Professor at IE since 2008. In the past, he has worked for Morgan Stanley in New York, Accenture in London, and served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. At IE Business School, he teaches "Geopolitics" and "Intelligence Tools for the Business Professional" in the MBA and MIAF programmes, and "Cyberintelligence" in the Masters in Cybersecurity programme. He is currently research the geopolitical impact of advances in AI and automation.

My visit to Japan has coincided with the 72nd anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings. On August 6, 1945, the nuclear bomb dropped by the Enola Gay Boeing B-29 exploded, killing an estimated 140,000 people. Three days later, the U.S. dropped the second bomb by the Bockscar B-29 on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 75,000. On the occasion of the 72nd anniversary ceremony about 50,000 people, including representatives from 80 nations, gathered at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. During the occasion, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for global cooperation to end nuclear weapons.