Life is changing fast for manufacturing companies. Not only is the business of designing, making, shipping, distributing and selling finished goods becoming ever more global and competitive, but technology is ensuring that it is evolving at a pace that's tough to keep up with. Manufacturing companies need to be more agile, thoughtful and innovative than ever in how they do business. Manufacturing is a connected, but often global, distributed operation. Many of today's complex products use raw materials and components from all over the world in their manufacture.

Deloitte's yearly'Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions' report has forecast major strides in machine learning for enterprises this year. The report predicts a doubling of the number of enterprise machine learning pilots and deployments this year and, subsequently, the use of machine learning technology, underpinned by new chips and better software tools. "We have reached the tipping point where adoption of machine learning in the enterprise is poised to accelerate," said Deloitte Global Media and Entertainment and TMT Africa Leader Mark Casey. Easier, cheaper and faster elements will start moulding the more intensive use of machine learning in the enterprise, with growth emerging from new semiconductor chips that enable applications to use less power and become more responsive, flexible and capable. The TMT Predictions report also highlighted the growth of smartphone adoption, with more than 90% of adults in developed countries expected to own a smartphone by 2023, as well as the rising trend in mobile-only wireless home Internet.

At a time when increasing automation is raising the prospects of job losses, a report by tech consulting firm Accenture has estimated that greater investments by companies in artificial intelligence (AI) and human-machine collaboration can raise global employment 10% by 2022. The report also said that if businesses across the globe invest in AI and human-machine collaboration at the same rate as top-performing companies, they could boost revenue 38% by 2022. Collectively and globally, this would lift profits $4.8 trillion (Rs 306 trillion) over the same period, the report said. For the average S&P500 company, this equates to $7.5 billion (Rs 47,800 crore) of revenue and $880 million (Rs 5,612 crore) lift to profit. The report was prepared after a survey of about 14,000 workers and 1,200 senior executives in 11 countries including India, Accenture said in a statement.

DAVOS: If businesses invest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human-machine collaboration at the same rate as top-notch companies, they could boost revenues by 38 per cent by 2022 and raise employment levels by 10 per cent, a new report said on Tuesday. Collectively, this would lift profits by $4.8 trillion globally over the same period, said the Accenture Strategy report released here during the world Economic Forum (WEF). "For the average S&P500 company, this equates to $7.5 billion of revenues and a $880 million lift to profitability," the report noted. Seventy two percent of the 1,200 senior executives surveyed said intelligent technology will be critical to their organisation's market differentiation and 61 per cent noted that the share of roles requiring collaboration with AI will rise in the next three years. "To achieve higher rates of growth in the age of AI, companies need to invest more in equipping their people to work with machines in new ways," said Mark Knickrehm, Group Chief Executive, Accenture Strategy. More than two thirds (69 per cent) of the 14,000 workers surveyed said it is important to develop skills to work with intelligent machines.

The artificial intelligence (AI) opportunity for the Earth is significant. Today's AI explosion will see us add this technology to more and more things every year. The AI itself will also become smarter with each passing year – not only more productive but developing intelligence that humans don't yet have, accelerating human learning and innovation. As we think about the gains, efficiencies and new solutions this creates for nations, business and for everyday life, we must also think about how to maximise gains for society and our environment. We live in exciting times: it is now possible to tackle some of the world's biggest problems with emerging technologies, such as AI.

Hands up if your resourcing team sends you a timesheet meme each week? The internet is awash with timesheet memes that are regularly downloaded by frazzled HR staff, at their wits end trying to compel employees to do. And it's only one mundane task of many that take up valuable time and contribute to the slow torturous drip that is administration. If only there was a way to legitimately do less of it and concentrate on the good stuff. It's pretty well established, if not universally adopted, that chatbots can enhance customer service experiences.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human-machine collaboration at the same rate as top performing companies, they could boost revenues by 38 percent by 2022 and raise employment levels by 10 percent.Collectively, this would lift profits by US$4.8 trillion globally over the same period. For the average S&P500 Company, this equates to US$7.5 billion of revenues and a US$880 million lift to profitability. The latest statistics were disclosed in The Accenture Strategy report, Reworking the Revolution: Are you ready to compete as intelligent technology meets human ingenuity to create the future workforce? The report also alarms that businesses are might miss major growth opportunities unless CEOs take immediate steps to pivot their workforces and equip their people to work with intelligent technologies, according to new research by Accenture. Both leaders and workers are optimistic about the potential of AI on business results and on work experiences, according to the study. Seventy-two percent of the 1,200 senior executives surveyed said that intelligent technology will be critical to their organization's market differentiation and 61 percent think the share of roles requiring collaboration with AI will rise in the next three years.

It would be impossible to predict what artificial intelligence will look like 10 or even 5 years from now. Even a modest goal like making a 12-month forecast could prove challenging. However, PricewaterhouseCoopers has done just that in a new paper, released in mid-January, that offers up several predictions for how AI will unfold in 2018. While forecasts of advancing AI technology displacing workers are commonplace, it hasn't really happened yet. Rather, new jobs offset those that are lost. That will continue this year, PwC says.

By Nahla Nana, Director of Communication, IABC, EMENA Imagine a humanoid robot walking into a conference room and making a call with its client to discuss the latest in a PR campaign and formulate plans for a special event for an upcoming strategic announcement. While I do not write off this as a utopian concept, I would say humans will remain in command of the most of the tasks in a public relations professional's job description at least in the foreseeable future. MUST READ: Why do modern marketers need Artificial Intelligence anyway? As we are already witnessing, almost every discussion on disruptive technologies including Artificial Intelligence eventually ends up in stoking fears over job losses for another time. Although this may be true that many industries are threatened by the disruption, which often leads to closure of some divisions or headcount reduction, in public relations business it is certainly bringing positive changes.

TORONTO, June 15, 2017 /CNW/ - New research released by Accenture (ACN) reveals that companies with optimal artificial intelligence (AI) innovation strategies generate greater shareholder value. But less than one fifth of leading companies that leverage AI have achieved this performance in recent years. These companies have demonstrated high'AIQ' by combining strong in-house innovation and external collaboration. Accenture's report "Boost Your AIQ: Transforming into an AI Business," published in collaboration with the G20 Young Entrepreneurs' Alliance, assesses both the Fortune Global 100 and Accenture's list of Intelligent 100 pioneers in the development and application of AI technologies, for the period of 2010 to 2016. In order to measure their Artificial Intelligence Quotient (AIQ), the research analyzes the level of both their in-house capabilities and investments in AI as well as their commitment to partnering with outside partners.