Recently, I talked with the forward-thinkers and machine learning scientists at the AI Summit in San Francisco. How to connect the power of AI to the enterprise is an open question facing all of us, experts and those connecting the experts with business problems. There are so many possible applications, and everyone is trying to get in on the game. At PwC, we estimate AI will drive global GDP gains of $15 trillion by 2030, but companies are all over the map. In our survey of CEOs, 24% reported they were already using AI, and 21% said AI was a priority, but the rest said they were only aware of or evaluating AI.

Global consulting firm Accenture notes that stand-alone, AI-powered digital voice assistant devices are being used "for a range of consumer services such as playing music, turning the heat and lights on and off, and providing news, weather and sports scores." That's to be expected, of course - that's what they're for - but in an online survey of 21,000 consumers in 19 countries, Accenture discovered that digital virtual assistants are becoming "the central hub for home activities in Australia." Again, that's the whole point of digital assistants - they're meant to be the hub of your digital home, not just answering questions but helping you control your other connected devices, but naturally, it's always good to see this being confirmed by actual users. In addition, "three quarters (75%) of these owners said they use their smartphones less for entertainment, more than two thirds use them less for online purchasing and more than half for general information searches (71% and 55%, respectively)." David Sovie, global MD of Accenture's High Tech business said: "Digital voice assistant devices are challenging smartphones as the central hub for all activities in the home. "These low-cost devices deliver valuable and practical benefits and are relatively easy to use, and their rapidly growing popularity is one of the most striking trends in the high-tech industry." Accenture tells us its survey shows that "ownership levels of digital voice assistant devices in Australia are projected to increase more than five times this year, reaching 23% by the end of 2018 from 4% in 2017.

For the people most immersed in the tech sector, it's hard to think of a more controversial topic than the ultimate impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society. By eventually empowering machines with a level of superintelligence, there are many different possible outcomes ranging from Kurzweil's technological singularity to the more dire predictions popularized by Elon Musk. Despite this wide gap in potential outcomes, most technologists do agree on one thing: AI will have a profound impact on the society and the way we do business. Today's infographic comes from the Extraordinary Future 2017, a new conference in Vancouver, BC that focuses on emerging technologies such as AI, autonomous vehicles, fintech, and blockchain tech. In the below infographic, we look recent projections from PwC and Accenture regarding AI's economic impact, as well as the industries and countries that will be the most profoundly affected.

The availability of machine-readable data, cheap computing and artificial intelligence not only enables us to automate work, but also augment human decisions. It makes people smarter and allows them to perform at different levels in ways that will transform the way we all work and live. At KPMG's recent 2017 Executive Symposium on Intelligent Automation, 50 forward-thinking business leaders gathered to learn, debate, and explore the successes, challenges, and potential effects of adopting intelligent automation. This video features highlights from Cliff Justice's opening keynote.

Artificial Intelligence could see Ireland's GDP raised by just under €50 billion in the next 12 years. A new study also finds that the technology could significantly aid both public and private sector productivity, and even boost jobs in the Republic. A new report from PwC has stated the case for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Ireland. According to the Big Four professional services firm, AI could add 11.6% - or €48 billion - to Ireland's GDP by 2030. Analysts calculated that this projected impact will be driven largely by the possibility for product enhancements (7.9% of GDP in 2030) to increase productivity.

Sixty-eight percent of consumers use some form of machine learning on their smartphones, despite not being aware of the technology's capabilities or even presence in many cases, says professional services company Deloitte in the US edition of its 2017 Global Mobile Consumer survey. Machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence, is seeing increasing use amongst many companies, because of the added benefit analyzed data can bring to a business. This increasing use means more and more consumers are exposed to AI, such as in email apps like Google Inbox, or in Facebook's news feed. This doesn't mean, however, that many realize they're using AI -- it has crept in under the radar and is now everywhere. Also revealed in the report is the Internet of Things' continued relevance, especially in the car and on wearables. In the report, consumers were asked, "Technology is rapidly allowing consumers to connect their cars/homes to the Internet.

Accenture is a company passionate about digital procurement. In a recent report, the global management consultancy made no bones about the disappointment it feels at what it perceives as an almost industry-wide failure to embrace the technologies available for digitising procurement. It states that "procurement organisation has been largely left behind in the digital revolution. The report looks at how bots can be used to automate and streamline manual or routine procurement tasks, how making use of available expertise such as speaking to buying agents and advisors will help people make the best purchasing decisions and deliver optimal value to the business. Accenture specialises in helping procurement companies to digitise their business operations, and the report shows confidence that the familiar frustrations surrounding procurement today will give way to a simple and intuitive buying experience for users to enthusiastically embrace. Kristin Ruehle, Global Procurement Business Process Services Lead at Accenture, happily outlined the reasons behind the report and why she believes the future of procurement is "truly digital". "We published the report to help cut through industry buzzwords to help businesses understand how next-generation capabilities can transform their procurement organisations," she explains. "Businesses are not standing still.

It is a widely accepted irony that the more we move to a machine-driven, Artificial Intelligence-based world, the more demand there will be for so-called soft skills and the human touch. In fact, according to a report by management consultancy Deloitte entitled'Talent for survival: Essential skills for humans working in the machine age', cognitive and social skills such as complex problem-solving, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking are already more than twice as important as manual skills to the economy. But by 2030, demand for soft skills will have jumped by another 5%, creating 8.9 million new jobs. Soft skills will undoubtedly be more important in the age of AI. AI's strength is in undertaking repetitive, predictable tasks at scale and velocity – so mining big data speedily.

As 2017 is coming to its end, it's an opportune time to look at what C-suite executives will be turning their attention to in the coming months. Deloitte's recently released Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions, provides insights into key technology trends on the consumer and business front. While some may come as no surprise, these developments could have a significant impact on enterprise strategies. Machine learning will intensify for businesses across the board. Medium and large-sized enterprises surveyed say they will double the number of implementations and pilot projects using machine learning technology in 2018, and then double it again by 2020.

One of the most frequently discussed topics in business today is artificial intelligence (AI). Its impacts and implications are mentioned in many press accounts. Some of this information is accurate, of course, but it also includes many myths. It's still early days for this technology, and there are not many sources of data. We have been researching Deloitte's work in AI as well as that of market leaders and it's important to dispel myths whenever possible.