In 2015, it was all about big data but venture capital (VC) investments in China will move increasingly into artificial intelligence (AI) this year, a KPMG study found. "Back in 2015, you get a lot of data points. Now, we're moving into the second phase where companies are trying to capture data, analyse the data...and monetize it," a KPMG China partner, Lyndon Fung, told CNBC's "Street Signs" on Thursday. He cited self-driving cars as an example of artificial intelligence technology that is poised to transform lives. In the report released last week, KPMG found investment by VCs in China reached a record high in 2016, despite a global slowdown.

As the fourth industrial revolution gathers pace, business leaders need to start addressing how AI and automation will impact their business and workforce. Emerging technologies are fundamentally disrupting how we live and work, and their future impact cannot be ignored. Only half of UK CEOs are currently addressing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) or automation on their organisation, according to PwC's 20th CEO Survey, published at the World Economic Forum in Davos. This puts the UK behind countries such as Germany, the US and China in responding to how emerging technologies will redefine businesses. Only just over a quarter of UK bosses say they are considering the impact of AI on their future skills needs, compared to almost 40% of CEOs worldwide.

Entrepreneurs need little convincing that technology is important, rapidly evolving, and likely to have a profound impact on their businesses. But keeping track of developments, and knowing where to focus one's attention, is anything but straightforward. Analysts at PricewaterhouseCoopers (pdf) say the impact of constant technological breakthroughs represent a "megatrend" – a change so big that "every business should develop an emerging technology strategy". They have highlighted eight key areas that all businesses should pay attention to. The artificial intelligence market is growing rapidly and forecast to be worth $36bn by 2025.

According to a recent press release out of the company, "Deloitte predicts that over 300 million smartphones, or more than one-fifth of units sold in 2017, will have machine learning capabilities within the device in the next 12 months. The 16th edition of the'Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions' showcases how mobile devices will be able to perform machine learning tasks even without connectivity, which will significantly alter how humans interact with technology across every industry, market and society. However, over time machine learning on-the-go will not just be limited to smartphones. These capabilities are likely to be found in tens of millions (or more) of drones, tablets, cars, virtual or augmented reality devices, medical tools, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and unforeseen new technologies."

Robots will use humans as pets once they achieve a subset of artificial intelligence known as'superintelligence'. This is according to SpaceX-founder Elon Musk who claims that when computers become smarter than people, they will treat them like'pet Labradors'. His comments were made in a recent interview with scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who added that computers could choose to breed docile humans and eradicate the violent ones. SpaceX-founder Elon Musk (right) says robots will someday treat humans like pets.In a recent interview with scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson (left), Musk said his fears revolve around'superintelligence' Musk: 'I mean, we won't be like a pet Labrador if we're lucky,' Musk said. Or something strange is going to happen.' Tyson: 'They'll keep the docile humans and get rid of the violent ones.

Deloitte Global predicts that over 300 million smartphones, or more than one fifth of units sold in 2017, will have machine learning capabilities within the device in the next 12 months. Mobile devices will be able to perform machine learning tasks even without connectivity which will significantly alter how humans interact with technology across every industry, market and society, notes Deloitte Global in its 16th Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions. Over time, machine learning on-the-go will not just be limited to smartphones, the report states. These capabilities are likely to be found in tens of millions (or more) of drones, tablets, cars, virtual or augmented reality devices, medical tools, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and unforeseen new technologies. "Machine learning is fascinating as it will revolutionise how we conduct simple tasks like translating content, but it also has major security and health consequences that can improve societies around the world," says Paul Sallomi, Deloitte Global TMT industry leader, in a statement.

It could double economic growth rates in developed countries, writes Accenture's CTO. Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be the single most disruptive technology the world has seen since the Industrial Revolution. Granted, there is a lot of hype out there on AI, along with doomsday headlines and scary movies. But the reality is that it will positively and materially change how we engage with the world around us. It's going to improve not only how business is done, but the kind of work we do – and unleash new levels of creativity and ingenuity.

More than 300 million smartphones, or a fifth of units sold, will have neural network and machine-learning functions in 2017, according to Deloitte. One of today's biggest opportunities for IT to make an impact is by automating business processes, manufacturing, repetitive tasks, and more. This artificial intelligence will be used to for everything from indoor navigation to image classification to augmented reality and speech recognition. In addition, Deloitte said that these tools won't necessarily need to be connected: "On-board machine learning may allow tasks to be done better and faster, or with more privacy," said Deloitte in its Global Predictions 2017 report. Deloitte's report covered a few bases, but the one revolving around machine learning is among the most certain.

Entertainment consulting firm Accenture has been doing its digital consumers survey for about a decade, but its 2017 edition was the first to include questions around artificial intelligence and technology. And the results were surprising to the company. "There's pretty intense interest in AI this year, and a year ago there wasn't anyone talking about it," said Charles Hartley, Accenture's global media and analyst relations manager for communications, media and high-tech businesses. "Consumers aren't intimidated by it at all, apparently. The survey--which interviewed just under 26,000 consumers across 26 countries--found that 62% of people are comfortable with AI apps--like Amazon's Alexa--responding to a voice query, even though only 4% of people actually own a standalone, digital, voice-enabled device (like the Amazon Echo or Google Home) as of the end of 2016. Nearly 90% of respondents said that artificial intelligence simply makes it easier to do things, and a third said they're interested in using voice-enabled digital assistants available in smartphones. Hartley made special note of the 68% who deemed AI "less biased" than humans and the 64% who said AI "communicates more politely." More than half said AI is "less likely to make a mistake." Meanwhile, on Jan. 11, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, the journalism-centric Knight Foundation and others announced they've created a $27 million fund to research AI applications for the public, with MIT's Media Lab and the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University serving as academic research stations. The hope is to bring in a wide range of tech and academic voices to the future of AI applications, the groups said in a statement. "Artificial intelligence agents will impact our lives in every society on Earth.

"Machine learning is fascinating as it will revolutionize how we conduct simple tasks like translating content, but it also has major security and health consequences that can improve societies around the world," said Paul Sallomi, vice chairman and global TMT industry leader, Deloitte LLP and U.S. technology sector leader. "For example, mobile machine learning is a strong entry point to improve responses to disaster relief, help save lives with autonomous vehicles, and even turn the tide against the growing wave of cyberattacks." "Our predictions for 2017 showcase the enormous influence that machine learning and the Internet of Things are having on the current technology marketplace," said Sandy Shirai, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and U.S. technology, media and telecommunications leader. "With many technologies coming into their own as their power and speed increases and the cost of delivering them goes down, we'll continue to see these platforms grow exponentially and expand their role across industries, creating a whole new value proposition and opportunities." Another innovation with the power to transform the world is autonomous braking.