A new study shows that business leaders are taking steps to ensure responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) within their organizations. Most AI adopters – which now account for 72 percent of organizations globally – conduct ethics training for their technologists (70 percent) and have ethics committees in place to review the use of AI (63 percent). AI leaders – organizations rating their deployment of AI "successful" or "highly successful" – also take the lead on responsible AI efforts: Almost all (92 percent) train their technologists in ethics compared to 48 percent of other AI adopters. The findings are based on a global survey among 305 business leaders, more than half of them chief information officers, chief technology offers, and chief analytics officers. The study, "AI Momentum, Maturity and Models for Success," was commissioned by SAS, Accenture Applied Intelligence and Intel, and conducted by Forbes Insights in July 2018.

AI, robotics and other forms of smart automation have the potential to bring great economic benefits, contributing up to $15 trillion to global GDP by 2030 according to PwC analysis. This extra wealth will also generate the demand for many jobs, but there are also concerns that it could displace many existing jobs. We have analysed in detail the tasks involved in over 200,000 existing jobs across 29 countries to assess what the potential for automation may be at various points over the next 20 years. During the first wave, we expect relatively low displacement of existing jobs, perhaps only around 3% by the early 2020s. But job displacement could increase in later waves as these technologies mature and are rolled out across the economy in increasingly autonomous form. By the mid-2030s, up to 30% of jobs could be automatable, with slightly more men being affected in the long run as autonomous vehicles and other machines replace many manual tasks where their share of employment is higher.

Chatbots have become standard tools in digital workplaces globally. Driven by consumer demand for connected customer experiences, Gartner predicted in research last year that 25 percent of customer service operations will use virtual customer assistant or chatbot technology by the year 2020. However, research released his week by MuleSoft, which provides a platform for building application networks, entitled Consumer Connectivity Insights 2018 (registration required), shows that there is still considerable work to be done in the deployment and use of chatbots. The research, which is based off data from a survey of more than 8,000 consumers demonstrated that customer loyalty is at risk for organizations unable to provide seamless experiences across all channels and timely access to information. It also pointed to problems with chatbots.

When you hand over your credit card for a new washing machine or refrigerator, would you pay an extra fee to receive alerts about how well it's working, or if you need to call a service technician? Manufacturers of consumer goods are banking on you saying "yes" to the extra cost, just like enterprises do today for service on hardware investments like jet engines and assembly-line technology. This Everything-as-a-Service (XaaS) business model--one which has helped companies in the B2B space generate continuous revenue from their products--is being eyed by consumer companies hungry for income that lasts beyond the initial product purchase. Through "servitization"--combining products with services--businesses can innovate faster and deepen their relationships with customers by providing more value. That value includes data insights derived from IoT-powered devices--from thermostats to wind turbines.

Accenture Introduces Ella and Ethan, AI Bots to Improve a Patient's Health and Care Using the Accenture Intelligent Patient Platform NEW YORK; Sept. 21, 2018 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has enhanced the Accenture Intelligent Patient Platform with the addition of Ella and Ethan, two interactive virtual-assistant bots that use artificial intelligence (AI) to constantly learn and make intelligent recommendations for interactions between life sciences companies, patients, health care providers (HCPs) and caregivers. Designed to help improve a patient's health and overall experience, the bots are part of Accenture's Salesforce Fullforce Solutions powered by Salesforce Health Cloud and Einstein AI, as well as Amazon's Alexa. The Ella and Ethan bots are part of the Patient Engagement Support solution in the Accenture Intelligent Patient Platform, a digital health solution that supports patients throughout their healthcare experience, from participation in clinical trials through managing ongoing treatment and wellness. The bots are designed to deliver a more personalized patient experience and better patient support. Ella is a virtual care assistant for patients that provides medication reminders, vitals tracking and appointment scheduling.

Accenture Introduces Ella and Ethan, AI Bots to Improve a Patient's Health and Care Using the Accenture Intelligent Patient Platform NEW YORK; Sept. 21, 2018 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has enhanced the Accenture Intelligent Patient Platform with the addition of Ella and Ethan, two interactive virtual-assistant bots that use artificial intelligence (AI) to constantly learn and make intelligent recommendations for interactions between life sciences companies, patients, health care providers (HCPs) and caregivers. Designed to help improve a patient's health and overall experience, the bots are part of Accenture's Salesforce Fullforce Solutions powered by Salesforce Health Cloud and Einstein AI, as well as Amazon's Alexa. The Ella and Ethan bots are part of the Patient Engagement Support solution in the Accenture Intelligent Patient Platform, a digital health solution that supports patients throughout their healthcare experience, from participation in clinical trials through managing ongoing treatment and wellness. The bots are designed to deliver a more personalized patient experience and better patient support. Ella is a virtual care assistant for patients that provides medication reminders, vitals tracking and appointment scheduling.

ISELIN, N.J. -- JT Kostman, Ph.D., an internationally recognized leader in cognitive computing, applied artificial intelligence, and data strategy, has joined Grant Thornton LLP as managing director of applied artificial intelligence. In this new role, Kostman will lead the development and delivery of artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT, blockchain, and advanced analytic solutions and services for the firm and Grant Thornton clients. He will be based in the firm's Iselin, N.J., office and will report into National Managing Principal of Innovation Kevin Baril. Kostman is a data scientist, mathematician and psychologist renowned for his expertise in applied artificial intelligence and cognitive computing. He boasts an impressive pedigree – having served as chief data officer and a member of the executive committee for Time Inc., chief data scientist for Samsung, and chief data scientist and big data psychologist for Aptus Insights.

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Managing director of AI at Accenture in Canada, host of The AI Effect podcast with Amber Mac, which launches Season 2 on Oct. 23 Artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing amazing changes to the workplace, and it's raising a perplexing question: Are those robots sexist? While it may sound strange that AI could be gender-biased, there's evidence that it's happening when organizations aren't taking the right steps. In the age of #MeToo and the drive to achieve gender parity in the workplace, it's critical to understand how and why this occurs and to continue to take steps to address the imbalance. At Accenture, a global professional services company, we have set a goal to have a gender-balanced work force by 2025. There is no shortage of examples that demonstrate how a diverse mindset leads to better results, from reports of crash test dummies that are modelled only on male bodies, to extensive academic studies on the performance improvements at firms with higher female representation.

Industry 4.0 has been dubbed the next industrial revolution, with many analysts expecting the digitalisation of manufacturing to revolutionise how goods are processed and produced. Global consulting firm PwC surveyed more than 2,000 'first movers' from nine major industrial sectors to see how they approached Industry 4.0. Performance improvements will be made with smart manufacturing initiatives like integrated planning, scheduling, and predictive maintenance. This is because intelligent machines are available permanently and without interruption. They can identify and report when they need to be serviced or have parts replaced.