Two months ago, I pointed out that iconic software giant Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) was more of an artificial intelligence company than most everyone recognized. Thanks to a handful of acquisitions and a couple of home-grown efforts, much of the long-term future value of MSFT stock was riding on how potent the company's AI technologies were. It turns out that Microsoft may be closer to a meaningful AI endzone than previously thought. It recently teamed up with Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) to promote a new deep-learning programming interface called Gluon.

There have been a number of buzzwords and defining technology trends in retail over the last decade: from Big Data, to omnichannel, and the ubiquitous, omni-present Cloud. And now the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) have seemingly become the latest crazes and talk of the town. Forrester expects investment in AI to triple this year. By 2020, 85% of customer interactions will be managed by AI according to research by Gartner. The value of AI is estimated to be worth $36.8bn globally by 2025 predicts US market intelligence firm Tractica.

As China gears up for its version of Black Friday, robots are one way companies are revolutionizing the logistics behind the annual online shopping extravaganza. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. As China gears up for its version of Black Friday, robots are one way companies are revolutionizing the logistics behind the annual online shopping extravaganza.

Cyber Monday is a few weeks away, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared, especially with Amazon deals. The online retailer has not specified what exactly it will offer on Cyber Monday, but it will most likely reveal the deals closer to the day. Meanwhile, Amazon launched its "Black Friday Deals Store" last week, a countdown event packed with deals leading up to the shopping day. For those who want to get a head start on planning their shopping, here are some items Amazon could have deals on during Cyber Monday, Nov. 27 Amazon usually lowers its prices on its devices, like Echo gadgets and Kindles, on big shopping days. During Cyber Monday last year, and on Prime Day this summer, the online retailer slashed prices for Amazon devices.

"Innovation," Jeff Bezos once said, "happens by gently lifting a grandfather and asking him for six different ideas." It's the work of Botnik, a new AI-assisted humor application that scours various types of human-created, word-crowded content--from season-three Seinfeld scripts to Yelp reviews to Bezos' shareholder letters--in order to build predictive, idiom-specific keyboards. Those keyboards, many of which are available on Botnik.org, The best Botnik creations, like this PBS-derived set of otter facts, retain the structure and wordplay of their source material, while adding a goofy, appropriately robotic sense of stiltedness. They all represent a new form of comedy, a human-computer collaboration, one that "gathers all these evocative phrases from a genre, and then builds them together in an absurd collage," says Botnik cofounder Jamie Brew.

Black Friday 2017 is nearly upon us, and that means having access to tons of great deals for gamers. Whether you're on PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch here are the best hardware and software deals straight from the latest flyers. We'll be adding more deals as we find out about them, but here are the most recent announcements. Best Buy's Black Friday Deals In Consoles & Hardware Those are all the major game-related Black Friday deals we know today, but we'll be back with more details as they arrive. For more info on what to expect at Best Buy and Target, be sure to read our full flyer summary and store hours recap!

For consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, machine learning can be a powerful ally. The supermarket giant's sweeping "Restock" initiative is a perfect case study in how to put data science to use. Kroger is doubling down on this initiative and increasing capital expenditures over the next three years to over $3 billion. The "Restock" strategic initiative calls for integrating machine learning with other technology components to deliver a seamless personal experience and optimize space at the store level. Kroger's plans call for touching 20% to 30% of Kroger's 2,800 stores in 2018 and upwards to 75% of in-store categories changing on average 8 feet of shelving per category all while reducing cost of in-store operations.

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If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. However, our picks and opinions are independent from USA TODAY's newsroom and any business incentives. If you've ever considered getting a robot vacuum, even if you were only half serious, today might be the perfect time to make your move. We managed to score an exclusive discount on one of the best affordable robot vacuums we've ever tested. The iLife A4S Robot Vacuum Cleaner typically sells for $199.99 on Amazon, but if you enter the coupon code "4REVIWED" at checkout, you'll save $50 on the purchase.

Voice shopping might be the latest trend this holiday season, with major retailers having already partnered with leading voice assistants to offer shopping experience to users. While Target and Walmart have teamed up with the Google Express service, Best Buy is now selling a limited category of products through Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. With the biggest shopping festival of the year -- Black Friday -- being held on Nov. 24, chances are that Alexa's parent company, Amazon, may offer special offers for the holiday via the shopping assistant. If you are using Alexa, you will be able to learn about and make purchases on Best Buy's products, including its Deal of the day. If you are confused about which laptop or TV you should go for, the voice assistant will ask you a series of questions and recommend products based on your answers.