Almost every action we do on the Internet or on mobile applications is recorded in files known as web logs. These logs can be very voluminous, providing a classic example of Big Data. Data science and Machine Learning algorithms can provide a way of extricating value from web logs. At the OVH Summit on the 11th of October, I presented a workshop on getting value out of web logs through Machine Learning with Dataiku DSS. In this article, I will run through the aspects of that presentation.

On Monday September 19th, Salesforce announced Salesforce Einstein, a full Artificial Intelligence (AI) Platform that includes what appears to be both Machine and Deep Learning Capabilities. They also announced a new Research Unit focused on AI. This blog is about the Salesforce Einstein Announcement and the profound implications for enterprises and vendors alike. The biggest thing about Einstein is that Salesforce is showing working prototypes. Salesforce provided a preview demonstration of Predictive Lead Scoring and it looked solid.

Real-time cell tower inspections by intelligent drone with deep learning capabilities demonstrated at GPU Technology Conference. One of the world's first automated inspections by an intelligent drone with deep learning capabilities was demonstrated at the GPU Technology Conference Europe by Aerialtronics, a Dutch manufacturer of technologically advanced drones, Neurala, a pioneer in deep learning software, and GPU-accelerated computing company NVIDIA. This new "intelligent drone" identifies objects and their condition in flight, which increases the efficiency and accuracy of documenting assets, lowering costs, and making it easier for frequent inspections. It adds to the use of commercial drones to help businesses access difficult and dangerous areas, such as cell towers and turbines. The resulting system can visually inspect a cell tower and recognise the equipment mounted on the mast.

So many works of film and fiction are hooked on the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and what it might mean for humanity. They are often apocalyptic tales – Blade Runner, Alien, Terminator – where mankind comes off badly. But now that AI is being spearheaded by internet giants such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon, and our daily lives are increasingly affected by AI systems – chat bots, purchase prediction, news generation – what will really happen? In 2015 the UK media widely picked up on American media organisation NPR's calculator that could predict which jobs are susceptible to computerisation. The calculator, using research by the University of Oxford, said accountants have a 95% chance of losing their jobs as machines take over the number crunching and data analysis.

Israeli artificial intelligence startup Voyager Labs has emerged from stealth mode with customers, use cases, and $100 million in funding. Voyager Labs has raised the funds from prominent investors including Sir Ronald Cohen, Lloyd Dorfman, OCAPAC Holding Company, and Horizons Ventures to help finance the company's next generation solutions for the financial and e-commerce markets. The company has 90 employees at its R&D center in Hod Hasharon and offices in New York, Washington and London. Founded in 2012, Voyager Labs has developed an artificial intelligence engine that combines expert systems with deep-learning algorithms and is capable of extracting dynamic, real-time, and tailored insights into human behavior by analyzing massive amounts of publicly available unstructured data. Voyager Labs was founded by CEO Avi Korenblum, who served in the Israeli intelligence community for 20 years.

Israel-based equity crowdfunding platform OurCrowd is launching a sector specific fund fully focused on digital health -- touting it as Israel's first fund with such a focus. The fund, called OurCrowd Qure, will invest in early stage startups at the seed and Series A level. Fundraising is starting now, with a target of $50 million for the first raise. Managing partner Dr Yossi Bahagon tells TechCrunch the team expects to make about 15 investments with the first fund. He says typical investments will start at $500,000 for the earliest stage startups, rising to up to about $3 million at the Series A level.

People who use Facebook live longer, according to a new study. Using the site to stay in touch with people appears to suggest that using the site is associated with living longer. Scientists have long known that people have stronger social networks and relationships also tend to live longer. The new study shows that the same is true of the online world. "Interacting online seems to be healthy when the online activity is moderate and complements interactions offline," said author William Hobbs in a statement.

Spending on cognitive systems and artificial intelligence (AI) across a broad range of industries will drive worldwide revenues from nearly $8.0 billion in 2016 to more than $47 billion in 2020. In its Worldwide Semiannual Cognitive/Artificial Intelligence Systems Spending Guide IDC said the market for cognitive/AI solutions will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 55.1 per cent over the 2016-2020 forecast period. According to David Schubmehl, research director, Cognitive Systems and Content Analytics at IDC, "Software developers and end user organizations have already begun the process of embedding and deploying cognitive/artificial intelligence into almost every kind of enterprise application or process" "Recent announcements by several large technology vendors and the booming venture capital market for AI startups illustrate the need for organizations to be planning and undertaking strategies that incorporate these wide-ranging technologies," he said. Schubmehl said identifying, understanding, and acting on the use cases, technologies, and growth opportunities for cognitive/AI systems will be a differentiating factor for most enterprises and the digital disruption caused by these technologies will be significant. The ability to recognize and respond to data flows using algorithms and rule-based logic enables cognitive/AI systems to automate a broad range of functions across many industries.

Developed by a Swiss startup called Eyra, Horus consists of a headband with stereo cameras on one end that can recognise text, faces and objects. Information from the cameras is fed via a 1m cable into a smartphone-sized box containing a battery and a NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor. This provides GPU-accelerated computer vision, deep learning and sensors that process, analyse and describe the images from the cameras. Feedback and instruction are delivered via bone conduction audio technology that allows the wearer to hear descriptions even in noisy environments. Similar technology has been developed by BAE Systems for the military and adapted for the Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) America's Cup team.

Jen-Hsun Huang says he wants to turn driverless cars into AIs that can act as personal assistants and co-pilots for driving. Few areas of technology are attracting as much interest as self-driving cars. Wall Street Journal Business Editor Jason Anders discussed the heart of that technology with Jen-Hsun Huang, chief executive of Nvidia Corp., whose chips are used to power autonomous driving and other artificial-intelligence applications. HUANG: Well, the biggest problem is that the car has to be able to perceive the environment. Reasoning, planning and learning are a big part of artificial intelligence.