AI has been a hot topic for legal in blogging and thought leadership. Outlets like Legaltech news and Forbes have reported on the emerging use of AI in the legal industry and how it has helped many firms find success in the changing market of a client-demand based business model. The billable hour is beginning to put a strain on many firms, with clients evaluating legal services to meet their value-based, consultative needs. The Center for the Study of the Legal Profession at the Georgetown University Law Center and Thomson Reuters Peer Monitor 2016 Report addresses these trending changes in the industry, stating "What once was a seller's market has now clearly become a buyer's market, and the ramifications of that change are significant." This new buyers-mindset has been consistently evolving since 2008: "[The] market for law firm services has changed in significant and permanent ways. Clients who previously deferred to their outside firms on virtually all key decisions regarding the organization, staffing, scheduling, and pricing of legal matters are now, in most cases, in active control of all of those decisions."

Today's tech buzzword, artificial intelligence (AI), can be a difficult concept to wrap your head around. AI technology, which holds vast potential to revolutionize the way the world works, is often used to paint an apocalyptic view of the future. We now live in a world where talking computers and self-driving cars are no longer a thing of the future -- but are we also at risk of developing computers so smart that they can replace humans? Influential tech figures such as Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have cautioned the industry against diving head-on into AI because the technology's implementation could do more harm than good if we aren't careful. While there's no arguing that some of the cautionary tales around AI hold merit, our current reality is far from the robot-run society we've seen in the movies.

Every year, we reach new heights in dating technology, as apps, platforms, and gadgets become more deeply entangled in our relationships. No doubt, dating in 2017 will not be materially different from what it was like in 2016--a year tends not to make a lot of difference--but we can certainly glean a picture of what sex and love will look like in the not-so-distant future and beyond. In a way, pop culture is already showing us. One of the most acclaimed TV dramas of the year, HBO's Westworld, is set in an enormous Dionysian amusement park in which humans indulge their sexual and emotional fantasies with lifelike robots. We're not there yet, but this past April, a Hong Kong designer unveiled his very own humanoid robot that looked remarkably similar to actress Scarlett Johansson.

Wearable health and fitness sensors have widely been adopted, and many people are not aware that they are using sensors to track the movements of animals and track the Structural integrity of buildings and bridges. As a result of the rapid Internet of Things (IoT) increase, it is speculated that a lot of sensor devices will be available in the coming ten years. These are connected sensor devices that will be in a position to automate different processes across a wide range of sectors including healthcare management and industrial plants. Each IoT device and application will come with unique content including the location, behaviour of individuals in a given area and the surrounding environment's condition. Each device will be able to observe and become adapted to their contexts.

Do you have an iPhone? Tell Siri that you want to buy Apple. Trying that in a suburban Long Island, N.Y., town recently resulted in Siri asking if the user wanted to go to the Apple Store at a nearby mall. Then, Siri suggested, the closest branch of Apple Bank for Savings? Then the virtual assistant suggests a nearby floor covering company named for the fruit.

There's a special type of geekish delight that comes with a new Android phone. While it may sound trite, your options for phones are truly better than ever thanks to a new phone from Google and solid updates to other models. It's also less hassle than ever to switch from the iPhone or an older Android phone. Yet we still have some insider tips to pass along, as you can't have enough knowledge when it comes to setting up the optimal smartphone experience. The shining example here is the Pixel, which comes with a Quick Switch Adapter to help you move everything over.

This has been the year of artificial intelligence (AI). From the buzz around workplace automation at this year's World Economic Forum to Stephen Hawking's recent discourse on the potential windfalls and risks of AI, the future of machine learning is on everyone's minds. My recent attendance at a Shared Services Forum event only confirmed the fact. You couldn't walk five steps without hearing someone discussing the role that robotics and AI will play in the future of HR. These advanced technologies have been in use for some time, but their application in the field of HR is still in its early days. There is really only one aspect of HR where robotics and AI have begun to make a real impact--shared services.

A teary-eyed Mala Sharma felt vindicated as she stood outside a school for impoverished children in India. A student had snatched the Adobe Systems executive's iPad and had a go with the company's simplest video editing program. He nailed it, creating a quick video that Sharma said amused his teacher and peers. For years, Adobe has been the dominant provider of expensive editing tools to professional content producers. But the recent experience in India with her company's newer, consumer-oriented app showed Sharma firsthand the value of expanding efforts to make tools approachable to anyone.

Over the course of 2016, artificial intelligence made the leap from "science fiction concept" to "almost meaningless buzzword" with alarmingspeed. Period-tracking app Flo "uses a neural network approach" to deliver "high period forecast accuracy"; food delivery app Just Eat launched a chatbot that "sees AI integrated into the ordering experience to ensure that customers receive the best, round the clock support and service"; restaurant guide Borsch "uses artificial intelligence to help people discover the yummiest dishes around". But unlike many buzzwords before it, from "big data" to "blockchain", artificial intelligence's transformation into venture capitalist-catnip doesn't signify the end of anyone serious using the term themselves. In fact, 2017 looks like it could be the most important year yet for the technology: AI will butt up against not only what is possible, but also what is desirable for the first time. Like many futures, the AI revolution feels interminably slow to live through, and will feel like it happened in an instant in hindsight.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going mainstream, captivating TV viewers, moviegoers and bookworms alike. One example of AI in pop culture is HBO's "Westworld." In the show, a futuristic amusement park allows visitors to live out their fantasies through AI-enhanced technology that personalizes each experience. For retail marketers, this idea should sound familiar – not because of the robot cowboys, but because the best retailers are taking a similar approach to customer engagement. Imagine a world where every interaction is tailored specifically to each unique customer, such as receiving a list of product recommendations through a simple retina scan. That's not as far off as it may seem.