I'm always interested in reading articles about new approaches in my field of artificial intelligence and machine learning, so the recent AdWeek post by Steven Wong and Derek Slater of Ready State suggesting that'Machine learning is about to turn the marketing world upside down' really caught my eye. Every time I hear or read that machine learning is'about to' do something it makes me smile, particularly in this case as'the marketing world' is completely relevant to my job. As Chief Science Officer for an international marketing company, I am working with these technologies on a daily basis. Unlike the 2017 scene set out in the original post, more marketing companies are having conversations about human designed personas compared to segments identified by machine intelligence. While correlation isn't necessarily causation, understanding the similarities in your customer base that lead to a purchase decision is powerful.

The developments in Google's Cloud Computing segment, especially the Cloud Machine Learning service, have been so rapid that Google calls it one of its fastest growing product areas. Google has been ramping up their Cloud Platform quite aggressively in recent months. Just a few weeks ago, the Google Cloud Platform opened its newest zone in Tokyo, increasing the total number of regions they are present in to six - three in the US and one each in Belgium and Taiwan and Tokyo. Not long ago, the company announced its acquisition of Orbitera, a cloud commerce company. The developments in Google's Cloud Computing segment, especially the Cloud Machine Learning service, have been so rapid that Google calls it one of its fastest growing product areas.

Just over five years ago, IBM's Watson supercomputer crushed opponents in the televised quiz show Jeopardy. It was hard to foresee then, but artificial intelligence is now permeating our daily lives. Since then, IBM has expanded the Watson brand to a cognitive computing package with hardware and software used to diagnose diseases, explore for oil and gas, run scientific computing models, and allow cars to drive autonomously. The company has now announced new AI hardware and software packages. The original Watson used advanced algorithms and natural language interfaces to find and narrate answers.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is typically diagnosed in early childhood, but genetic detection of this brain disorder could mean more timely interventions that improve life for the patient and their carers. A new study suggests that machine learning algorithms might be used to analyze genetic data that points to an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis before symptoms become obvious. Fuad Alkoot of PAAET in Kuwait, and Abdullah Alqallaf of Kuwait University, Kuwait, explain that unlike other conditions, such as cancer, little heed has been taken to the possibility of early genetic detection of autism. This is despite the fact that an early diagnosis could be very useful to parents and carers. The team has now developed a four-stage computerized neural network system for testing simplified genetic data.

AI for short -- has already changed the way businesses operate. Its role in streamlining manufacturing and production is well-known. But AI is also transforming the way companies interact with customers. That's good news since the ability to consistently deliver an excellent customer experience is critical for companies in today's hyper-competitive economy. There are some incredibly exciting developments on the horizon as the IoT expands and AI tools become more advanced.

Not long ago, audits could be performed only by teams of accountants manually scouring reams of financial information. But given the explosion of data in today's digital world, it's critical that the audit profession evolves its traditional processes and embraces advanced technology tools--including robotics, automation and cognitive technology. By doing so, it can uncover insights that allow the audit to continue to be relevant and effective in helping investors make important financial decisions. Learn how cognitive technology is changing the financial statement audit. Cognitive technology--also known as artificial intelligence--can go through a vast amount of data faster and more precisely than any person.

Big Blue is bringing its Watson artificial intelligence tools to the enterprise world in a big way, with new tools announced this week for marketing, commerce, supply chains, and human resources. IBM also rolled out a new hybrid cloud database solution, cognitive capabilities for iOS apps, and services for developers using the Slack collaboration platform. The company announced the new products and services at its World of Watson event taking place this week in Las Vegas. The conference is dedicated to promoting IBM's artificial intelligence technologies. One of the key themes of this year's conference is how Watson can help business professionals.

Facebook has developed a special tool to keep countries from seeing stories criticial of their government. The site has been secretly working on a feature that allows it to geographically censor specific posts from people in the country. It appears to have been done as a way of getting back into China, an important market for the company but one with an intense censorship regime. The apparent tool was revealed at a time when Facebook was facing increased scrutiny of how it picks what appears in news feed. It has received special criticism for the way that it allows fake news to flourish on the service, and many have claimed that it helped Donald Trump win the Presidential election.

From tailoring our web searches and targeting advertisements, to detecting spam or fraudulent activity and even enabling driverless cars; over the last decade or so machine learning has infiltrated many aspects of our lives, often in ways that we have come to take for granted. Now there is burgeoning excitement around its potential utility in medicine. Some paint a future in which machine le arning will diagnose disease and displace the work of doctors. But others question the extent and pace of any disruption in healthcare. So when it comes to actual impact on healthcare, where do we draw the line between hype and reality?

The most vexing and important issues of the present and the future likely will be solved using the power of supercomputers, a renowned expert says. In fact, supercomputers already are being used to tackle problems in disciplines such as medicine, education, energy exploration and criminal investigation, explained Katharine Frase. That kind of readily available technology, she said, is leading to increased capabilities in policing and other disciplines "in an actionable way." Frase was the keynote speaker Tuesday at SC16, the top international convention showcasing how high-performance computing, networking, storage and analysis are advancing commerce, education, medicine, scientific research, space exploration, weather forecasting and many other disciplines. Frase served as chief technology officer and vice president of public sector at IBM from March 2013 to September 2015.