We are on the verge of a very fast rate of technological change. If you think the Internet and mobile communications have changed the world, just wait. Coming years will be even more disruptive and amazing. When most people ponder technology they default to thoughts about compute power and its limitations. In 1965 Gordon Moore, the cofounder of Intel theorized that processing power should be capable of doubling every 18-24 months.

The U.K. government has distributed a number of gifts to the country's technology sector. In his first Autumn Statement Wednesday, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond confirmed the U.K. government would invest an additional 2 billion pounds ($2.48 billion) into technology research and development by the end of the current Parliament in 2020. Some of this money will be allocated to a new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund that will direct it to priority technologies, including robotics and artificial intelligence. Hammond also flagged further investment into the development of autonomous vehicles, and announced plans to invest 400 million pounds into venture capital via the British Business Bank, in order to stem the sale of promising U.K. startups to foreign buyers. "I am taking a first step to tackle the longstanding problem of our fastest growing technology firms being snapped up by bigger companies, rather than growing to scale," said Hammond.

Sephora is one of the earliest retailers to offer a chatbot experience consistent with its chic and modern brand values. The Sephora chatbot is available on Kik, a messaging platform popular with millennials. The team at 1080bots is continually reviewing chatbots to figure out how to create brilliant high-touch ecommerce experiences that represent your brand and deliver on business objectives. The conversation begins with the bot introducing itself and what it's able to do for the user. In this case the bot provides make up tips and reviews.

The underwater search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 found man-made objects on the ocean floor, later revealed to be debris from a nearby shipwreck. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which is leading the search for the missing plane, said in its operational update Wednesday that sonar from Dong Hai Jiu 101 found the debris. The man-made object turned out to be a metal box likely a part of an ancient shipwreck previously detected during the underwater search. Another site of interest inspected by the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) on board the Chinese vessel Dong Hai Jiu 101 revealed only a rock formation. "Dong Hai Jiu 101 has conducted a total of 13 ROV dives during the swing. Two dives were completed by Dong Hai Jiu 101 in the past week with one sonar contact identified as geology," ATSB said in the statement.

Go master Cho Chikun triumphed Wednesday in his final game against DeepZenGo, a Japanese artificial intelligence system, to win the three-game series 2-1. Cho, 60, has won 74 titles in his long career, the largest number in Japan. He defeated DeepZenGo with the 167th move in the third game of the series, which was played on even terms with no handicaps. DeepZenGo uses deep learning and other advanced technologies. It is being developed with support mainly from Dwango Co., a video-sharing website operator, and the University of Tokyo. "I felt as if I was playing with a human, because (DeepZenGo) has both strong and weak points," Cho said after the final game.

I have spent a lot of time working with spreadsheets, databases, and data more generally. This work has led to me having a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you.

Following recent reports from the Government Office for Science and the House of Commons Select Committee, Digital Catapult comments on how access to data can open opportunities to the UK's AI entrepreneurs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the centre of two recent government reports. Yesterday, the Government Office for Science published an overview of AI that focuses on several significant areas: the effect of AI on productivity and economic value, advantages to government, effects on the labour market, ethical challenges and public trust. Earlier in October the House of Commons Select Committee published their report on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence that recommends that the government is to invest in education and training infrastructures, ensure digital inclusion and governance mechanisms, and provide leadership for future growth in robotics and AI. When considering where the government can provide a significant boost to UK AI and machine learning entrepreneurs, Digital Catapult believes there is a major opportunity in access to data.

Google has invested C$4.5m to support the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms (MILA). The news, confirmed by the online giant this week, has further cemented the Canadian city's standing as a centre in AI research, with more than 150 researchers at the University of Montreal already working in the field. The money from Google will be used to fund seven faculties across a number of Montreal institutions. Along with the academic support, Google will also open an AI research group in their Montreal office, linked directly to the Google Brain team in California. The $82.5 billion firm has already assembled one of the biggest groups of AI researchers, adding Snapchat's Jia Li and Stanford's Fei-FeiLi to its team of experts just last week.

The AI Summit on December 1st, at New York, aims at fostering a meeting of minds -- a fruitful synergy of ideas and future trends among leading technology solution providers. The event is envisaged to look at the practical implications of AI for enterprise organisations, the actual solutions that are transforming business productivity. Supported by the leading AI solution providers, the summit gathers 600 business CxOs, AI start-up innovators, press/media and acclaimed researchers. Unlike academic conferences and forums, the summit lays stress on a hands-on approach to machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) -- reaching beyond theoretical capabilities and analysing practical applications for your organization. Connect with scientists, technology specialists, industry experts, and thought leaders to discover the potential of AI, and their direct impact on business.

When we think about artificial intelligence, we often imagine robots performing tasks on the warehouse or factory floor that were once exclusively the work of people. This conjures up the specter of lost jobs and upheaval for many workers. Yet, it can also seem a bit remote -- something that will happen in "the future." But the future is a lot closer than many realize. It also looks more promising than many have predicted.