One of the top conversations that we have with businesses all over the world is how digital transformation is impacting every part of their operations. This wave of transformation is being driven by the ongoing advances in computing building blocks of the last few decades: compute, storage, and networks. At the same time as companies are continuing down the path of digital transformation, there is a new generation of software building blocks that will drive even greater transformation for businesses in the future of which AI is one of the core drivers. AI will help to transform all industries, including transportation, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and more and create opportunities we have yet to consider. In this post I will talk about how Microsoft is helping businesses transform with AI.

For the 7,000 people in the audience for Google's (GOOG, GOOGL) I/O keynote last week, the Google Duplex demo was a mind-fryer. CEO Sundar Pichai had said to his phone, "OK Google, book me a haircut appointment on Tuesday between 10 a.m. and noon." And then, silently and invisibly (to him), Google Assistant had made a phone call to a human receptionist at the salon and had held a conversation, flawlessly impersonating an actual person, complete with "umms" and "ahhs." The receptionist never knew she'd been talking to AI. "That the many in Google did not erupt in utter panic and disgust at the first suggestion of this is incredible to me," tweeted Zeynep Tufekci, a University of North Carolina professor. "This is horrible and so obviously wrong. And on "CBS This Morning," Salesforce (CRM) CEO Marc Benioff spoke about it in the context of his call for a new, national privacy law. "That was the most amazing AI technology I've seen.

In this video from Intel AI DevCon 2018, Andrew Ng from Deeplearning.ai and Landing.ai When you ask Siri for directions, peruse Netflix's recommendations or get a fraud alert from your bank, these interactions are led by computer systems using large amounts of data to predict your needs. The market is only going to grow. By 2020, the research firm IDC predicts that AI will help drive worldwide revenues to over $47 billion, up from $8 billion in 2016. Still, Andrew NG says fears that AI will replace humans are misplaced: "Despite all the hype and excitement about AI, it's still extremely limited today relative to what human intelligence is."

It is a device normally used to check the weather forecast or order more toilet paper. But Alexa can now summon a prayer to say grace before your evening meal or give thanks to God before going to bed at night. Amazon's virtual assistant has been picked up by the Church of England to make being a practising Christian easier. In response to a simple command, its app gets Alexa to read out the Lord's Prayer or the Ten Commandments, for those concerned about wrongdoing. Along with other Google searches, users can ask how to become a Christian, how to pray and who God is.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning saw a significant spike of attention in the past few years – whether it's through partnerships, acquisitions, or in-house developments. The largest financial institutions in the US have been involved in one way or another in bringing artificial intelligence into operations and customer-facing functions. A recent study of 34 major banks across several geographies (US, EU, Singapore, Africa, Australia, India) by MEDICI Team found that 27 out of these 34 banks have implemented AI in their front-office functions in form of a chatbot, virtual assistant, and digital advisor. Some of the most prominent banks in this space across regions are Bank of America, OCBC, ABN Amro, YES BANK, etc. While front-office applications have certainly seen a higher intensity, scope, and adoption, the AI strategy in the US banking industry, in reality, is far more diverse.

One of the biggest and most important trends in business today is the steady growth of artificial intelligence (AI). While people often think of AI in terms of the ways it can eliminate menial tasks such as paperwork and scheduling, the fact is that it will soon be touching every part of the business world, if it is not already. AI is doing more than just providing companies with virtual personal assistants -- it is changing marketing as we know it. Digital marketers today are helped by an incredible wave of information that is available from accessible, advanced data analytics tools, providing more insight into consumers as well as how to market directly to them. As the chief digital officer at Advantix Digital, I have had the chance to be exposed to AI -- from the introduction of machine learning to AdWords and optimizing for voice search.

In the first quarter of 2017, Amazon owned almost 80% of the smart speaker market, while Google sipped up just 19.3%. But in the same quarter this year, Google sold more than a third of all smart speakers, while Amazon's share plummeted to 27.7%. And it's in the fastest-growing consumer technology market: nine million devices sold in Q1 2018 versus 2.9 million last year. "Google took the top spot, beating Amazon for the first time, shipping 3.2 million of its Google Home and Home Mini devices, against the 2.5 million Echo devices shipped by Amazon," says Canalys in a new report. Dipping market share is not unusual when a market matures. The initial innovator is confronted with competition on all sides -- Google, Alibaba, Xiaomi, and Apple all have smart speaker solutions, and more are popping up daily.

A smart light switch adds control to one of the connected home's most basic functions, and today, you can add one of your own for cheap--the WeMo light switch is on sale for $35 on Amazon, down from a list price of $50. This light switch is designed to add convenience and control to your home lighting. You'll be able to make adjustments and commands from your phone via the WeMo app, but you can also connect it to your other smart devices to add voice control with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant. If you know when you'll be around, you can schedule when your lights will come off and on, or randomize when you're away to deter potential intruders. And it doesn't have to be lights--connect this switch to a ceiling fan or anything else controlled by a one-way connection light switch and you'll be able to control that as well.

It started with a chilling phone call: a voice on the other end of the line telling you to unplug your devices and that they are being listened to. Then it became something even more worrying, when you realise that it's true, and the Amazon Echo in your house has been sending your private conversations to random people. The revelation that an Amazon Echo speaker had been quietly recording its owners and then sharing those recordings have shocked and scared many people who own the useful but intimate little cylinders. Amazon has said that such an event is extremely rare – and that it is working to make it even less likely – but the fact that it can happen at all has worried many people who have let Alexa into their home. The bizarre occurrence seems to be the consequence of a relatively innocent sounding feature: a messaging tool that allows people to send voice notes to other people with Echos.

Android Auto Wireless promises to make vehicle smartphone connections less of a futz, provided you have both a phone and infotainment system that supports it. Google is handling the first part, and Pioneer just announced that it has joined JVCKenwood in offering in-dash receivers with the tech. The three models (the AVIC-W8400NEX, -W6400NEX and -W4400NEX) are the first that can connect over wireless or USB to both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Pioneer claims. The receivers support Google Assistant and Siri, letting you do things like control your home lights, garage doors and thermostat from your car. They're also "the most feature packed receivers offered by Pioneer," the company notes, supporting back up cameras, navigation (via Here maps) and other features.