The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies like digital assistants, chatbots, and customized shopping recommendations on Amazon is not perceived to be as pervasive as some think. Only 42% percent of consumers in a recent survey by Genpact, a global professional services firm, say they interact with some form of AI regularly (i.e. The study is part of a three-part research series exploring AI perceptions of C-suite and other senior business executives, the workforce, and consumers. The undeniably increasing pervasiveness of these technologies carries significant implications for work in the future, and consumer preferences around the customer service experience. As worker and consumer concerns around artificial intelligence continue to evolve, it is critical for businesses to understand and be responsive to these issues to best succeed in the new AI world.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hotly discussed and debated subject in 2018. From newspapers to world leaders, everyone is talking about what machine intelligence and robotics could and might do for businesses. With all the buzz it is generating, Artificial Intelligence is rapidly emerging as a lucrative technology. By 2035, global consulting firm Accenture has suggested that Artificial Intelligence could add an estimated £654 billion to the UK economy. It comes as little surprise then to see an increasing number of businesses adding AI into their operations.

The modern consumer is acutely aware of their power in the marketplace. If they do not like a particular customer experience, they can quickly vote with their feet (or mouse) and move to a more customer-centric competitor. Businesses have discovered that if they want to retain clients, they need to improve how they perform. Many have found that AI can improve the customer experience. Artificial intelligence has helped streamline the retail customer experience. It has contributed to speeding up customer interaction and reducing consumer frustration.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming businesses across industries and continents, allowing those who invest in the technology to leverage data, automate processes and gain or sustain a highly-coveted competitive advantage. The health insurance industry is no exception and payers who utilize AI technology like intelligent virtual assistants to engage consumers will continue to widen the gap between those who have and haven't.

Apple introduced the "Hey Siri" feature with the iPhone 6 (iOS 8). This feature allows users to invoke Siri without having to press the home button. When a user says, "Hey Siri, how is the weather today?" the phone wakes up upon hearing "Hey Siri" and processes the rest of the utterance as a Siri request. The feature's ability to listen continuously for the "Hey Siri" trigger phrase lets users access Siri in situations where their hands might be otherwise occupied, such as while driving or cooking, as well as in situations when their respective devices are not within arm's reach. Imagine a scenario where a user is asking his or her iPhone 6 on the kitchen counter to set a timer while putting a turkey into the oven.

Voicera today announced it has acquired Wrappup to expand its meeting assistant Eva to the AI note-taking app for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. Voicera has raised $20 million from some of the biggest names at the intersection of enterprise and AI, including Microsoft Ventures, Cisco Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, and GV, formerly Google Ventures. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Cisco and Microsoft both shared plans last year to bring Spark Assistant and Cortana into the workplace and meeting rooms. With millions of G Suite customers and Alexa expanding into the workplace as well, Google Assistant may join other tech companies that want to bring their assistants into offices and meeting rooms.

Statistics state that 38% of companies have already invested in AI and using AI technologies for various operations, meanwhile, 62% of them plan to use those in the next 12 months, i.e. by the end of the year. Helped by the power of big data and cloud computing, AI is revolutionizing the digital world faster than anyone can imagine. We are already witnessing the change- from Amazon's Alexa to Google Photos and Tesla's self-driving cars. However, how does AI effect the development of the software that underlies most of these services? What are the things that from the perspective of a developer, that are necessary to be considered for AI software development? Each year the amount of data produced is doubled in amount and it is estimated that by the next decade there will be 150 billion networked sensors.

SalesHero introduced Robin, a new class of sales AI assistant built for the sales rep but truly benefiting the entire sales organization. Leveraging powerful artificial intelligence, Robin learns from the user's actions and automates sales processes to improve daily productivity. IDC predicts that from 2017 to 2021 AI-powered CRM activities will boost business revenue by $1.1 trillion. Sales teams, in particular, must learn to combine their efforts with disruptive technologies to improve efficiency. In fact, 60 percent of reps' time is spent on repetitive and menial tasks.

One of the most important undertakings an enterprise has to deal with is finding and hiring an amazing candidate. But the fierce competition for talent, lackluster recruiting and sourcing processes and uncoordinated evaluation criteria make it an arduous task. Astoundingly, 74% of employers claim they've hired the wrong person for a position. These hires come at a cost, with organizations losing an average of nearly $15,000 on every bad hire. It's enticing to tap into artificial intelligence to help with hiring, managing and optimizing contingent workers.

Apple finally joined the smart speaker competition in February with the launch of its $349 HomePod. The device was anxiously anticipated. Reports that Apple had been working on a "Siri speaker" had circulated for more than a year, but the device missed its targeted December 2017 debut. Now, the HomePod seems to be missing the mark with consumers. According to recent reports, HomePod sales haven't hit Apple's expectations, and the company is considering options including a lower priced model.