Microsoft researchers have created technology that uses artificial intelligence to read a document and answer questions about it about as well as a human. It's a major milestone in the push to have search engines such as Bing and intelligent assistants such as Cortana interact with people and provide information in more natural ways, much...

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.

It will soon reach a point where a product manager can just talk to Amazon Alexa to build a fully functional mobile app, without even a tap or a single mouse click. And such advancements could be a precursor to another wave of digital disruption!

Like it or not, the machines are claiming new territory. And by "machines" I mean artificial intelligence (AI). Our business and personal lives are touched by AI every day. That friendly lady who took your information and looked up your account when you called your insurance company? That helpful service on Netflix that recommends new shows to watch?

Far beyond a dolphin swimming in the data streams (Dolphins can send and receive 20x the amount of information humans can with our senses), AI by its very nature (AI 10 Million Times Faster Than Humans) is set to make sense and insights into both large and small marketing data sets. With all the talk around digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence embedded into your marketing technology stack, creates a perfect opportunity to shift your marketing paradigm. Lots of companies invest in emerging technologies with a functional focus. AI technologies for marketing become strategic advantages for those marketers, who can then use these technologies for higher conversions and customer retention. Delivering more revenue through hyper-personalization and predictive analytics, Artificial Intelligence will scale your marketing impact.

People are increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence (AI) -- that is, the machines, systems or applications that are capable of performing tasks that, until recently, could only be performed by a human. Think of your morning routine: maybe a Google Assistant checks your calendar and reminds you of your meetings. Then you survey Twitter, which uses algorithms to curate what you see -- the latest about Trump, trade and technology rise to the top. And at the end of it all, when you settle in for some Netflix, your profile suggests a few thrillers you're likely to binge-watch. Marketing statistics reveal that some 57 percent of consumers expect voice-activated smart assistants to have a major or moderate impact on their daily lives by 2020.

New technology is ready to make the internet as seamless as possible and transform the way we work, live and play. The next phase of digital disruption is'invisible technology', making the way that consumers get information and buy products as integrated into our daily lives as possible. Voice assistants like Alexa, Siri and Cortana can help consumers function in hands-free and even eyes-free situations. A good example of this is in an application like cooking. As these devices become part of everyone's kitchen, they have the potential to be an'extra hand', telling consumers recipes, reminding consumers when to stir the dish and even suggesting a wine pairing for the meal.

The pace of technological change can seem exciting and daunting in equal measure. From Amazon to Uber, tech giants saw their practices and business models scrutinised more deeply than ever before, while regulators sought to get their arms around a rapidly evolving "new economy", driven by disruptive technology. While we can only guess at what's around the corner, here are five things to watch out for this year. Machine learning comprises a key component of artificial intelligence whose use is set to grow. Many businesses, especially consumer-facing ones that analyse data (think Google Translate), will start to deploy it, with high-end smartphones being a good example of where we can expect continued early adoption. Machine learning is likely to make data analysis easier and improve efficiencies, thus empowering rather than replacing humans – at least for now.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is suddenly everywhere. From phones and TVs to air conditioners and even a toilet, the flashy new products at the year's CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas - the world's largest tech show - are showing the 180,000 attendees that if a device doesn't have AI inside, it's not worth having. At least, that's what they're being led to believe. Have you ever decided to buy a smartphone because it had AI inside? Probably not, but next time you buy a handset it's likely to be a major factor. Huawei kicked it off a few months ago with its Mate 10, claiming the phone's NPU (neural processing unit) would enable smart photography and machine translation.

There's no doubt that smart speakers are selling like hotcakes, but how many people own them, exactly? They've published findings of a study which estimates that one in six Americans (16 percent) owns a smart speaker of some kind -- a huge amount if the study is precise, and a whopping 128 percent higher than a year earlier. About 7 percent of Americans reportedly bought at least one speaker between Black Friday (November 24th) and then end of 2017, with 4 percent of Americans having bought their very first speaker. Not surprisingly, Amazon still rules this fledgling market. The study indicates that 11 percent of Americans have one of Amazon's Echo speakers, while 4 percent have a Google Home of some kind thanks to its relatively late arrival.