Emotion artificial intelligence (AI) systems are becoming so sophisticated that Gartner predicts that by 2022, personal devices will know more about an individual's emotional state than his or her own family. AI is generating multiple disruptive forces that are reshaping the way we interact with personal technologies. "Emotion AI systems and affective computing are allowing everyday objects to detect, analyse, process and respond to people's emotional states and moods to provide better context and a more personalised experience," said Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner. "To remain relevant, technology vendors must integrate AI into every aspect of their devices, or face marginalisation." The current wave of emotion AI systems is being driven by the proliferation of virtual personal assistants (VPAs) and other AI-based technology for conversational systems.

Facebook is killing a buzzy version of its personal assistant "M," which was powered by artificial intelligence and real-life humans. The service, which helped people set up appointments and buy things, was available through a Messenger bot--but only to about 2,000 in California people throughout its two-year lifespan. The company said it would close the project on Jan. 19, The Verge reported. When announced in August 2015, Facebook said M could do more than other AI assistants on the market because it was being "supervised by people." The company never followed through on plans to roll it on a larger scale.

Bitcoin and blockchain entered the consumer lexicon in a media frenzy that saw it hit $19,000 USD per coin (albeit for only 20 minutes) and led thousands of new hopefuls to Google'what is bitcoin and how will it make me rich?' And the WannaCry cyberattack saw consumers' cherished photos and documents held to ransom, crippling Britain's NHS and reminding everyone that cybersecurity isn't just for big corporations or spy agencies. With all of that in mind, along with Niels Bohr's observation that prediction is very difficult (especially about the future), here are our six predictions about how these key themes -- AI and Machine Learning (ML), IoT, security, blockchain -- are likely to begin to make a real difference in the way all of us interact with technology in 2018… Ever tried to use Siri offline? Suddenly, your knowledgeable little friend becomes rather dumb. In 2017, AI fed consumers content on Facebook or Netflix while assistants such as Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant identified what song was playing or what the weather would be like tomorrow.

LAS VEGAS -- Google Assistant has a message for its digital assistant rival: "Hey, Alexa, I can show stuff, too." Google is teaming with four consumer tech companies to bring its digital helper to the video screen soon. Consider it a direct challenge to rival Amazon, which started selling its touchscreen Echo Show with Alexa earlier this year. The question now is whether customers will want to buy Google's version of these "show and tell" speakers, which Google calls Smart Displays and will be sold by JBL, LG, Lenovo and Sony. Until now, Google has competed in the smart speaker space against Amazon's various Echo's with its own Google Home speakers, which lack a display.

LAS VEGAS – Alphabet Inc.'s Google said on Monday its voice-controlled virtual assistant will show up this year in new tablet-like devices designed by LG Electronics Inc and Sony Corp. as the technology company seeks to challenge Amazon.com Dubbed smart displays by Google, the new devices introduce tablet-like screens to speakers that can obey oral commands to perform tasks like playing music, dimming lights, locking doors and setting alarms. JBL and Lenovo Group Ltd also are developing smart displays, Google said. Amazon kick-started the market for smart speakers in 2014 with its Echo device, which included the Alexa virtual assistant. The company added a screen for the first time in June, calling the device the Echo Show.

The Internet of Things is going to get noisier. Qualcomm is launching its Home Hub platform with support for Android Things and Google Assistant. At CES 2018, the big tech trade show in Las Vegas, Qualcomm unveiled its purpose-built platforms and system modules for home devices that are enabled with the artificial intelligence of Google Assistant. The Home Hub platform is based on the Qualcomm SDA624 and SDA212 system on chips (SoCs). The idea is to make it easy for Qualcomm's customers to create devices for the Internet of Things, which makes everyday objects smart and connected.

As part of a series of news announced today by Google, wireless headphones made to work especially with Google Assistant are on the way from brands like JBL, Sony, and LG. Up until today, some of the only headphones optimized for Google Assistant were the Bose QuietComfort 35 II and Pixel Buds, Google's first-ever wireless headphones. Also announced today: Google Assistant is coming to a series of new smart speakers -- including some with visual touchscreen displays -- and Google Assistant will become the assistant for Android Auto. Google Assistant can be accessed through any pair of wired or wireless headphones connected to an Android device, but headphones with this kind of integration allow access the AI assistant without the need to open your phone. With the touch of a button on the side of the headphones, you can speak directly with Google Assistant to do things like create calendar events, make phone calls, and receive auditory push notifications.

BBC sources have said the Edinburgh Festival provided a good platform during which to trial the use of AI to direct shows. A source said: "At the festival there are hundreds and hundreds of shows and events and we can't afford to have hundreds and hundreds of directors. Using AI to direct something like panel show, which is fairly similar in format form one to the other, would enable us to broadcast more of those events." The BBC is already using AI to improve its iPlayer service by introducing programme recommendations as soon as the credits start rolling, rather than at the end of the broadcast, where they are less effective. The AI identifies when to play the recommendations, despite that moment not being marked in the show's metadata.

In order to make vehicle infotainment life easier for Mercedes-Benz drivers, the brand has opted to add Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa into all 2016 and 2017 Mercedes-Benz vehicles. This means owners can interact, start and ready their vehicle while still in their home. As you can see in the video below, the home concierge devices will transfer their abilities into the car, but only to an extent. Both Google Assistant and Alexa will send prompts to the Mercedes-Benz infotainment system, but owners can not interact with Google Assistant or Alexa from inside their car--they can only click yes or no. Although these digital helpers are a welcomed addition to the modern infotainment system, they could potentially be viewed as an additional distraction.

It's been a while since Google showed up in a big way at CES. The company's always in Vegas, of course: execs hold meetings with carriers and partners, and the halls of the convention center practically overflow with devices. For the last few years, that's been enough for Google. Its massive installation in the convention center parking lot includes a twirling slide and a ball pit. You can barely turn around without seeing a "Hey Google" billboard reminding you of the power of the company's voice-activated bot.