A generation of today's children will live in the world of AI. They will have Personal AIs just like we had personal computers, and AI assistants will be their main interface to tech. A child talks with the playful robot to make calls, send messages, follow a schedule, watch videos & more.

For last-minute shoppers, tech toys hold a special appeal. Stapling on internet connectivity also might make these flashy kids gadgets sound all the more appealing; it's not just a teddy bear, it's a machine learning teddy bear. This is not a screed against technology generally, or even tech as it relates to kids; there are plenty of responsible, safe ways for children to navigate and benefit from the internet. Instead, it's an important reminder that toys with an online connection are at their core just another IoT device, often replete with the same ills and vulnerabilities. Plus, they have the added horror of occasionally pointing a microphone or camera at your child.

As Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, said, "the only one constant in life is change". This is certainly true for anyone working in areas related to or based upon technology (and few don't these days). The pace of technological innovation is such that even the most fantastic of imagined futures seem like they could easily become reality. As existing technologies reach maturity, unforeseen developments arrive ever more quickly, and innovations make the leap from consumer applications to business (and vice versa) it's imperative that we constantly seek to find those that have the potential to add value to our own business and those of our customers. As we look ahead to 2018, I've been working with my colleagues to identify some trends that we think will have an impact on our business and industry.

The cruise industry is rapidly evolving to integrate the Internet of Things -- with sensors, connected devices, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing -- into the experience passengers will have, both on and off the mammoth, state-of-the-art, billion-dollar ships. It's created a veritable wearable wars that spans companies like Carnival, MSC, and Royal Caribbean, which have all implemented new technology to change the way guests interact while onboard. The initial wave in this sea change of tech can actually be traced to the indoor water park company, Great Wolf Lodge, which debuted RFID-based smart wristbands that provide visitors electronic access control and cashless payments to its resort and waterpark guests, in 2005. The technology has made its way through various parts of hospitality and travel, from theme parks to hotels, and now, cruise companies see it as one key in offering personalized service to the thousands of passengers onboard and more efficient operations for their staff. But it was the land-locked city of Orlando, Florida, home to the Walt Disney World Resort, that's had the biggest impact on what's currently happening at sea.

Artificial Intelligence (better known now as AI) and machine learning are trendy terms these days – but few people agree on what the terms really mean. AI is tossed about by Elon Musk, mentioned in the movies, and is attached to a growing number of personal, business, and government products. Artificial intelligence is when a computer uses advanced algorithms to mimic traditional human abilities such as problem-solving and learning from its experiences. Machine learning – a significant element in AI – is when computers take a lot of data, learn from it, and make decisions without being explicitly programmed to do so. AI already enables personal assistants such as Alexa and Cortana, to listen for your requests and, based on your preferences and those with similar tastes, pick out a playlist of your favorite songs.

DEC 3 marked the opening of the annual World Internet Conference in Wuzhen. The global techfest was attended by the CEOs of some of the world's largest companies, including Apple's Tim Cook and Google's Sundar Pichai, alongside Alibaba Group Holding's Jack Ma, Tencent Holdings' Pony Ma and Baidu's Robin Li, as well as the top names in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, digital payments and cybersecurity. The opening session on the first day was aptly titled "Artificial Intelligence: Smarter World, Better Life". That a small Chinese town 90 minutes' drive from Shanghai would host the world's biggest annual internet event, or that CEOs of global tech giants and the world's top robotics experts would flock there, should not surprise anyone. China is where the action is across an array of powerful internet-enabled technologies such as AI, robotics, fintech and e-commerce as well as virtual and augmented reality.

Together, these led to an effi- ciency- and automation-driven model that made banking more transactional and technology-centric. Banks focused on faster and more convenient transactional services for their end consumers via ATMs, e-cards and telephonic services. Social, mobile, analytics and cloud technologies (the SMAC stack) fueled a second wave of change that is just now taking shape. The role of technology has rapidly changed from a monolithic enabler of efficiency to an engine for personalized and ubiquitous provisioning of banking services for digi- tally connected customers. We now see the emergence of another disruption, known as Digital 2.0, which will leave an altered banking landscape in its wake.

Samsung's very own voice assistant continues to evolve and bolster itself with new acquisitions and staff, but it's now losing Rhee In-jong, the original head of Bixby development and Samsung's chief technology officer. This isn't a case of the CTO being kicked out of the company due to the challenges of making the voice assistant a proper competitor against Alexa, Siri and the rest, however. According to a statement sent to the Korea Herald by Samsung, Rhee In-Jonh said that he wanted to leave Samsung back in July, citing personal reasons. That doesn't mean Bixby is without a lead: Last month, Samsung merged its software and hardware divisions for mobile, appointing Executive Vice President Roh Tae-moon as the chief of the combined division, including Bixby. Rhee was subsequently made chief technology officer covering multiple projects for the company's mobile devices.

Think back to the early days of the Internet. Chances are, you used a search engine like you might previously have used a phone book: To find a specific piece of information, such as a website, address or phone number. Technology has changed significantly in the years since, and so have our expectations for it. These days, people want more intelligent answers: Maybe they'd like to gather the pros and cons of a certain exercise plan or figure out whether the latest Marvel movie is worth seeing. When people make requests like that, they don't just want a list of websites.

Venture capital isn't a monolith, but startup investors are compared to lemmings for a reason. Once a trend gets hot, every firm needs to make a play, or come up with a good excuse for missing out. Investors continue to aggressively pour money into startups. As of the third quarter, US investors were on track to match or exceed 2016's $69 billion in investments, according to the National Venture Capital Association and Pitchbook. For startups, riding a trend such as artificial intelligence can be the difference between a hot round of funding and no investor interest. Founders have spent the last year throwing terms like blockchain, neural network, and machine learning into their pitch decks in hopes of attracting investment.