In 2018, two major and philosophically oppositional shifts will change the customer relationship management (CRM) industry. For one, tasks typically done by humans will be replaced by automation. And secondly, interactions with human sales representatives will need to feel less mechanical to the consumer, driven in large part by personalization and timeliness. These changes will be ushered in by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), both of which will provide sales reps with the opportunity to avoid common, labor-based tasks (i.e., cold calling and data entry) in favor of creating more personalized communications with higher-value prospects. Additionally, the intelligence gathered by software will give organizations the information they need to determine what the right message is, when it should be sent, and how the message is received by customers.

Japan has a sex problem. The country's birthrate is shrinking year after year, to the point where deaths are outpacing births. Simply put, Japan's population is decreasing. But let's be clear: Population change is a complicated subject affected by many factors. A 2016 study by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Japan, for instance, found that "almost 70 percent of unmarried men and 60 percent of unmarried women are not in a relationship."

LG is getting ready to announce its lineup of new OLED TVs at CES this year (including a monstrous 88-inch 8K panel), and as a tide-me-over, the company has announced that its new TVs this year are getting Google Assistant. In the past, LG has shipped its TVs with a webOS-based operating system that included the company's own voice assistant, but the company is taking things a step further by including Google Assistant on its OLED and "Super UHD" LCD displays under its "ThinQ" artificial intelligence branding (shared by LG's recently announced Google-powered smart speaker). LG's integrated assistant strategy seems to be two-fold. You'll be able to use the ThinQ AI for more contextual, TV-specific tasks, like asking to "search for the soundtrack of this movie" or "turn off the TV when this program is over." But users in some countries (LG hasn't yet specified which ones) will also have access to Google Assistant on top of that for controlling smart home devices or accessing anything else Google Assistant can do.

As I look into my crystal ball at what new technologies are most likely to shape our lives in 2018, I see science-fiction dreams coming to life: glasses that mix reality and imagination, an electric car in my driveway and gadgets that charge without plugs. But coming out of a year where most Americans were hacked and Silicon Valley was scolded by Congress, there's plenty to worry about. Here are 10 technologies to look out for in 2018, for better and worse. It's hard to deny the Tesla Model 3 has generated iPhone-level buzz about electric cars. Since this "affordable luxury" $35,000-and-up sedan was unveiled in 2016, roughly 450,000 people have preordered one.

Instead they'll be more subtle and better targeted. If you use your Amazon Echo to re-order Clorox brand cleaner, for instance, Alexa could suggest you tack on another Clorox product to your purchase, confirmed with a simple yes or no voice confirmation. If you look for instructions on how to cook a recipe or how to remove a stain from fabric, Alexa could similarly offer suggestions for products you may find helpful. In some cases, Amazon will use your past shopping history to inform what types of ads and products to suggest. Currently, ads on the platform must use a completely different voice and tone than Alexa's own speaking voice, so you can clearly differentiate what's an ad versus what's an Alexa response.

In tech, this was officially the year we saw artificial intelligence engines leading consumer product lines. Most notable was the role AI played in Google's portfolio. Many products launched with Google Assistant built in, but it wasn't until the end of 2017 that we realized the role AI would play in driving Google's marketing. From its smartphones to its laptops and smart speakers, even its new earbuds, Google Assistant and its contextual abilities quickly became the reason to bring home a Google product. The Google Assistant exists in this array of devices. It was Forbes that initially pegged 2017 as "The Year of Artificial Intelligence."

GE is storming into 2018 with several smart home solutions, building on its early forays with the C by GE bulbs and Sol lamp. On Tuesday, the company announced several new devices including a smart ceiling fixture that reduces the need to litter your various table spaces with Echo Dot or Google Home smart speakers. GE's new smart ceiling fixtures are meant as a universal replacement for smart speakers. The fixture comes as a flush mount version, which hangs over your head similar to a smoke detector. There's also a recessed can version for the kitchen, den, or any other place in your home that uses recessed lighting.

As I look back at 2017, these are the themes that will help digital and business leaders surge ahead in 2018 -- Digitally Native, Intelligent, Social and Connected (D-I-S-C). As the digital world has become an increasingly detailed reflection of the physical world; digital leaders should start the roadmap for digital natives who accept digital modes as a natural part of their physical world. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have transformed the way individuals interact with each other in alignment with software systems creating an immersive environment. For example, VR has been used for training scenarios and remote experiences. AR, which enables a blend of the real and virtual worlds, enables businesses to overlay graphics onto real-world objects, for e.g.

Information technology in 2018 is expected to be more exciting as technologies that were just a concept or in the trial stages in the past years will become a reality, according to technology companies. Commentaries submitted by technology companies had five common predictions related to artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain, cloud computing, and IT security. According to IDC, revenue growth from information-based products will double the rest of the product and services portfolio for a third of Fortune 500 companies by the end of 2017. "AI became mainstream with consumer products like Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri, and Hitachi believes that it is the collaboration of AI and humans that will bring real benefits to society," said Hitachi Vantara's Hubert Yoshida, chief technology officer, and Russell Skingsley, chief technology officer of Asia Pacific. "Through tools like Pentaho Data Integration, our aim is to democratize the data engineering and data science process to make Machine Intelligence – a combination of Machine Learning and AI – more accessible to a wider variety of developers and engineers. Zakir Ahmed, General Manager of Asia at Oracle NetSuite, notes that to date, AI has mostly been following simple rules. If A B then C else D. This proved to be sufficient for powering devices like smart fridges or cars. On the downside, this predictability also meant that people could easily outsmart AI, often with dire consequences. "Thankfully, in 2018 we will reach a pivoting point, where deep learning will fast become an integral component of AI," said Ahmed, noting that these new intelligent AI 2.0 systems will learn, suggest and automate processes by analysing business patterns and behaviours. "For example, banks can provide tailored financial services based on their customers' investment portfolio and risk appetite.

The hotel and hospitality industry, enabled with advanced technology and more collaboration with associated businesses, will see some important trends in 2018 as hotel brands reinvent themselves to cater to a new type of clientele. Millennial guests will dominate the landscape, and reshape the industry with demands for more automated options and conveniences and the ability to do everything from a smartphone, and hotels - eager to deliver more conveniences to this younger audience - will forge closer alliances with retailers and community destinations. Hotel guests will place increasing priority on booking rooms that are totally connected, fully automated, and with an ability to seamlessly check in, check out, and access services, all through a smartphone app and without the need for human interaction. Human travel agents have long since gone out of style, and online booking platforms provide a more convenient and often less expensive option. "In 2018, we will continue to see hotel booking platforms continue to advance," said Chris Rivett, travel expert at HotelsCombined.com.