The buzz surrounding machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) in the consumer world has rapidly bled over into the enterprise. Much of this hype stems from the new consumer trends that hint at the possibilities of AI, such as self-driving cars and intelligent voice-first products like Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri. At the same time, mainstream cloud adoption and ever-increasing computing power in the form of new solutions like Google Spanner are accelerating the development, accuracy and speed of AI's underlying foundations, from data availability and spam detection, to machine learning, predictive analytics and natural language processing. So it should come as no surprise that sales and marketing leaders are questioning what all this means for their departments and companies. At a basic level, AI is about replacing human function with computers.

Talk is cheap, but security is king in the AI future of conversational commerce. Researchers at TSSG in Waterford are on the case for making AI voice-based commerce tangible and safe. The speed of the introduction of services like Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana and Amazon Echo's Alexa makes it easy to forget that the artificially intelligent (AI) future we all dreamed of is actually here. Yesterday, Gartner Fellow and vice-president Tom Austin pointed this paradox out when he said that most of the AI on our smartphones – many of which have been with us for years – are taken for granted. 'We are seeing cool apps coming out but we have to make sure that we underpin the technology by addressing core security and privacy concerns as well' – ERIC ROBSON And yet, the hottest areas of tech today, AI and machine-learning, hold the keys to a whole generation of services that will transform our lives forever.

Writer and filmmaker, 33-year old Eva Konstantopoulos wanted to explore our collective digital dystopia and look at what would happen if memory became a commodity through her new short film Re/collection. What if technology would let you trade your memories for something you wanted to change? The short sci-fi film had its world debut at the Sun Valley Film Festival in Sun Valley, Idaho in March, 2017. It took more than a year to make the $40,000, 18-minute film about the commercialization of the human experience. Konstantopolous said she wanted to tell a story about the consequences on human lives if you could buy and sell memories and how technology would play a role in the commoditization of memories.

Looking forward to 2017, we asked 21 bot experts, entrepreneurs, and executives to share their predictions for how bots will continue to evolve in the coming year. "In 2017 brands will realize that conversational marketing is a better way to learn about and build relationships with their customer than today's digital marketing, which monitors their customers with cookies, pixels, search and social data. We'll also see powerful case study data showing that opt-in and conversion rates and the quality of profile information that can be obtained conversationally far outweighs the benefits of email marketing, marketing automation and apps." "Bots will be even more helpful, more intuitive, and most of all, more human. In Flowdock, we aim to have our users interact with bots like we do the people around us to get the information and updates we need. Best of all, bots will continue to keep work fun and to make us laugh."

Samsung Electronics is taking on Google and Apple to grab the lion's share in the highly potential artificial intelligence (AI) industry. The Seoul-based tech behemoth confirmed this week that its upcoming flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, would be equipped with its new AI assistant, Bixby. Samsung is a latecomer in the AI industry, compared with its handset rivals such as Apple and Google. Google, for its part, is also seeking to expand its AI presence, backed by its dominant Android mobile operating system (OS), allowing Nougat 7.0 users to access its AI service, Google Assistant. Samsung, though, remains confident about its success in AI, largely due to its global influence as the world's largest consumer electronics manufacturer.

The company confirms its AI assistant will have its own side button on the S8. Eventually, you'll be able to boss it around on more than just a phone. What's Samsung planning to do with you?" Bixby is Samsung's new digital voice assistant, and it will debut on the upcoming Galaxy S8. It will have its own dedicated button on the side of the phone, letting you communicate with the artificial intelligence in a sort of a walkie-talkie way. But Samsung's plan for Bixby, which it views as a "bright sidekick" to control your phone, doesn't stop there, said Injong Rhee, head of R&D for Samsung's mobile software and services operations. Injong Rhee, Samsung's head of R&D for mobile software and services, has led the development of Bixby. "We start off with the phone and can quickly expand into other devices," said Rhee, a Samsung exec known for his loose locks and casual style. Bixby is the latest entrant in the crowded field of digital assistants that already includes Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant and Microsoft's Cortana. Every tech heavyweight is investing in these assistants because they're heralded as the future of how we'll interact with our gadgets. The hope is to build a relationship with you now and ultimately get you to buy more of their products later. Samsung believes artificial intelligence is the next major wave of computing, and Bixby is the manifestation of that belief. Gartner reckons that by 2019, digital assistants will be the primary way consumers interact with their smart homes. Instead of being able to answer questions like "What's the weather today," Bixby will help you control your phone. You'll be able to do things like say, "Find a photo of the Sagrada Familia.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is seemingly everywhere today. Whether it's using a virtual assistant like Siri or Alexa, improving sales insights through analytics, or hiring the best talent with AI-based recruiting software, many businesses have already started incorporating this technology into their everyday processes. While you may not necessarily need to make artificial intelligence the core of your operations right now, most experts agree that AI's role and importance in business will only continue to grow. Nine members from Forbes Technology Council each shared a way that companies can begin preparing for AI right now. I think for smaller companies, it is too early to create a plan, but I do think it is important to stay updated on AI and how it is being implemented in an applicable industry.

In almost every list discussing future trends in the events industry, artificial intelligence is named. Along with developments in virtual and augmented reality, A.I. is breaking ground, not only in its capacities to serve human needs, but also in its potential for transforming customer service. In particular, A.I. allows for a heightened level of personalized service. As machines perceptively learn a user's behavior through data gathered from the user's interactions, this information is used to power highly relevant suggestions and services. Relevance combines with a natural user experience when smart technology such as chatbots provide a human-like interface.

As Kayak attempts to build a better virtual travel agent, the tech firm is expanding beyond its core website and mobile app, and establishing a presence on additional types of technology platforms. Since mid-2015, Stamford, CT-based Kayak has made its travel-search service available to consumers on Apple Watch, Slack, Facebook Messenger, Microsoft Teams, Apple TV, Amazon Alexa devices, and Google Home. The integrations with these outside platforms illustrate how businesses are adapting to changing consumer habits and trying to figure out the right ways to interact with users across an array of apps and devices. The moves also speak to the growing emphasis by consumer-focused businesses on deploying products and services powered by artificial intelligence-related technologies, such as chatbots on Facebook Messenger and Slack, and voice-controlled virtual personal assistants like Amazon's Alexa, Google's Assistant, and Apple's Siri. "We have to be where the consumer is," says Giorgos Zacharia, Kayak's chief technology officer. "The consumer should be able to use Kayak in whatever their platform of choice is."

Both artificial intelligence and blockchain technology have made major advances in the past few years. Could they be combined to bring us the money of the future? Recently, many advances have been made in the field of artificial intelligence. In the past few years, we saw artificial intelligence beat one of the world's best players at Go, save drivers from car crashes, and predict the outcome of the US Presidential Election. Many companies, both established market leaders and new startups, have started to incorporate artificial intelligence into mainstream products.