This vendor-written piece has been edited by Executive Networks Media to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favour the submitter's approach. Information technologies are accelerating at an exponential rate, ushering in the fourth industrial revolution. This is a digital revolution and the pace of change is unprecedented. This revolution incorporates machine learning (think parallel processing and neural networks) and the concept of self-assembly or self-programmability. As technologies continue to advance, they accelerate the progress of other technologies, and so on, and so on.

But how do you separate hype from reality? How can your company apply AI to solve real business problems in 2017? In September 2016, Luminary Labs convened 30 executives in healthcare, machine learning, and analytics for a grounded discussion on these questions with machine learning expert Hilary Mason, founder and CEO of Fast Forward Labs, and Sandy Allerheiligen, VP of data science and predictive and economic modeling at Merck. Here's a synopsis of what we discussed, and what AI learnings your business should keep in mind for 2017. AI and the Near Term 3 We've all seen the sensational headlines: The robots are coming, and they'll take our jobs! AI can do your job faster and more accurately than you can!

Editor's note: This is the first chapter of a book I'm working on called Demystifying Artificial Intelligence. The goal of the book is to demystify what modern AI is and does for a general audience. So something to smooth the transition between AI fiction and highly mathematical descriptions of deep learning. I'm developing the book over time - so if you buy the book on Leanpub know that there is only one chaper in there so far, but I'll be adding more over the next few weeks and you get free updates. The cover of the book was inspired by this amazing tweet by Twitter user @notajf. Feedback is welcome and encouraged!

LG's Music Flow speakers are based on Google Cast (now "Chromecast built-in") and on its site, LG specifically shows a home with a multi-room setup. Yet, while both Sonos and B&O products work with Google Home and Google Chromecast Multiroom, so far, LG's Google-specific models do not. However, it looks like that's changing soon: An LG representative said on the company's product forums that both Google Multiroom and Home support are coming "before the end of February. Music Flow owners were starting to get a bit testy about the Chromecast features missing from the device, especially after Sony unveiled Google Multiroom support for its X77 speakers. That level of fanaticism over speaker features may have taken LG by surprise, so it decided to integrate both Home and Multiroom support and release it in a new update.

In 2016, Vizio was big on building Google Cast support (the underpinnings of Chromecast) into its TVs, home theater displays, soundbars, and wireless speakers via the SmartCast line. Vizio owners can now verbally order Google Home to play music from Spotify on the living room speakers, or start binge-watching Netflix's The Crown in the den. The new functionality is available now on Vizio's SmartCast E-, M-, and P-Series televisions and home theater displays, as well as the company's home theater sound bars and wireless speakers. Home integration allows for a variety of voice controls for anyone who owns Google's smart speaker and a Vizio SmartCast device. You can, for example, adjust the volume, start or stop playing music, as well as skip or repeat a music track.

If you're in the market, you'll have plenty to choose from. Some look like descendants of Honda's Asimo--shiny white bots with heads, eyes, arms, and legs. Ubtech's Lynx has elbows, knees, and hands, which it can use to teach you yoga poses, of all things, while Hanson Robotics' Sophia bot approaches Ex Machina-levels of believability. Others, like Amazon's Alexa and Google Home, have no form. They come baked into simple speakers and desktop appliances. It seems most robot helpers take one of these two shapes: humanoid or monolithic.

The key takeaways from the AI Frontiers Conference, held on January 11–12, include "the central role that AI/ML [Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning] capabilities are playing within Internet/technology companies, emergence of voice/virtual assistants" and the significant capabilities of Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB) in these domains, Baird's Colin Sebastian said in a report. The AI Frontiers Conference focused on applications of deep learning, analyst Sebastian mentioned. Presentations by Alphabet highlighted how Google was using neural networks to "innovate and improve products, including Search, Ads, Photos, Translate, Gmail, Maps, Cloud, voice recognition, self-driving cars and robotics, among others." The teams or projects using deep learning have increased to 4,000, from 200 in early 2014, Sebastian noted.

Few industries can expect to remain untouched by the artificial intelligence revolution with automakers, healthcare giants and big banks all embracing AI technology. Consumers are now beginning to experience a whole new way of online shopping thanks to the launch of AI-powered digital assistants such as Amazon's Alexa and Google Home. Frank Palermo, executive vice president of global digital solutions at VirtusaPolaris, a provider of IT consulting and outsourcing services, believes the invention of dynamic AI solutions is a game changer for online retailers and consumers alike. "Responsive retail has peaked – the next step for the industry is predictive commerce," he says. "As AI assistants and machines begin to take over more of our purchasing decisions, retailers will have to become far, far smarter about their use of data to stay ahead of the pack."

Voice-controlled gizmos are quickly taking over our digital lives, but an annoyance is coming with them: Why can't I personalize their wake words? There's a third-party program that aims to solve this problem for Cortana on Windows 10. MyCortana by the Sourceforge users LazyGuyz lets you change the "Hey, Cortana" wake word on your PC to anything you want. If you're a Star Trek fan you might prefer a simple command like "computer" or "dammit, Jim." A political junkie might like a Trumpism such as "hey, failing pile of garbage."

Bankers are in a state of shock Not what they signed up for Buried in'busy' unable to cope with "change" Future is more frightening than the present The goal needs to be more than just great reports … need great experiences. Of our 10 Retail Banking Trends and Predictions, all are supported by data and analytics beyond what is used today. The consumer is in control. The ability to choose what, when, and how to transact. The mobile device makes location and context more important than ever. Banking no longer needs to be an independent activity, but can be integrated into everything we do in our daily lives.