Thank you for subscribing to the monthly THINK Marketing newsletter. Here's what CMOs, CIOs and others need to know to make the most of AI in their marketing initiatives in 2017 and beyond. For years, marketing was considered more art than science. But more recently, as marketing automation software has proliferated, marketers have had to blend the art of storytelling with the science of data. Then along comes artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, which promise to help marketers make sense of all that data.

Domino's latest technical achievement may well provoke a sense of déjà vu in many customers who used to order pizza by phone. The next time you place an order on the Domino's app or website, you'll be able to talk to a robot that will take the order. DRU Assist is a virtual assistant developed by Domino's in conjunction with voice technology provider Nuance Communications. "DRU Assist is not just a toy. We genuinely see this as a real platform change," Domino's CEO Don Meij said at the company's regular technology showcase in Sydney today.

Amazon has been building out its voice-controlled AI system, Alexa, expanding into smart cars and Motorola phones. But part of its necessary growth comes from ingesting more content into its ecosystem. Today, National Public Radio announced that its NPR One app is now available on the fleet of Alexa-enabled devices, including Amazon's own Echo and Dot. Sure, the low-hanging fruit will be beckoning your AI hub to play the latest episode of Planet Money or Code Switch. But the app also provides audio-first stories and partner content from media outlets like Buzzfeed and Gimlet. If you want to build a personalized stream of NPR news and shows by barking commands at your Alexa-powered device as you're in the middle of your bath or doing yardwork, today is your day.

Domino's has delivered new additions to its Domino's Robotics Unit (DRU) family, announcing the DRU Platform, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology that will allow customers to order a pizza using their voice. As of Monday, customers will be able to use DRU Assist, an in-app AI virtual assistant that was built in partnership with natural language company Nuance. DRU Assist takes the pizza giant somewhat back to the start of its digital journey, with customers speaking to order a pizza via their phone. Powered by Nuance's Nina, Domino's DRU Assist engages with customers in human-like conversation via text or speech recognition. "DRU Assist is not just a toy, this is real platform change," Domino's Group CEO and Managing Director Don Meij said.

Smart locks from Schlage and other manufacturers can now be controlled with your voice via Amazon's Alexa. If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. Our picks and opinions are independent from any business incentives. With new smart lock compatibility, Amazon's Alexa voice assistant is slowly taking over your home. What started with lights and thermostats evolved into today's announcement that Alexa will soon be able to unlock your front door with a simple voice command.

For Apple TV users who are not really pleased with how the device's Siri remote works, Apple is working on a fix that would improve its scrolling behavior. This is what is being teased in the beta versions of the upcoming tvOS 10.2 software update that Apple is still working on. This Tuesday, Apple rolled out the fourth pre-release version of tvOS 10.2 to developers who will be testing out the beta to see if their apps would still function well when the official update is released. As of late, the current tvOS version for the fourth-generation Apple TV is tvOS 10.1.1. Apple intends to improve the user experience its digital media player/microconsole provides with tvOS 10.2.

The word'Artificial Intelligence' evokes excitement and paints a picture of super-intelligent robots and self-driving cars. Even the statistics are bullish about the impact of AI – By 2020, 85% of customer interactions will be managed without a human. AI has widespread uses in the field of artificial agents, internet of things, marketing, financial trading, healthcare. But, are businesses able to capitalize the growing power of AI? Why adopting AI is a distant dream for small and medium businesses.

Entry lock manufacturers Kwikset, Schlage, and Yale have announced new Alexa skills that enable you to control some models of their entry locks via voice commands directed at Alexa-enabled products such as the Amazon Echo series. But you'll also need to own a smart home hub--either a Samsung SmartThings or a Wink Labs' Wink--in order to use them, since the locks themselves don't have mics and don't connect directly to the internet. Schlage is enabling this skill for its Connect series of touchscreen entry locks and Kwikset is adding this capability to its Kwikset SmartCode 910-, 914-, and 916-series locks. We're waiting to hear which Yale models will be affected, but we presume it will be the Real Living or Assure series, since onboard Z-Wave radios seems to be the other feature in common. According to Schlage's VP of strategy and partnerships Rob Martens, "the integration of the Alexa Skill for locks is achieved through a cloud-to-cloud integration, and the Alexa team has previously made those cloud-to-cloud integrations with Z-Wave smart home systems such as SmartThings and Wink and to operate other devices such as lighting and thermostats. It is faster to roll out additional Alexa skills using existing integrations."

Google has revealed its Amazon Echo-rivalling smart speaker, Google Home, will come to the UK later this year. The technology giant launched the voice-activated device in the US last October but is yet to extend its release outside of the country. However, the company has now confirmed Home will go on sale in the UK during the'second quarter' of this year, meaning it will be released before the end of June. Google Home (pictured) will go on sale in the UK by the end of June of this year. 'We're in the Home stretch; Google Home is coming to the UK soon, stay tuned for more,' the tech firm said in a tweet.

In George Orwell's classic dystopian novel, "1984," every house is equipped with a Telescreen, a monitoring device enabling government surveillance. Amazon is trying to prevent its Echo/Alexa from turning into just that. Amazon is hoping to keep its Alexa devices from being a tool of government listening, which could inhibit people from buying them. Accordingly, the Seattle-based company has filed a motion to prevent recorded audio from an Echo being used as evidence in a criminal trial. Last year, police in Arkansas sought to obtain recordings captured by Echo as evidence in a 2015 murder case.