Major technology firms are racing to infuse smartphones and other internet-linked devices with software smarts that help them think like people. The effort is seen as an evolution in computing that allows users to interact with machines in natural conversation style, telling devices to tend to tasks such as ordering goods, checking traffic, making restaurant reservations or searching for information. The artificial intelligence (AI) component in these programs aims to make create a world in which everyone can have a virtual aide that gets to know them better with each interaction. Google is making a high-profile push into AI, with the internet titan's chief referring to it as a force for change as powerful as powerful as smartphones. Google Assistant software is being built into new Pixel handsets -- aiming to outdo Apple's Siri -- enabling users to organize and use information on the devices and in the cloud -- to check emails, stay up to date on calendar appointments, news or ask for traffic and weather data.

Corporate giants like Google, IBM, Yahoo, Intel, Apple and Salesforce, are competing in the race to acquire private AI companies, with Samsung emerging as a new entrant this month with its acquisition of startup Viv Labs, which is developing a Siri-like AI assistant. In 2014 Google acquired British company DeepMind Technologies for some 600M (Google DeepMind's program recently beat a human world champion in the board game "Go"). This year, it acquired visual search startup Moodstock, and bot platform Api.ai. Salesforce, which joined the race last year with the acquisition of Tempo AI, has already made two major acquisitions this year: Khosla Ventures-backed MetaMind and open-source machine-learning server PredictionIO.

Google's new Assistant is already enabled in its messaging app, its Amazon Echo-like Home device, and its new Pixel phone. Now, the company wants to put Google Assistant in vehicles, too. The artificial intelligence-powered Assistant is similar to Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa and gets smarter over time. It was first unveiled in Google's new messaging app, Allo, last month, powers Google Home, and comes standard on Google's new smartphone. According to the Wall Street Journal's Christopher Mims, Google is now pursuing partnerships with automakers to let the Assistant work directly with vehicles.

Major technology firms are racing to infuse smartphones and other internet-linked devices with software smarts that help them think like people. The effort is seen as an evolution in computing that allows users to interact with machines in natural conversation style, telling devices to tend to tasks such as ordering goods, checking traffic, making restaurant reservations or searching for information. The artificial intelligence (AI) component in these programmes aims to create a world in which everyone can have a virtual aide that get to know them better with each interaction. Google is making a high-profile push into AI, with the internet titan's chief referring to it as a force for change as powerful as smartphones. Google Assistant software is being built into the new Pixel handsets - aiming to outdo Apple's Siri - enabling users to organise and use information on the devices and in the cloud - to check emails, stay up to date on calendar appointments, news or ask for traffic and weather data.

Jay Baer, a digital marketing consultant in Bloomington, Ind., spends half his time traveling on business. That means he also has to spend hours each week coordinating that travel. Help has arrived with the Pana app, which employs artificial intelligence to aid customers. Virtual travel assistant services -- some from established companies like Facebook, IBM and Expedia, and others from new entrants like Pana and HelloGbye -- are now popping up worldwide, just as major hotel chains like Starwood and Hilton are incorporating robots into their everyday operations. Many of the virtual assistant services use artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science that simulates intelligent human behavior.

Last week, Microsoft took the unusual step of placing its Cortana and Bing product teams inside the same organization as Microsoft Research. The new Microsoft AI and Research Group will be led by computer vision pioneer and executive vice president Harry Shum, whose 20-year Microsoft career involves leading Bing's search efforts from 2007 through 2013 and helping launch Microsoft Research China. We asked Shum how this new organization will benefit Microsoft's digital assistant in the following interview, which has been edited for length and clarity. The language of the blog post announcing the formation of Microsoft's new AI division, together with how Satya Nadella has characterized it, suggests that Microsoft thinks it's in a space race of sorts when it comes to artificial intelligence. I just feel that the timing's right to go big on AI.

"Alexa, how long will it take me to get to Chicago from here?" This question is not profoundly complex. In many ways, it's more like a search query, and it shouldn't have anything to do with A.I. Yet there are several important data points, and the Alexa assistant that runs on my Amazon Echo speaker doesn't know what to do. When I ask this question, the bot tells me to set up my traffic route for a daily commute. On the new Google Allo messaging app using the Google Assistant bot, things are a little different.

From Apple s Siri to Google Allo, we are in the age of artificial intelligence, and it is getting integrated into our daily routines. Similar trends can be seen in the way we do our sales. Yes, you heard it right -- artificial intelligence is shaping our sales strategy. Right from sales prospecting to closing deals automatically, it has brought about a transformation. There is no need to fear for your jobs, however; artificial intelligence is only going to help those in sales focus on chasing the right customers and closing deals faster.

SAN FRANCISCO: Major technology firms are racing to infuse smartphones and other internet-linked devices with software smarts that help them think like people. The effort is seen as an evolution in computing that allows users to interact with machines in natural conversation style, telling devices to tend to tasks such as ordering goods, checking traffic, making restaurant reservations or searching for information. The artificial intelligence (AI) component in these programmes aims to make create a world in which everyone can have a virtual aide that gets to know them better with each interaction. Google is making a high-profile push into AI, with the internet titan's chief referring to it as a force for change as powerful as powerful as smartphones. Google Assistant software is being built into new Pixel handsets - aiming to outdo Apple's Siri - enabling users to organise and use information on the devices and in the cloud - to check emails, stay up to date on calendar appointments, news or ask for traffic and weather data.

When Amazon introduced its Echo device in late 2014, Google executives were caught off guard. For years, they had predicted the creation of a virtual assistant that would answer questions or help accomplish tasks, and they focused on building that capability into smartphones and tablets. Amazon took a different approach and created the Echo, a device with the sole purpose of showcasing the company's artificially intelligent assistant software, called Alexa. Since then, the Echo has become a surprise hit, vaulting Amazon ahead of Google in a race to build technology that interacts as humans do. Users can ask Alexa to play music, dim the lights or call for a ride.