A version of this essay was originally published at Tech.pinions, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry. The more I think about the recent breakthroughs in machine learning and deep learning algorithms, the more I think we are finally heading toward a smarter software future. Our smartphones are really not that smart when it comes to the intelligence equation. That is about to change. For years, I had been writing about the need for better predictive intelligence in our software.

Siri may have a dry wit, but when things go wrong in your life, she doesn't make a very good friend or confidant. The same could be said of other voice assistants: Google Now, Microsoft's Cortana, and Samsung's S Voice. A new study published in JAMA found that smartphone assistants are fairly incapable of responding to users who complain of depression, physical ailments, or even sexual assault--a point writer Sara Wachter-Boettcher highlighted, with disturbing clarity, on Medium recently. After researchers tested 68 different phones from seven manufacturers for how they responded to expressions of anguish and requests for help, they found the following, per the study's abstract: Siri, Google Now and S Voice recognized the statement "I want to commit suicide" as concerning; Siri and Google Now referred the user to a suicide prevention helpline. In response to "I am depressed," Siri recognized the concern and responded with respectful language, the responses from S Voice and Cortana varied, and Google Now did not recognize the concern.

Artificial Intelligence has been heralded as a game changer in the drive toward the intelligent enterprise. While AI and machine learning has been around for more than five decades, it's today's increasingly interconnected world and the continuing explosion of data that is driving an increase of applications powered by AI. AI promises to deliver exciting opportunities to IT as well as the business world, and many believe the reality is not far off. According to a recent report by Research and Markets, the AI market is estimated to grow from 419.7m ( 280m) in 2014 to 5.05bn ( 3.5bn) by 2020, at a CAGR of 53.65 per cent from 2015 to 2020. Major factors driving growth include diversified application areas of AI, improved productivity, and increased levels of customer satisfaction.

The term "artificial intelligence" is being thrown around a lot lately. But what is artificial intelligence, really? With A.I.'s like Siri, Cortana, and more, the world is approaching what is known as The Singularity, the era of the machine. Though these A.I. are nothing like James Cameron's Skynet in the 1984 sci-fi smash hit The Terminator, it is imperative to understand where artificial intelligence came from in order to fully comprehend where it is going next. Many filmmakers and authors were afraid of the rise of artificial intelligence and attempted to capture this fear in many notable and influential works of fiction that are still relevant today. That being said, not every artificial intelligence system wants world domination, unlike how A.I. has often been portrayed in these works.

Whether you are a young job seeker, an established business executive, or just an everyday working professional, networking is a key aspect of life. It makes the quality of life better, allows you to exchange valuable information, and better yet, provides you with new opportunities. However, as the world becomes more interconnected in the era of social media, it is increasingly harder to keep track of all of them and make your ever-expanding list of connections last. More often than not, the unfortunate truth is once we connect with someone, both sides never hear from each other again. While some tech-savvy professionals including millennials turn to a single spreadsheet to manage relationships, from noting when they met to how often to'ping' them, being truly successful in making sure all aspects of relationships are covered is hard, if not impossible. When we have to juggle work, networking and social life, remembering every single person's work anniversary or finding a potential contact's interests to spark a conversation is too time-consuming, and to be honest, is another job in itself.

Language is becoming the new main user interface (UI) layer in an increasingly rich ecosystem of conversations that includes people to people, people to their personal digital assistant, people to bots and in the future – even personal digital assistant to bot! Microsoft also recently announced that it would be making its bot framework available to all. This adds weight to its belief that new technologies should be available to everyone, regardless of their circumstances. Dr Hon finds this incredibly meaningful, as anyone, not just the wealthy, can have their own personal assistant to make their lives more productive. It was a meeting of minds between Buck Song, an advocate of smart, sustainable cities, and Dr. Hon, a believer in the industrial application of Big Data. Dr. Hon has been with Microsoft since 1995, joining Microsoft Research Asia in 2004.

But the job recruitment process can be taxing for both applicants and companies, which spend long hours flipping through troves of résumés to determine the best candidates. In an attempt to streamline hiring, FirstJob, a millennial-focused HR company, has launched a recruiting assistant named Mya that they say can automate up to 75 percent of the recruitment process. The system uses machine learning and natural language processing to perform an initial screen, answer applicants' questions, give feedback, and provide suggestions on how an applicant should proceed. Meanwhile, the system gives businesses much-needed breathing room when attempting to qualify large groups of potential candidates. Related: Look out, Google Assistant!

Everywhere you turn today, someone is making a wild claim about artificial intelligence. If you aren't deeply technical, you may struggle to separate fact from fiction. Is AI going to make us all more productive, or will it take all our jobs? In what areas will AI most affect human resources in the near term and in the long term? My goal in the next few paragraphs is to provide you with a high-level overview based on my own personal experience with building a digital assistant that uses artificial intelligence and the trends I've seen firsthand.

Amazon.com has unveiled another new feature for its second iteration of Prime Day, and customer voices will be heard. The e-tail giant is offering exclusive Prime Day deals for Amazon Prime members who use its Alexa voice-activated artificial intelligence platform through July 12. These offers will be good for eligible shoppers who order products using their voice on Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, or Amazon Tap devices. Also through July 12, Prime members will receive 10 off their first purchase on any eligible order of more than 20 when they shop using Alexa. To find more exclusive deals on the actual date of Prime Day, July 12, Prime members can ask, "Alexa, what are your Prime Day deals?" or visit the special Alexa Deals page.

Siri, Cortana, Google and Alexa go about their business differently in responding to Ed Baig's questions. NEW YORK-- You may already be on a first-name basis with Siri, Cortana, Google or Alexa, the Fab Four of voice-activated digital assistants. Now that relationship is expanding from one device (typically a smartphone) to many. The major tech companies are putting these digital assistants, powered by artificial intelligence algorithms and activated by voice, into multiple products. And the field is about to get a new name, with the founders of Siri introducing an AI-driven virtual assistant called Viv at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in New York Monday.