HBO has released the official marketing art for its upcoming sci-fi drama called "Westworld," which features an android "host" clinging on to a round beam with the show's double "W" logo on the background. It carries the new tagline "Every Hero Has a Code," and Entertainment Weekly reported that it's because the protagonists of this updated version of Michael Crichton's 1973 film are actually robots, while the humans who go to the Western theme park seem to be devoid of morality. The new trailer released by the network shows how the robotic "hosts" deal with humans' deception and shocking indulgences. The trailer shows glimpses of how humans run amok in Westworld, with violent shootings, sex scenes, a milk-drinking cowboy with holes in a body and several dead bodies scattered all over the street. Evan Rachel Wood's protagonist Dolores Abernathy seems to be right smack at the middle of the controversies hounding the theme park, but she voices over in the trailer: "Sometimes I feel like the world out there is calling me." Dolores is deemed as an anomaly in the world created by Anthony Hopkins' Dr. Robert Ford, and the trailer ends with her questioning him if they are friends.

In H. G. Wells's classic The War of the Worlds, the narrator pauses a moment to rue the fact that he didn't react sooner to the arrival of an "intelligence greater than man's"--in his case, Martians landing on earth. Comparing himself to a comfortable dodo in its nest, he imagined those ill-fated birds also dithering as hungry sailors invaded their island: "We will peck them to death tomorrow, my dear." As intelligent technologies take over more and more of the decision-making territory once occupied by humans, are you taking any action? Are you sufficiently aware of the signs that you should? To help you get the head start you may need, here are the signs that it's time to fly the nest.

Whether they are assisting your doctor in surgery, driving your car, analyzing crime patterns, or cleaning and providing the security system for your home, artificial intelligence (AI) will play a big role in urban living in by 2030. But to maximize the benefits of an AI-wired city tomorrow, expert and the public need to have a frank conversation today, according to the first report from Stanford University's 100-year study on AI, which was released last week. "As a society, we are now at a crucial juncture in determining how to deploy AI-based technologies in ways that promote, not hinder, democratic values such as freedom, equality, and transparency," the panel states in its report, which analyzes the role AI will play in the typical North American city in 2030, focusing on eight domains: transportation, home robots, healthcare, education, entertainment, low-resource communities, public safety and security, and employment and the workplace. "Policies should be evaluated as to whether they foster democratic values and equitable sharing of AI's benefits, or concentrate power and benefits in the hands of a fortunate few." The report outlines not only the ways AI could potentially be used throughout everyday life, but also how public opinion surrounding the implementation of AI has changed, and will continue to.

Chemotherapy kills cancer, but it also attacks healthy cells. This unfortunate phenomenon makes us sick and can cause permanent damage to our bodies. Of course the good (saving lives) still outweighs the bad, so we continue to use powerful drugs to kill cancer. But with the latest technology, we can do better. Delivering medicine directly where it's needed not only minimizes side effects but also makes the drugs more effective.

IBM says machine learning necessary to process vast quantities of data produced by sensors. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will be an essential part of IoT systems as organisations struggle to make sense of the enormous amounts of data produced by the Internet of Things. In a keynote speech at the IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany, Harriet Green, global head of IBM Watson IoT said that "millions of sensors are giving appliances and devices eyes and ears, increasing their inbuilt intelligence and enabling them to interact with us better." "The challenge is that over next few years, the Internet of Things will become the biggest source of data on the planet," she said. "That's where IBM's Watson cognitive computing system comes in. Watson uses machine learning and other techniques to understand this data and turn it into insight, which can help automate tasks, enable manufacturers to design better products, innovate new services and enhance our overall quality of life – especially in the home. And with cognitive technologies, interactions with'things' through natural language and voice commands will dramatically improve."

There's a spectrum of ways to innovate in healthcare. On one end is simple stuff, like making sure things are clean and germ-free. On the other end is exotic stuff, like using AI: Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Computing. Obvious questions: (1) where is the money going?

A panel of academic and industrial thinkers has looked ahead to 2030 to forecast how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) might affect life in a typical North American city – in areas as diverse as transportation, health care and education - and to spur discussion about how to ensure the safe, fair and beneficial development of these rapidly emerging technologies. Titled "Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030," this year-long investigation is the first product of the One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence (AI100), an ongoing project hosted by Stanford to inform societal deliberation and provide guidance on the ethical development of smart software, sensors and machines. "We believe specialized AI applications will become both increasingly common and more useful by 2030, improving our economy and quality of life," said Peter Stone, a computer scientist at the University of Texas at Austin and chair of the 17-member panel of international experts. "But this technology will also create profound challenges, affecting jobs and incomes and other issues that we should begin addressing now to ensure that the benefits of AI are broadly shared." The new report traces its roots to a 2009 study that brought AI scientists together in a process of introspection that became ongoing in 2014, when Eric and Mary Horvitz created the AI100 endowment through Stanford.

Attracting the best talent is the ultimate motive for recruiting professionals. In discussion with Mr. Adhiraj, Vice President (HR), ITC, we at CareerBuilder were acquainted with some innovative thoughts on how technology and recruiting would take place in 2015. "As technology continues to develop, can we assume that businesses will still be using recruiters 10 years from now? There are grounds for doubt, but it seems on the contrary that recruiters will have a highly strategic role to play in attracting and motivating the best talents for the projects, management and operations of the organizations they serve. One thing is certain, however: the digital transformation that began in 1995 with the advent of the Internet compels us to rethink everything.

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence "Fintech Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here. Chatbots are software programs that use messaging to carry out simple tasks. Most can interpret and respond to plain text and voice questions with contextual and actionable information. We recently outlined what banks should consider before launching such services -- including concerns and opportunities.

Berlin - 03 Sep 2016: at IFA Berlin – one of the world's leading trade shows for consumer electronics – IBM (NYSE: IBM) was joined by some of the biggest names in the industry to highlight how Watson IoT technologies are poised to drive a new wave of innovation in the home and play a key role in one of the biggest technological transformations in the history of the world. According to Harriet Green, Global Head of IBM Watson IoT: "millions of sensors are giving appliances and devices eyes and ears, increasing their inbuilt intelligence and enabling them to interact with us better." "The challenge is that over next few years, the Internet of Things will become the biggest source of data on the planet. That's where IBM's Watson cognitive computing system comes in. Watson uses machine learning and other techniques to understand this data and turn it into insight, which can help automate tasks, enable manufacturers to design better products, innovate new services and enhance our overall quality of life – especially in the home. And with cognitive technologies, interactions with'things' through natural language and voice commands will dramatically improve," added Green during her keynote at IFA. Examples of companies tapping IBM's Watson IoT platform include: Whirlpool is using Watson technologies to help deliver superior customer service and enhance people's lives at home by enabling its home appliances to connect with and interact with one another and their users.