Coronavirus: Uni spin-out forecasts big demand for touch-free gadgets

A university spin-out company developing artificial intelligence to enable devices to have long conversations with humans is predicting demand to ramp-up on the back of the coronavirus outbreak. Alana, which is based at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, said it is already seeing a huge increase in sales of touch-free gadgets which its software can be deployed in. The technology developed by the firm aims to manage conversations during long interactions, while learning about the user's interests. This enables it to proactively suggest new and relevant subject matter. The newly-launched company is now working with clients across a range of sectors including education, healthcare, and finance.