Love robots and AI? Then you'll want to add all 10 of these innovative sci-fi books about robots and AI to your TBR list.

In this repo I collect my visual conference & summer school sketch notes - to prevent things getting messy. Feel free to have a look and enjoy, @RobertTLange! Q: What tablet do you use? A: I use an iPad 12.9' with the new Apple Pencil. But you don't have to.

This article is based on an in-depth study of the data science efforts in three large, private-sector Indian banks with collective assets exceeding $200 million. The study included onsite observations; semistructured interviews with 57 executives, managers, and data scientists; and the examination of archival records. The five obstacles and the solutions for overcoming them emerged from an inductive analytical process based on the qualitative data. More and more companies are embracing data science as a function and a capability. But many of them have not been able to consistently derive business value from their investments in big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.1 Moreover, evidence suggests that the gap is widening between organizations successfully gaining value from data science and those struggling to do so.2

Throughout history, society has debated the morality of debt. In ancient times, debt--borrowing from another on the promise of repayment--was viewed in many cultures as sinful, with lending at interest especially repugnant. The concern that borrowers would become overindebted and enslaved to lenders meant that debts were routinely forgiven. These concerns continue to influence perceptions of lending and the regulation of credit markets today. Consider the prohibition against charging interest in Islamic finance and interest rate caps on payday lenders--companies that offer high-cost, short-term loans.

The 390 labs and institutions that form the CLAIRE Research Network are committed to working together towards realising the vision of CLAIRE: European excellence across all of AI, for all of Europe, with a human-centred focus. Over 22,000 people work for the groups and institutions that form the CLAIRE Research Network in 36 countries (properly accounting for overlap between groups). Associated research groups and institutions can be seen here. To join the CLAIRE Research Network, first sign your support for CLAIRE, and then contact us at network@claire-ai.org to request the application form. To apply, we require that the lab, research group or institution be part of a not-for profit organisation that conducts research in AI, and regularly publishes that research, and have its own working website (not that of a larger entity of which it is part).

We have covered a lot of ground within the two articles of the Exploring Artificial Intelligence series (January, February). We have understood that AI is already participating in our lives, overtly and covertly. AI is here and is not going away. To quote the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: "Don't Panic!". This article has some good news.

Many swimming pools in Germany do not have enough trained lifeguards and in many places, this skilled labor shortage is even leading to closures. The solution could be a floating underwater rescue robot, which is intended to support rescue staff in emergencies in the future. A research team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB in Ilmenau developed the underwater vehicle with the help of Halle's water rescue service, Wasserrettungsdienstes Halle e.V. According to the German life-saving association, the Deutsche Lebens-Rettungsgesellschaft (DLRG), nearly 420 people drowned in Germany in 2019, with the majority losing their lives in fresh water lakes. However, fatal accidents also occurred in swimming pools.

Gatik, a startup developing an autonomous vehicle stack for B2B short-haul logistics, today announced it has raised $9 million, with $1 million coming from a partnership with Ontario's Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN). Gatik says the AVIN collaboration -- part of an Ontario government program providing R&D, business, technical, and talent support, as well as vehicle test tracks -- will help it understand how inclement weather affects its vehicles' movements Some experts predict the pandemic will hasten adoption of autonomous vehicles for delivery. Self-driving cars, vans, and trucks promise to minimize the risk of spreading disease by limiting driver contact. This is particularly true with regard to short-haul freight, an estimated 30% of which takes place in snowy and icy conditions. The producer price index for local truckload carriage jumped 20.4% from July to August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, most likely propelled by demand for short-haul distribution from warehouses and distribution centers to ecommerce fulfillment centers and stores.

Cipher Skin, a startup developing a network of wraparound sensors that can deliver big data diagnostics, today announced it has raised $5 million in a series A round led by Boyett Group. The company says the funds, which bring Cipher's total raised to date to $7.8 million, will bolster development of the company's existing product line and new products in markets like oil, gas, and winemaking. After his career in the U.S. special operations forces, Cipher CEO Phillip Bogdanovich started training in the gym with Craig Weller, a physical coach he met when serving in Baghdad. Bogdanovich says that as soon as he was separated from Weller, he noticed his recovery began slowing. While back in the U.S., Bogdanovich and Weller began brainstorming how the training process could be scaled to allow people at home to experience the equivalent of a coach watching and providing feedback.

Emails changed the way financial services and law firms used to do business years ago. Now, artificial intelligence is creating a new revolution in the way how law firms and financial institutions work. It is helping to speed up the business process, provide prompt customer service, boost productivity, reduce the workload on human minds, and minimize mistakes. Today, we will discuss how artificial intelligence is helping law firms and financial institutions to boost productivity, reduce expenses, and provide better services to their clients. Artificial intelligence is gradually becoming an indispensable virtual assistant for the lawyers.