With the release of Generative AI systems such as ChatGPT, an increasing interest in using Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been observed across domains, including higher education. While emerging statistics show the popularity of using AI amongst undergraduate students, little is yet known about students' perceptions regarding AI including self-reported benefits and concerns from their actual usage, in particular in distance learning contexts. Using a two-step, mixed-methods approach, we examined the perceptions of ten online and distance learning students from diverse disciplines regarding the design of a hypothetical AI Digital Assistant (AIDA). In the first step, we captured students' perceptions via interviews, while the second step supported the triangulation of data by enabling students to share, compare, and contrast perceptions with those of peers. All participants agreed on the usefulness of such an AI tool while studying and reported benefits from using it for real-time assistance and query resolution, support for academic tasks, personalisation and accessibility, together with emotional and social support. Students' concerns related to the ethical and social implications of implementing AIDA, data privacy and data use, operational challenges, academic integrity and misuse, and the future of education. Implications for the design of AI-tailored systems are also discussed.

The Cairo-based startup Elves has raised $2 million in seed funding from Egyptian VC fund Sawari Ventures. According to Menabytes, part of the investment was received in February and the other in July. Sawari Ventures was the investor in both cases. If we are to factor in this recent investment, the startup will have thus far raised $5 million. In 2017, Elves raised a record sum of investment in what was MENA region's largest seed round.

Joshua Montgomery, CEO of Mycroft AI, has a bone to pick with Amazon Alexa, the voice-controlled digital helper that companies such as Toyota, Ford and BMW have integrated into vehicles. "Even though [the car] may run a voice assistant from a tech company, you can't use it to check what the tire pressure is," Montgomery said. He turned his gripe into an idea: an independent, white-label digital assistant that automakers can customize for use in their vehicles. Last year, the startup honed the product by putting it into a Jaguar F-Type test vehicle at Jaguar Land Rover's tech incubator in Portland, Ore. Now, nestled amongst dozens of startups at CES 2018's Eureka Park, Montgomery was courting carmakers, pitching freedom from Silicon Valley's dominant positioning.

At OneReach, some of us think the coolest part of the Iron Man movies is the artificial intelligence that helps power Tony Stark's armor and business operations. Virtual assistant services like Magic and GoButler already exist, but requests are all managed by real people on the other end. And while there are services like My Second that incorporate artificial intelligence into their service offering, there's nothing on the level of J.A.R.V.I.S. Siri is probably the most ubiquitous example of artificially intelligent personal assistant, but she's more of a recommendation engine than true AI. Similarly, Echo, Amazon's sparkling new home automation assistant, can only respond to simple voice commands. However, Echo's functionality is beefed up once you add in the fact that Echo can connect to other apps to access their capabilities.

On Thursday, Facebook launched a new digital assistant named "M" that works within Messenger for users in the US. It includes artificial intelligence (AI) to make suggestions to users. M launched in 2015, and was tested on a small percentage of users, and it has now been expanded to all iOS and Android users in the US and will eventually roll out to other countries. There are 1 billion Facebook Messenger users monthly. There is already competition among AI-powered digital assistants, with Google's Allo messaging app, and the upcoming Galaxy S8 including a Samsung-developed digital assistant named Bixby.

Samsung needs a break badly. And so they are probably working very hard on the upcoming new flagship on what we suppose will be the Galaxy S8. This will be a major test for them, to see if the smartphone will be good enough for people to forgive them for the whole Galaxy Note 7 debacle. One of the things they have confirmed is that they will be launching an artificial intelligence digital assistant as part of the flagship. Just last month, Samsung announced that they were acquiring Viv Labs Inc, which was actually run by someone highly familiar with voice assistant programs, as he was the co-creator of Apple's Siri.

Samsung on Sunday said it will bring an artificial intelligence digital assistant to its upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone, as the phone giant looks to recover after its massive Galaxy Note 7 blunder. The digital assistant will allow Galaxy S8 users to perform tasks like ordering food or making a calendar appointment, without having to launch third-party applications. Users will simply be able to speak to the digital assistant. Samsung acquired Viv Labs in October and is expected to use the start-up's AI technology on the Galaxy S8. Viv Labs was founded by the same entrepreneurs who sold Siri to Apple.

The world's top smartphone maker in October announced the acquisition of Viv Labs, a firm run by a co-creator of Apple's Siri voice assistant program. Samsung plans to integrate the San Jose-based company's AI platform, called Viv, into the Galaxy smartphones and expand voice-assistant services to home appliances and wearable technology devices. Samsung is counting on the Galaxy S8 to help revive smartphone momentum after the discontinuation of fire-prone Galaxy Note 7s, which will hit its profit by $5.4 billion over three quarters through the first quarter of 2017. Investors and analysts say the Galaxy S8 must be a strong device in order for Samsung to win back customers and revive earnings momentum. Samsung did not comment on what types of services would be offered through the AI assistant that will be launched on the Galaxy S8, which is expected to go on sale early next year.

In 2016 bots and artificial intelligent digital assistants seem to be the Next Big Thing. Back in 2014 I posited that Cortana would be the intelligent, voice-engaged UI for our increasingly mobile experiences. As a mediator between our "will" and our apps, I thought that she would effectively make apps "invisible" as she became the ambient user interface of our mobile computing lifestyles. As Microsoft continues to evolve Cortana toward the vision the company sees for its AI digital assistant, I've seen that my 2014 analysis was not entirely correct. Nor was it entirely wrong.