For every technological gadget that becomes a household name, there are dozens that never catch on. This year marks a full decade since Google confirmed it was stopping production of Google Glass, and for a long time it appeared as though mixed-reality products would remain the preserve of enthusiasts rather than casual consumers. Fast-forward 10 years, and smart glasses are on the verge of becoming--whisper it--cool. Sleeker designs are certainly making this new generation of glasses more appealing. But more importantly, smart glasses are finally on the verge of becoming useful, and it's clear that Big Tech is betting that augmented specs will be the next big consumer device category.

Technological infused Finns are envisioning vast opportunities in creating and adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions in the business landscape. This year at Slush in Helsinki, Finland, the largest technology event for startups and venture capital investors in Europe, there seemed to be an Artificial Intelligence company in each and every direction you were looking. It seems like there is a good reason for that. An accelerator initiated in 2018 by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Finland and Technology Industries of Finland is helping startups and SME deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI). Finland's Artificial Intelligence Accelerator (FAIA), publishes a curated list of the best AI companies in Finland twice a year.

Jeff Ding, a researcher at the University of Oxford who studies China's AI development, shared some recent reflections on the most important things he's learned in the past year. They offer a great snapshot into the current state of the industry, so I've summarized them briefly below. The Chinese- and English-speaking AI communities have an asymmetrical understanding of each other. Most Chinese researchers can read English, and nearly all major research developments in the Western world are immediately translated into Chinese, but the reverse is not true. Therefore, the Chinese research community has a much deeper understanding than the English-speaking one of what's happening on both sides of the aisle.

Jeff Ding, a researcher at the University of Oxford who studies China's AI development, shared some recent reflections on the most important things he's learned in the past year. They offer a great snapshot into the current state of the industry, so I've summarized them briefly below. The Chinese- and English-speaking AI communities have an asymmetrical understanding of each other. Most Chinese researchers can read English, and nearly all major research developments in the Western world are immediately translated into Chinese, but the reverse is not true. Therefore, the Chinese research community has a much deeper understanding than the English-speaking one of what's happening on both sides of the aisle.

As the CEO of Silicon Valley Artificial Intelligence, Pete Kane has founded multiple startups such as Healthcare Minnesota and Startup Venture Loft, which led to his most recent collaborative creation Silicon Valley Artificial Intelligence. The community group uses machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to collaborate on research projects that can make landmark discoveries in science and healthcare. Silicon Valley AI will host the Genomics Hackathon from Friday through Sunday at Google Launchpad in San Francisco. We spoke to Kane to get the skinny on what AI means for the future, and whether we should be afraid of the machines turning on us. Why should people be excited about AI? AI is exciting because we're all exploring it at the same pace.