The travel industry is one of the biggest proponents and early adopters of AI technology and applications. AI and machine learning are a natural fit for travel, a somewhat volatile industry that ebbs and flows based on a large number of wildcard variables. Customer service has been the primary way AI is being steadily integrated into the travel experience, although there are a host of other potential applications for the technology. Hotels are a prime location for AI adoption and the Connie robot being deployed by Hilton Worldwide Hotels is one of the most well known examples. Connie is an AI-based concierge that uses AI and speech recognition to provide a variety of tourist-related information to guests who speak to it.

AI and bots will give donors a massive boost to their understanding and encourage them to donate even more according to the Charities Aid Foundation's think-tank. Almost everyone will have experienced artificial intelligence (AI) on the internet; either when using an automated chatbot linked to a website or via online ads, which use carefully crafted algorithms to target their potential customers. A recent article, entitled Is AI The Future Of Philanthropy Advice, explored the current and future use of AI by charities to help better deliver services and inform potential donors. The promise of being able to extend the reach of charities through more meaningful messaging whilst reducing the cost of delivery by offering automated advice and information, makes AI a very attractive project for charities to pursue. A notable example is Arthritis Research UK, who partnered with Microsoft to pilot an automated chatbot that offered web visitors personalised advice on arthritis.

Despite perceived employee concerns, US business leaders are moving ahead with adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the enterprise, according to a Thursday report from Genesys. By 2022, 60% of US company leaders said they expect to be using AI or advanced automation to improve operations, staffing, budgeting, or performance--an increase from the 24% who said they are already doing so. Of the 303 US employers surveyed, 57% said they were enthusiastic about new workplace tech tools including AI and bots. Some 32% said they believe AI enables companies to achieve goals faster, more effectively, and for less money. Another 25% said they believe AI allows employees to become more productive, and feel more valuable, the survey found.

The hottest tech trends have exploded out of betas, labs and trials into everyday use cases for many businesses, with a raft of new products or developments. If your business isn't looking to take advantage of ML, AI and bots, it may not be in business for much longer. Every aspect of business will be transformed in some way by machine learning (ML) and AI. For example, bots are already taking over in human resources with the likes of TalView using ML to find candidates and using AI during the interview process. Other AIs, like Swedish recruitment robot Tengai are being used to help provide fair and unbiased interviews to avoid discrimination, an increasingly vital part of the hiring process.

The idea that automation is going to be a key driver of transformation in the retail industry in 2019 isn't a prediction, it's a certainty. From FedEx automating its sorting and distribution facilities, to Amazon Go putting pressure on retailers to reinvent the shopping experience by, as the New York Times reported, "testing robots that help keep shelves stocked, apps that let shoppers ring up items with a smartphone, and high-tech systems [that] completely automate the checkout process," automation will be a fact of life that retailers simply can't afford to ignore any longer. Particularly when it comes to customer service. Here are three ways AI and bots will fundamentally transform retail in the next year. In 2019, rapid adoption of messaging-based bots will be the number one trend in customer service -- in retail and across industries.

Once considered purely science fiction, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now a hot topic in the ERP space. We mentioned it in our "What is ERP," blog post and our Sage Summit recap post. But we're only now starting to realize the impact these technologies will have on our businesses, our jobs and of course, our enterprise software. Artificial intelligence is the science of incorporating human intelligence into machines. AI is a sub-field of computer science which aims to enable the development of machines/computers that are able complete tasks normally done by humans, specifically those tasks that normally require human intelligence.

It is 1955, and in the corridors of RAND (Research and Development) Corporation, America's non-profit global policy think-tank, a printer is printing out a map using punctuation marks and symbols. Maybe, but it was also the moment that inspired the development of a phenomenon that is touted be the fundamental determinant of future societies - Artificial Intelligence. Herbert A. Simon, a political scientist, Allen Newell, a researcher in computer science and cognitive psychology and Cliff Shaw, a programmer par excellence, came together after that fateful moment of observing the printer. Simon realized a machine's manipulative capabilities that could simulate decision making, akin to the process of human thought. Thus began their journey to create the Logic Theorist, a program engineered to mimic the problem-solving skills of a human being which are also revered as'the first artificial intelligence program.' Cut to 2017 and AI seems to be the only thing everyone is talking about.

The telephone remains as the main platform used by consumers to connect with companies they have business with. In fact, a recent research conducted by Forrester revealed that the phone is still the most widely-used customer service channel – with 73% of customers calling into the call center. In a separate study from Arizona State University, the prominence of the telephone was also indicated: Customers are 11 times more driven to use a telephone to complain when they are angry. However, in today's high-touch constantly connected world where information spreads rapidly, the term using a call center in customer service may seem like a thing of the past. These days, a lot of organizations and companies are looking to the next big things in the customer service technology and communication channels – such as the Artificial Intelligence and Bots.

India's most valuable bank, HDFC Bank, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) at its core by offering conversational interfaces, such as humanoids and chatbots, to transform the customer experience. In the six months since she joined HDFC Bank, Eva has had over 1.2 million conversations addressing nearly 2.7 million customer queries. In an environment where the country's biggest and most competitive banks are jostling to acquire modern customers, Eva is just what the bank's country head of digital banking, Nitin Chugh, had asked for. Earlier this month, Eva also became India's largest banking chatbot. Eva, which stands for electronic virtual assistant, combines natural language processing and artificial intelligence to offer an almost human-like customer experience for users.

Consumers have been paying their bills online and managing their finances for a couple of decades now, but big banks still remain laggards when it comes to adopting AI solutions that can improve their service to customers, a group of panelists who spoke about fintech at MB 2017 said. "Banks have a giant base of customers, and it's hard to move them all. Many people still prefer to go a bank branch to do their banking," said Dion Lisle, VP of fintech at Capgemini. "I hate to say this, but I think we're seeing a lot of'innovation theater.'" Some banks are moving faster than others, but even the laggards will feel pressure to adopt more AI features soon enough.