Hybrid shopping and increasing the speed of data and analytics operations were among the topics at top of mind as retail business executives returned to the Javitz Center in New York City for the first time in two years for the National Retail Federation's Big Show. But in spite of the return to the in-person venue, the pandemic and retail's response to it remained central to the event's themes. Indeed, even with COVID precautions such as proof of vaccination required, many tech vendors pulled out of in-person participation at the last minute due to the predicted Omicron variant surge coinciding with the event's mid-January dates. "Together, we have come through a remarkable set of challenges," said Mike George, departing NRF chairman of the board in his keynote address. "In 2020, the pandemic put the world on hold but retail never stopped. We kept moving forward, striving and evolving to meet the rapidly changing needs of our customers and communities."

Often, when Feel detects an emotion, the app will ask users to describe what's happening and how they feel. That feedback serves three purposes: It helps the algorithm improve, it provides the therapist with richer information, and it prompts journaling, which brings greater self-insight. Chryssoula says the app "challenged me to be specific and analytical in the ways of improving myself, my negative thoughts, and my circling fears." The app might also suggest one of several exercises. For example, users might be asked to recall the key message from their last therapy session and describe how they plan to use that takeaway in their daily lives.

The Washington Business Journal's inaugural FedBiz Forum offered a glimpse at how artificial intelligence is changing government contracting.

Amazon wants you to have long, real conversations with Alexa, its popular personal digital assistant. The e-tail giant recently released new tools to app developers that allow Alexa to whisper, show emotion and pause naturally, like we humans do. And that's just the start, says Rohit Prasad, Amazon's head scientist for Alexa, who is playing a key role in the retailer's efforts in artificial intelligence for Alexa--using computers to converse with us. "I truly believe that for AI to be useful in our daily lives, it has to be something you can connect with," Prasad said in an interview here. "Conversation is the next step, to be more human-like."