In an era of purpose-driven consumption, values--such as transparency, trust and humanness--are key drivers that unlock value in AI, new research from WP Engine finds. The firm's latest study, conducted by researchers at The University of London and Vanson Bourne, explores the present and near future of AI-driven human digital experiences on the web, and the often tenuous but also potentially rewarding relationship between consumers, brands and AI. According to IDC, worldwide spending on AI systems is forecast to reach $35.8 billion in 2019, an increase of 44 percent over the amount spent in 2018. Much of that growth will come from the application of AI online because there is a natural, evolutionary symbiosis between AI and the internet. However, it was a sudden burst of activity starting in 2013 that marks the beginning of what we might term the modern AI period, especially for digital and digital experiences, characterized predominantly by automated content creation, programmatic ad buying in 2014, and intelligent search.

HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - Artificial intelligence doesn't hate you, prominent researcher Eliezer Yudkowsky wrote, "nor does it love you, but you are made of atoms which it can use for something else". This sets the scene for Tom Chivers' fascinating new book, which borrows its title from the quote, on why so-called superintelligence should be viewed as an existential threat potentially greater than nuclear weapons or climate change. The "strange, irascible and brilliant" Yudkowsky is a central figure throughout the book. His early musings on the potential and dangers of artificial intelligence during the mid- to late-2000s gave birth to the Rationalist movement, a loose community dedicated to AI safety. Chivers, a former science journalist with Buzzfeed and the Telegraph, offers a meticulously researched investigation into who the Rationalists are, and more importantly why they believe humanity is fast approaching an inflection point between "extinction and godhood".

HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - Forget autonomous driving: The latest digital buzzword is medtech. Investors at last week's annual RISE technology conference in Hong Kong talked up a coming healthcare artificial-intelligence revolution, and the hype is as palpable in Silicon Valley. Chinese firms are well positioned to take the lead. U.S. venture capital funds poured over $12 billion into local biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical-device upstarts in the first half of this year, according to data from Pitchbook, on track to surpass last year's record of $17 billion. Investments in the country's life sciences sector doubled to $12 billion last year, according to ChinaBio Consulting, and accelerated to more than $5 billion in the first quarter of 2018, led by prolific backers like Qiming Ventures and Sequoia Capital China.