In the last year, one topic of conversation has dominated the content writing sphere -- the rise of AI-generated articles. As someone who coaches international writers who spend years developing their skills, I think about it a lot. I don't want to see people lose their jobs, but is it really possible to stop the march of technology? Technology helps us, and complaining about change doesn't make it less real. I understand the needs of companies who want fast, rankable content, but I also hear those writers who say'Machines cannot feel.

The accessibility of sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms, enabled by the high-performance capabilities of cloud-based data centres, mean insurers can more readily embrace a culture of innovation when it comes to their traditional approaches to business processes. Of course, the rising number of insurtechs, and evolving customer demands, have contributed to the creation of a disruptive environment that can capitalise on digitally driven solutions. Whether through partnering with insurtechs or looking at more effective ways of modernising their existing processes and systems, insurers are well-positioned to capitalise on global changes in the industry that have been accelerated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. AI and ML introduce a level of automation in data analysis and the decision process that was not possible before. It is especially in underwriting, claim decisioning and product development that these technologies prove to be invaluable.

In today's business landscape, competition is tough. There will always be competitors looking for you to falter so they can capitalise on your success. However, there is one industry that poses arguably the greatest threat of all. One that attracts young talent, is well-attuned to social issues like politics and health, and seizes trends like the subscription model, mobile banking and cryptocurrency. Your thoughts might jump to marketing, digital banking, IT, or simply a super modern tech startup that knows exactly how to use data to achieve its goals – incorrect.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has assumed a growing influence within financial services in recent years, affecting areas such as credit decisions, risk management, fraud detection, and stress testing. And for many fintechs, it has been baked into the process from the outset, to the extent that usage of AI in the fintech market registered $6 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $22 billion by 2025. Economic fallout from the pandemic, however, has accelerated the timetable for financial services firms to become mass adopters of AI and harness its predictive powers sooner rather than later. For digitally native fintechs, many of which have already embraced AI and its capabilities, this offers the opportunity to invest further in the technology and capitalise on the tools available to accelerate their journeys. Fintechs across the world are dealing with the effects of Covid-19 and face an uphill challenge in containing the impact of it on the financial system and broader economy. With rising unemployment and stagnated economies, individuals and companies are struggling with debt, while the world in general is awash in credit risk.

Artificial Intelligence, robotics and automation are all themes which are becoming more prevalent within today's society, and for investors, certainly have a lot of potential. We do not yet fully understand and are unable to predict the true impact of these technological advancements, yet the speed at which business and operational transformation is taking place via the implementation of these digital technologies is staggering. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science which is allowing companies to move to a new standard of analysing data and helping them to garner more value from their assets, both physical and digital. By utilising rapidly growing datasets, businesses are able to drive innovation, increase efficiency and empower this data to generate societal and corporate profits. Robotics have been around for some time with UNIMATE being the first robot to be used on a production line in 1962.

B Raghavendran, Managing Director, Partner Organisation, Cisco India and SAARC, shares Cisco's channel enablement programs and directions for its partners What have been the key highlights of 2019, and how will 2020 be an important year for the IT channel industry? We have seen more disruptions in the channel ecosystem over the past year than the industry has witnessed in the last decade. If we look back at 2019, we left no stone unturned to help our channel partners capitalise on the opportunities created by digital technologies. The evolution of our partner programs reflects our continued commitment to improving the overall partner experience, strengthening our joint go-to-market initiatives, and ultimately ensuring our partners' success in a dynamic and rapidly digitising ecosystem. We have been focused on helping our partners differentiate themselves while ultimately creating value. The transition towards a software and subscription-oriented strategy puts partners in an ideal position to capitalise on customers' desire to establish, expand, and accelerate multi-cloud and hybrid-cloud-based digital transformation initiatives.

There's a term in psychology and science fiction that describes when technology advances too fast for the individual to understand or respond to it: technoshock. All industries are currently experiencing their own technoshock when carrying out enterprise resource planning (ERP). Progress marches on as old, established industries are made redundant or weakened past the point of no return by the latest technologies. To survive, businesses should embrace the latest technologies and quickly. Central to this will be a new generation of ERP systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

Britain is failing to realise its AI ambitions, experts have warned, as a report shows that the UK is a leader in the industry but is struggling to convert research into real progress. The 2019 AI Index report found that while the UK was one of the world leaders in AI research, it lagged behind competitors in real-world impact. It was the fourth-largest producer of published AI research papers and submitted more conference papers than any other European country, but fell to sixth, behind Germany and France, in terms of AI patents published between 2015 and 2018. Erik Brynjolfsson, an MIT economist who helped put together the report, said fear of change and a lack of practical expertise were...

"Our experience to date in the RPA space is that our clients are waking up to the robotic process automation (RPA) wave taking the world by storm. Companies are identifying with the new disruptive technology that assists with the automation of mundane tasks being performed by humans, allowing them to focus on other tasks in their workday that require more cognitive and value-added intervention," says Allen Pascoe, Divisional Head RPA at Datafinity. It's a known fact that the challenges facing organisations, in spite of technological tools available, still include realities like paper-based processes, lack of control, inability to retrieve documents at speed, inefficient processes that lack clear roles and rules, multiple technology solutions that do not necessarily connect to each other, legislative requirements not being met, shortage of resources, financial constraints, unprecedented growth requiring concomitant support and collaboration between multiple resources, etc. In conjunction with the disruptive technologies like cloud, IOT, AI and the like, companies are finding it difficult to remain focused on the best means to find a way to remain relevant, competitive and still add value to the client. Digital transformation is defined as the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers. It's also a cultural change that requires organisations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment and get comfortable with failure.

"Our experience to date in the RPA space is that our clients are waking up to the robotic process automation (RPA) wave taking the world by storm. Companies are identifying with the new disruptive technology that assists with the automation of mundane tasks being performed by humans, allowing them to focus on other tasks in their workday that require more cognitive and value-added intervention," says Allen Pascoe, Divisional Head RPA at Datafinity. It's a known fact that the challenges facing organisations, in spite of technological tools available, still include realities like paper-based processes, lack of control, inability to retrieve documents at speed, inefficient processes that lack clear roles and rules, multiple technology solutions that do not necessarily connect to each other, legislative requirements not being met, shortage of resources, financial constraints, unprecedented growth requiring concomitant support and collaboration between multiple resources, etc. In conjunction with the disruptive technologies like cloud, IOT, AI and the like, companies are finding it difficult to remain focused on the best means to find a way to remain relevant, competitive and still add value to the client. Digital transformation is defined as the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers. It's also a cultural change that requires organisations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment and get comfortable with failure.