Summary: Social interaction robots show promise in helping those who stutter to improve their speech fluency and communication confidence. Social robots that interact with humans could be a promising new addition to current treatment tools for people who stutter, according to a recent study looking at how the high-tech helpers might be used in clinics. Unlike apps and AI programs within computers, social robots have a physical presence, making them well suited for interventions in the context of a stuttering clinic, explains study co-author Torrey Loucks. Stuttering affects the quality of life of those who experience the speech disorder, with effects extending beyond just speech difficulties, Loucks notes. "Stuttering can further result in poor self-image, negative views that the person feels, and this leads to anxiety about engaging in speech communication."

Consulting and professional services firm Deloitte recently issued a report, "Unbundling the cloud with the intelligent edge," which looks at how updated connectivity in the cloud, AI, and edge computing can be exploited by the enterprise. Elements making up this changing ecosystem include the adoption of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 in the next phase of wireless connections, says Jeff Loucks, executive director of Deloitte's Center for Technology, Media, & Telecommunications. He says the report posits the displacement of incumbent wireless by 5G in the next three years. New tiers of wireless may act as force multipliers, according to the report, by expanding the potential of other new technologies. "The way we're thinking about the intelligent edge," says Loucks, "it's a combination of processing power, artificial intelligence, and advanced connectivity that's located near devices that generate and consume data."

This year "is the year that AI is going to enter the enterprise mainstream adoption," said Jeff Loucks, executive director of The Center for Technology, Media & Telecommunications at Deloitte Services LP. Deloitte's 2020 edition of its annual "State of AI in the Enterprise" report, released in July, indicates that many enterprises are investing heavily in AI, and many are buying cloud-based AI products instead of building their own. The technology and consulting company surveyed 2,737 IT and line-of-business executives across nine countries. All of the respondents use some form of AI in their companies. The survey showed that 53% of the adopters spent more than $20 million over the past year on AI-related technology and talent, with 71% of them expecting to increase spending in the next fiscal year.

In the age of digital transformation, an increasing number of organizations are looking to tap artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to streamline day-to-day operations and revolutionize their business models. Last week, the consulting firm, Deloitte, released its third annual "State of AI in the Enterprise." The report gives a detailed look at the ways in which organizations are utilizing AI and provides insights into concerns shaping enterprise adoption moving forward. The Deloitte survey offers a detailed overview of AI adoption across the integration spectrum. To better understand attitudes alongside adoption, enterprises are divided into three smaller subsects--seasoned adopters, skilled adopters, and starters.

In one corner, there's a newbie, 5G-- higher bandwidth networks promising super-fast speed and increased responsiveness and reliability. And in the other, artificial intelligence (AI)--technology that can analyze massive amounts of data and learn from previous actions. But combined together, 5G networks and AI have the potential to pack a significantly more powerful punch. Some industry experts argue that the key differentiator among mobile networks will be the quality of the AI in their systems. "Together, AI and 5G will make possible capabilities that never existed before," says Prakash Sangam, principal and founder of Tantra Analyst, a high-tech research, analysis and strategic advisory firm.

If there's one big thing that might thwart companies' headlong rush to adopt artificial intelligence for their businesses, it's data. AI generally requires lots of data. But it needs to be the right kind of data, in very particular kinds of formats. And it often needs it to be "clean," including only the kind of information it needs and none of what it doesn't. "The biggest challenge most organizations face when they start thinking about AI is their data," said Paul Daugherty, the chief technology and innovation officer of consulting firm Accenture, in an interview earlier this month.

Wildlife poachers who stalk endangered animals in East and South Africa have long operated under the cover of night. But lately not even a moonless sky is safe cover for stalking impalas, elephants, and rhinos. Now, the power of increasingly inexpensive infrared cameras, artificial intelligence, and drones are being used to stop illegal poaching. Rangers are rounding up veteran poachers in the middle of the night, says Colby Loucks, World Wildlife Fund's senior director of wildlife crime technology, who ask, dumbfounded, "How are you finding me?'" This spring, the World Wildlife Fund began deploying thermal sensing infrared technology from the imaging company FLIR to combat poaching in Kenya's Maasai Mara Conservancy park--and at another secret location that's home to rhinos, one of the most imperiled creatures on Earth.