It's undeniable that the coronavirus pandemic has had an irreversible effect on virtually all facets of daily live, but with a clutch of countries now beginning to loosen Covid restrictions, there are hopes that the world may finally be emerging from the turmoil that has enveloped it over the last two years. It now makes sense for the global population to look towards a new semblance of normality – one that will be characterized by remarkable advances in artificial intelligence (AI), data science and other digital technology, which could provide significant assistance in keeping Covid, as well as any other viral diseases that may arise, under control. The merits of AI have already been amply displayed during the pandemic, with regard to its diagnostics, forecasting, drug development and screening capabilities. Moving forward, it's logical that it could provide similar succor in enabling to live with the virus – but without the existential anxiety that has accompanied it thus far. Just over two years since the discovery of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, the virus may finally be in retreat.

They crave convenience and they want seamless on-demand customer experiences (CX). Recently, Salesforce reiterated the importance of'the experience' in growing customer engagement. Findings revealed that experiences not only need to be seamless but extraordinary to truly engage customers. Just'satisfactory' experiences don't stack up in our'always on' society. But an extraordinary experience is a tall order for companies that are delivering thousands, or even millions, of orders every day.

Deep learning is a technique which teaches computers to do what we, as humans, do so naturally: learn by example. There are deep learning workstations available with tremendous capabilities too. The car that doesn't need a driver, the ability to know that a person is a person and not a bollard. The voice-controlled devices that we all enjoy so much. And still, deep learning is something that we all enjoy, yet know relatively little about.

The discipline, which up until recently was restricted to academic research and applications, is finally becoming part of everyday life. They might not be able to tell you what it is, but they will know that it's permeated all sorts of industries. In education, platforms like Century are helping teachers provide more personalised education programmes and receive feedback. In the legal service industry, AI is helping lawyers to do legal searches and draft the best standard documents. In travel, companies are developing fully autonomous systems that diagnose potential problems for driverless cars and identify the most logical routes.

Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are increasingly promoted as a solution in the context, and you don't need to look far to find products and services trumpeting their use of such techniques as a key selling point. At the same time, there is a growing concern that the growth of AI will herald a new era of cybercrime, making attacks more complex and more difficult to stop. Before looking at the potential downsides, it is worth thinking about the defensive role the AI can play in cybersecurity. The key areas here will include spotting things that we would not ordinarily notice and aiding the automation of things that otherwise rely upon manual intervention. Although it's getting significant attention at present, the opportunity to link AI into cybersecurity has been recognised for quite some time, with application in behavioural profiling and anomaly detection (e.g.

The conversation around artificial intelligence and exactly what impact it will have on digital marketing continues to pervade the industry. There are many predictions about how it could change the way digital marketers do business but there is still work to be done in order for businesses to really maximise its potential. In fact, machine learning should be considered one of, if not the, most exciting application of AI, and certainly the easiest to apply directly to paid search. Paid search is just one tactic in the arsenal of digital marketing strategies but perhaps the one that can benefit most in terms of both the efficiency and time saving aspect of AI. Using algorithms to help target and reach your desired audiences is powerful and can provide marketers with the data needed to drive wider strategy.

With scaremongering tabloid headlines telling us robots are set to steal all our jobs there has been hesitancy by some, to embrace technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). However, if you are an innovative marketer, then you will understand that AI is going to be a fantastic augmentation of the industry's capabilities, enhancing the way in which marketers understand, listen to and engage with customers. AI is no longer the stuff of sci-fi dystopias or some far-off future technology. Instead, we are already surrounded by it as we interact with chatbots in our daily working lives, or request entertainment options with Amazon's Alexa when we're relaxing at home. It is now becoming essential for marketers looking to make significant business impact in 2018 and beyond, to include AI in their plans and see it as a friend rather than a foe.

I've always been drawn to the latest developments in tech, often buying gadgets just to see what they can do. The Rasberry Pi captured my imagination for a while and I make a mean model of an orange with a 3D printing machine. My latest obsession is artificial intelligence. Like many small business owners, I initially found it easy to think that I should leave AI to Cambridge University, or the Facebook and Googles of this world. But actually with tools like Microsoft Azure around, it's surprisingly easy for small software creators to get started on a journey of artificial intelligence.

In a modern economy, the website is a foregone conclusion. Whatever your business model, your end customer expects you to have some representation on the internet. If you are a consumer-facing business, chances are a mobile app is just as vital to your brand as your website. While these business tools are considered mission critical today, a mere 20 years ago almost no one had a website and the app only rose to importance with the advent of the smartphone economy, less than a decade ago. At traditional industry pace these are rapidly changing parameters, and the next technology revolution is already upon us.

Technology is already reshaping the fashion industry, from enabling online purchases through mobile devices to powering live streaming of runway shows. However, this innovation is just the tip of the iceberg: the fashion industry is going to change fast and change forever. One of the biggest drivers of technological innovation will be machine learning (ML) and eventually artificial intelligence (AI). Algorithms will foresee what people want to wear, before they're even aware themselves and will recommend outfits and looks based on personal, local and global trends. While the opportunities are exciting, there is still some way to go in the fashion industry before machines can replace the work of stylists and trendsetters.