Seven years after introducing webOS as the platform for its Smart TV lineup, LG is introducing version 6.0 with a new look and feel for its 2021 4K and 8K TVs. The old blade lineup of apps is gone, with a more modern tile-based layout. LG Home Entertainment president Park Hyoung-sei calls this "the most significant update since we first introduced webOS in 2014." An upgraded version of its ThinQ AI has more voice command control than ever whether you're using Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. For traditional control, this year's edition of its Magic Remote is a bit more standard than some of the previous versions, but also includes NFC for the first time, which allows users to share content from phone to TV (and back) simply by tapping it.

AI and machine learning by themselves do not move the needle. The technologies must be applied somehow to have the desired impact. With that in mind, H2O.ai today unveiled an open-source Python development framework called H2O Wave for creating new user interfaces (UIs) for AI applications and connecting the dots between data science insight and real world impact. Data scientists have an abundance of tools and technology for exploring data and building machine learning models, including things like PyTorch, TensorFlow, and the popular H2O library (not to mention the company's Driverless AI offering). But when it comes to building compelling user interfaces that bring those ML models to life, there aren't as many options available, according to H2O.ai founder and CEO SriSatish Ambati.

Samsung is adding more features to its Family Hub smart refrigerator, and the company claims its latest version is more intelligent than any other. Family Hub 2019 includes a redesigned screen experience and Samsung says users will be able to ask difficult questions in natural language. Answers are powered by Bixby and the assistant will also let Family Hub users preset the oven, search for recipes and call an Uber through voice control. Bixby will also display relevant information on the Family Hub screen. Samsung debuted its first Family Hub fridge in 2016 and it was able to keep track of groceries, let users buy items through its touchscreen display, help users keep tabs on their schedules and control other smart devices.

The Accenture Technology Vision 2017 delves into a fascinating trend that's at the heart of my daily responsibilities--and I know of substantial interest to our clients. The AI Is The New UI chapter looks at how artificial intelligence (AI) will quickly become more than an underlying technology capability; it will permeate intelligent enterprises and advance to a fundamental tool for daily engagement with people--both customers and employees. We also describe in the Tech Vision how AI will, in time, become the digital spokesperson for leading enterprises. Customers will experience a company's brand through personalized, 100 percent consistent and natural interactions with AI service agents--and even engage with the brand through other companies' AI interfaces. This post highlights how we see this tech trend unfolding. AI technology is already taking a larger role in user experiences across various interfaces.

From digital personal assistants to applications that provide contextual and relevant recommendations for ecommerce, to driverless cars that may soon be a reality, AI is making every interface both simple and smart and setting the bar high for future applications. The hallmark of Human-Machine Interaction has been marked by the constant endeavor to make machine interactions more'human-like'. HMI has come a long way from its'command prompt' days where the interaction was machine-centric to touch screens where users interacted with machines using natural gestures. Today, machines have the capability to understand voice (Natural Language Processing) and sight (Image and Vision Computing) – the two senses which humans use most for communication. This has been made possible by advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning that enable machines to interpret, decipher and contextualise human inputs into machine understandable and readable formats. Machines have begun to understand natural human interaction cues with greater accuracy; and interactions have become adaptive and multimodal (type, touch, voice, sight) as compared to the earlier unimodal, passive and command based interactions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be the single most important enabler of digital success. It will become the public face of an organisation's digital brand and a key differentiator in an ever more crowded, complex and unpredictable business and social environment. That is the view of leading global professional services company Accenture in its Technology Vision 2017 report, Technology for People: The Era of the Intelligent Enterprise. Those organisations that effectively embrace AI will thrive, while late adopters will, almost certainly, fail, says Accenture. The report, however, is not about spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt.