Artificial intelligence (AI) is sometimes referred to as a herald of the fourth industrial revolution. That revolution is already here.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is sometimes referred to as a herald of the fourth industrial revolution. That revolution is already here. Whenever you say "Hey Siri" or glance at your phone in order to unlock it, you're using AI. Its current and potential applications are numerous, including medical diagnosis and predictive technologies that enhance user interactions. As chairwoman of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, I am particularly interested in the potential for AI to accelerate innovation and discovery across the science and engineering disciplines.

Over the last few years branding has evolved just like any other area of business. While technology has a large role to play in it, the drastic change in the consumer's expectations has also altered the way businesses craft their branding strategies. It cannot be denied that branding needs a personal touch. Right from ad campaigns to the company's website, everything needs a human intervention hence leaving it completely to artificial intelligence or automation can only lead to your consumers getting detached from you. However, there are certain areas where Artificial Intelligence has done wonders in branding and the trend of using AI for connecting better with the consumers is on a rise.

When Royal Bank of Scotland introduced an online chatbot to the public in 2016, executives were keen to present the technology as an aid for hard-pressed call-centre agents. But it was clear the chatbot's powers would grow and perhaps, in time, could come to rival those of its human colleagues. Artificial intelligence, RBS said, lets the chatbot -- first named Luvo but now called Assist -- handle routine web chat requests from clients, such as queries about address changes or asking for a bank card to be authorised. This would free human advisers to help customers with more complex questions. The initial trial that began in December has been limited to 10 per cent of RBS customers in Scotland who use web chat to communicate with the bank.