Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have used automated machine learning in a new way to forecast state violence in Africa, and they expect the technology to have even wider predictive applications. Dr. Vito D'Orazio, associate professor of political science in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, and his team created the dynamic forecasting model as part of a competition sponsored by the Violence Early-Warning System (ViEWS) project at Uppsala University's Department of Peace and Conflict Research. The research was subsequently published online Jan. 15 in the journal International Interactions. The ViEWS contest challenged competitors to forecast -- up to six months out -- the change in the number of fatalities in a country or region stemming from state-based violence, which is armed conflict in which at least one party is a government. Forecasts from the UT Dallas team were so accurate on the subnational level -- consisting of randomly gridded map areas that don't take countries' borders into account -- that they won that part of the competition for predictive accuracy and split the win for originality.

It may have been created with the help of AI. Mackmyra, an award-winning Swedish distillery, has launched Intelligens, the world's first whisky created using an artificial intelligence program. Mackmyra partnered with Finnish technology company Fourkind to develop an AI system that augments and automates some of the tasks of the distillery's master blender, who is responsible for whisky flavor and product development. Master blenders spend their time meticulously tasting and experimenting to create the best flavors possible, and that process can be time-consuming. Mackmyra wanted machine learning to work its magic in sifting through massive amounts of data to find new combinations.

It may have been created with the help of AI. Mackmyra, an award-winning Swedish distillery, has launched Intelligens, the world's first whisky created using an artificial intelligence program. Mackmyra partnered with Finnish technology company Fourkind to develop an AI system that augments and automates some of the tasks of the distillery's master blender, who is responsible for whisky flavor and product development. Master blenders spend their time meticulously tasting and experimenting to create the best flavors possible, and that process can be time-consuming. Mackmyra wanted machine learning to work its magic in sifting through massive amounts of data to find new combinations.

The use of AI-driven processes to increase efficiency in the F&B market is no longer an anomaly. A host of breweries and distilleries have incorporated the technology to not only develop flavour profiles faster, but also for other functions, including packaging, marketing, as well as to ensure they meet all food-safety regulations. Although the intention is not to find a replacement for the brewmaster/distiller, it becomes a thrilling learning experiment that equips them with multiple data points that could help them come up with innovative ideas. The company claims to be the world's first to use AI algorithms and machine learning to create innovative beers that adapt to users' taste preferences. Based on customer feedback, the recipe for their brews goes through multiple iterations to generate various combinations.