Chatbots and voice assistants powered by artificial intelligence are starting to gain traction in the workplace of large organisations, according to a report from tech firm Spiceworks. The report, based on a survey of 500 IT professionals in organisations across North America and Europe, found that within the next 12 months, 40 percent of large businesses – those with more than 500 employees – expect to implement one or more intelligent assistants or AI chatbots on company-owned devices, compared to 25 percent of mid-size companies and 27 percent of small businesses. The findings indicate that although adoption is on the rise, some organisations are holding back due to a lack of use cases in the workplace and privacy concerns. Across all company sizes, Microsoft Cortana is the most commonly used intelligent assistant in the workplace, likely due to its native integration into Windows 10. Among organisations that have implemented intelligent assistants or chatbots on company-owned devices and services, the results show 49 percent are currently using Microsoft Cortana for work-related tasks, followed closely by Apple Siri at 47 percent.

AI is a problem for jobs, say the majority of Americans, but it's someone else's problem. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of US adults believe artificial intelligence will "eliminate more jobs than it creates," according to a Gallup survey. But, the same survey found that less than a quarter (23 percent) of people were "worried" or "very worried" automation would affect them personally. Notably, these figures vary depending on education. For respondents with only a four-year college degree or less, 28 percent were worried about AI taking their job; for people with at least a bachelor degree, that figure was 15 percent.

Artificial intelligence and wearables thrive across healthcare sectors, says Frost & Sullivan MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. While pharma companies have been seeking tools for tracking the effectiveness of therapeutics, imaging companies have been augmenting the interpretability of scans through cognitive pattern interpretation. For complimentary access to more information on this research, please visit: http://frost.ly/2b. Approximately 24 percent of consumers currently use mobile apps to track health and wellness, 16 percent use wearable sensors and 29 percent use electronic personal health records. Significantly, 47 percent of consumers reported they would consider using wearables in the near future, prompting technology developers to design wearables with advanced sensing, capture and analytical functionalities.