Welcome to the InfoQ podcast Annual Trends Report in AI, ML and data engineering topics. I am joined today by the InfoQ editorial team, and also an external panelist. There have been a lot of innovations and developments happening in AI and ML space. Before we jump into the main part of this podcast, let's start with the introductions of our panelists. Rags, can you please introduce yourself? Rags Srinivas: Glad to be here. I was here for the previous podcast last year as well. So, things have changed quite a bit, but I focus really mainly on the big data infrastructure and the confluence of that. So quite a few developments happening there that I'd love to talk about when we get there. Myself, I work for DataStax as a developer advocate, and essentially, again, it's all about data, AI, infrastructure and how to manage your costs and how to do it efficiently. And hopefully, we'll cover all that. I'm Roland, I'm a machine learning engineer, and I hope to talk a lot about transformer models and large-scale foundational models. For InfoQ, I like to write about some of the latest innovations in deep learning, and definitely want to talk about NLP and some of the multi-modal text and image models. Srini Penchikala: Next is Daniel Dominguez. Thank you for the invitation. I like to write about the metaverse, new technologies, deep learning.

Every year there are new trends and developments that demand the attention of the IT administrator. Security, sustainability, the use of software robots and of course AI will be top of mind again next year. Are you curious about these and other trends that will impact the IT department? Fill in the form and receive the trend report in your mailbox!

If you have trouble reading this email, see it on a web browser. It has been a little while since we sent our last newsletter. In this edition, we are bringing you some exciting goodies we think you will love. To get started, this research paper on Liquid Time-constant Networks led by Ramin Hasani et al. from MIT showcases novel recurrent neural network models that can change their underlying equations to adapt to new data inputs to reduce complexity massively continuously. Have you tried out expert.ai's natural language API demo (no signup needed to try it!).

The oil and gas industry is massive and highly-diversified in its operational characteristics between the upstream, mid-stream and downstream sectors of the industry. Even within each sector, there are distinct differences; offshore gas/oil rigs have a completely different set of requirements to onshore well pads in the fracking industry. However, every sector is susceptible to the boom and bust cycles that have traditionally characterised the oil and gas industry. All of this makes oil and gas ideal for adopting IOT technologies to address a whole range of problems and risks, and to smooth out the ups and downs of the business cycle. Where are oil and gas companies today with edge computing adoption?

Like it or not, the machines are claiming new territory. And by "machines" I mean artificial intelligence (AI). Our business and personal lives are touched by AI every day. That friendly lady who took your information and looked up your account when you called your insurance company? That helpful service on Netflix that recommends new shows to watch?

As noted in the first chapter of our previous Trends report, artificial intelligence (AI) is now concentrated in the hands of a small group of technology players who control the user discovery path from beginning to end. This level of control by a handful of major corporations is a cause for concern. Fortunately, filter bubbles and advances in recommendation and predictive technologies can be used to your advantage if you know how. " Technology giants, not the government, are building the artificially intelligent future. And unless the government vastly increases how much it spends on research into such technologies, it is the corporations that will decide how to deploy them " As things currently stand, artificial intelligence is more a promise for the future than a fine-tuned cluster of technologies.

As we approach a fourth transformation (according to Robert Scoble and Shel Israel it's How Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence Will Change Everything), we face some challenges and questions. I cannot see into the future so its pointless prognosticating. Others far more knowledgable have done and at least concluded that No, the Experts Don't Think Superintelligent AI is a Threat to Humanity. Nevertheless it's safe to say that software is already eating the world and robots and AI are going to play a massive role. I am writing my next trend report on a related subject (post on that here) but am deeply embedded in the here and now.

Jobs will come under fire if not already so. Machines, robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI), are going to take over. The Matrix, Terminator, all those movies had it right. So is it time to start a resistance movement? What happens if it's all true but the ending is not a tragic one.

A study conducted by Ericsson ConsumerLab in October 2016 and published last week, revealed increased demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality among consumers globally. According to the report, consumers expect artificial intelligence to move from assistants to managers, and that virtual reality will be indistinguishable from physical reality in only three years. The Ericsson ConsumerLab report, is the sixth edition of its annual trend report, focused on '10 Hot Consumer Trends for 2017 and beyond.' Analysing the report at a press briefing in Lagos at the weekend, the Country Manager, Ericsson Nigeria, Mr. Johan Jemdahl, said that the insights in the 10 Hot Consumer Trends for 2017 report were based on Ericsson ConsumerLab's global research activities of over 20 years, as well as data points from an online survey of advanced internet users in 14 major cities across the world, performed in October 2016. Although the study only represents 27 million citizens, their early adopter profile makes them important to understand when exploring future trends.

The MSLGROUP goes to SXSW every year with digital specialists from all over the world – Germany, France, India, Singapore, Brazil, the US, etc. – to network, witness new trends, collaborate and share ideas. MSL Germany's Adrian Rosenthal, Head of Digital & Social Media, and Heiko Geibig, Head of Consumer Practice, joined the world's biggest conference on digital technologies this year. They had a closer look at the communication trends and give an overview about the meta trends of the SXSW 2016: 1. Virtual Reality 2. Social Messaging 3. Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Get in touch with us for any further inquiries: Adrian Rosenthal – Head of Digital & Social Media 030 820 82-522 adrian.rosenthal@mslgroup.com Heiko Geibig – Head of Consumer Practice 030 820 82-579 heiko.geibig@mslgroup.com