Lemonade, the New York City-based insurtech that is powered by artificial intelligence, has launched in the United Kingdom, following previous international moves in France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Founded in 2015, Lemonade launched its flagship renters insurance in the U.S. in 2016. Lemonade customers can get a quote, purchase contents insurance, file a claim, and get paid -- all within seconds, said the company. Residents in the UK are now able to protect their belongings with Lemonade, featuring a Defaqto 5 Star Rating, starting at just £4 (US$4.50) a month. Policies can be bought through the Lemonade app or online.

The savvy investor keeps their eyes forward, toward the horizon. Right now, the sea of tech is the one to watch, and the ships coming into view are flying AI's flag. This is not a new development, it's been on course for several years – but as an investment sector, it's heating up. AI is the tech that will power our digital systems for years to come, everything from our smartphones to our cars to Elon Musk's Mars rockets. AI isn't just one technology, rather, it's a range of techs – and approaches to tech – including the data collection and analysis that feeds machine learning.

The Linux Foundation has announced a new permissive license designed to help foster collaboration around open data for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) projects. It has often been said that data is the new oil, but for AI and ML projects in particular, having access to expansive and diverse data sets is key to reducing bias and building powerful models capable of all manner of intelligent tasks. To machines, data is a little like "experience" is to humans -- the more of it you have, the better decisions you are likely to make. With CDLA-Permissive-2.0, the Linux Foundation is building on its previous efforts to encourage data-sharing efforts through licensing arrangements that clearly define how the data -- and any derivative data sets -- can and can't be used. The Linux Foundation first introduced the Community Data License Agreement (CDLA) back in 2017 to entice organizations to open up their vast pools of (underused) data to third-parties.

This story appeared in the November 2020 issue as "Cracking the 414s." In the 1983 techno-thriller WarGames, David Lightman, played by a fresh-faced Matthew Broderick, sits in his bedroom, plunking away on a boxy computer using an 8-bit Intel processor. As text flashes across the screen, David's face lights up; he believes he's hacking into a video game company, but the unwitting teenager is actually facing off against a military supercomputer. "Shall we play a game?" the computer asks ominously. In the film, the subsequent showdown triggers a countdown to World War III.

Artificial intelligence has evolved to the point where any sales organization that leverages AI will see measurable improvements in customer engagement, LTV, and overall sales. Join speakers from Capital One, Yelp, SurveyMonkey, and TopBots to learn how to use AI to sell B2B smarter and harder at this VB Live event. "When we think about applying AI, we try to take a human-centered lens to it," says Rick Winslow, VP and head of digital innovation and transformation at Capital One Commercial Banking. "We want to start by asking what problems and opportunities do our customers and associates have day to day?" It just comes down to efficiency, Winslow says: Saving sales people time in finding customers, helping them increase their hit rate, enriching the data they have in order to go after the most qualified customers, and helping enrich that customer conversation.