A special, peer-reviewed edition of OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, has highlighted the importance of key digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and blockchain for innovation in healthcare in response to the challenges posed by COVID-19. Vural Özdemir, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of OMICS, said: "COVID-19 is undoubtedly among the ecological determinants of planetary health. Digital health is a veritable opportunity for integrative biology and systems medicine to broaden its scope from human biology to ecological determinants of health. Articles in the special issue include an interview on'Responsible Innovation and Future Science in Australia' by Justine Lacey, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and Erik Fisher, Arizona State University, Tempe, 'Blockchain for Digital Health: Prospects and Challenges' and'Integrating Artificial and Human Intelligence: A Partnership for Responsible Innovation in Biomedical Engineering and Medicine.' In'Blockchain for Digital Health: Prospects and Challenges' the article explores the challenges that can be faced with the use of blockchain technology.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been the most buzz word in the media nowadays and this is rightly so because it is impacting our everyday lives and we are not even realizing it. Right from the google maps which takes you through the least traffic route to the personalized recommendation on e-commerce websites, our lives are driven greatly by artificial intelligence. As we now enter a new decade of the 2020s, a question arises, are we standing at the dawn of Artificial Intelligence! AI Revolution If we look back from the past industrial revolutions to today's digital revolution, we see that we have changed a lot in our work standard and we have changed the way of our lives so much. There have been phases in the last couple of centuries, where a disruptive technology emerges that completely changes the way people work and live.

In-store robots could take some jobs but also create others. The smell of mall food staples such as pretzels and teriyaki chicken fill the air. Passing by you in every which way are hundreds of patrons, carrying bags of goods with smiles on their faces. What makes a mall so convenient, and what makes many of these individuals go from store to store so cheerfully? However, despite their personable natures and friendly suggestions that add to the retail experience, new breakthroughs in the world of AI technology could replace many retail workers – but could this actually be a blessing in disguise? To understand why big companies such as Starbucks and Lowe's are making the switch to AI, we must first recognize exactly how this technology is being used, why it is more efficient, and what this means for the retail industry as we creep even closer to the new year.

Like a scene out of The Terminator, the future of warfare is destined to include robot soldiers, unmanned aerial assault, and self-driving, weaponized vehicles. An $11 million contract approved by the Pentagon has been awarded to Six3 Advanced Systems. The US Department of Defense is calling on Six3 to "design, develop, and validate system prototypes for a combined-arms squad." By the year 2025, experts predict that the U.S. military will have more robot soldiers than humans. According to the U.S. Department of Defense directive, the new American fighting squad is meant to combine "humans and unmanned assets, ubiquitous communications and information, and advanced capabilities in all domains to maximize squad performance in increasingly complex operational environments."