How to be a data scientist: Get ‘deeply involved’ in big data and cloud to build high quality AI products

If you want to become a data scientist, then there are various skills you need in your arsenal. Having good knowledge of programming, statistics and data visualisation – not to mention the importance of machine learning – are obvious. But sometimes, the most important aspect is finding a company which fits your needs. “Someone had to say it,” wrote Jonny Brooks-Bartlett, data scientist at Deliveroo in a Medium post in March on the difficulties those in the industry faced. Admitting he...

26 November 2018 | Machine Learning

How AI is helping to predict cryptocurrency value

Cryptocurrencies have come a long way since Bitcoin was first announced in late 2008. In just a decade the market has skyrocketed from zero to an estimated $400bn, and a further 3,000 cryptocurrencies have since launched. But this success has not been without its ups and downs. Bitcoin alone has fluctuated from almost $20,000 to less than a cent during this time. There’s a lot of money to be made in cryptocurrency, and a lot of money to be lost. Luckily for investors (and developers),...

21 November 2018 | Big Data

Kimberly Nevala, SAS: Bolstering BI with AI – and how every executive needs to be part chief analytics officer

The promise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in an enterprise context is a tantalising one. In some ways, the combination of artificial intelligence and big data is helping transform legacy business intelligence systems – and potentially the executives who ran them. But what best practices can be transferred between the two, and what happens from here? Kimberly Nevala (left) is director of business strategies at analytics, business intelligence and data management...

19 November 2018 | Big Data

Microsoft acquires conversational AI company XOXCO

Microsoft has announced the acquisition of Texas-based conversational AI firm XOXCO to amplify the company’s work in the field. XOXCO have been in operation since 2013 and gained renown for creating Howdy, the first commercially available bot for Slack. Microsoft believes that bots will become a key way that businesses engage with employees and customers. The company has undertaken many projects with the aim of unlocking their potential, to various success. Tay, for example, has...

16 November 2018 | Bots

To no surprise, Samsung’s next chip has an NPU for AI

Samsung will catch up to some rival smartphone manufacturers with a dedicated NPU in the company’s Exynos 9820 chip when it launches the S10. The company says its NPU (Neural Processing Unit) will deliver up to seven times faster AI performance than Samsung’s older Exynos 9810 chip in the S9. Huawei became the first to debut a dedicated NPU in a flagship smartphone with their Kirin 970 chip in the Mate 10. In our Mate 10 coverage, we noted Huawei claimed using an NPU could increase...

14 November 2018 | Hardware

Chinese university recruits ‘patriotic’ students to build AI weapons

A university in China has recruited 27 boys and four girls to become the world’s youngest AI weapons scientists. All of the students are under 18 and were picked from a list of 5,000 candidates by the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT). Beyond academic prowess, the BIT sought other qualities in the candidates. "We are looking for qualities such as creative thinking, willingness to fight, a persistence when facing challenges," a BIT professor told the South China Morning Post. The...

9 November 2018 | China

China’s first AI news anchor has debuted for a state-run outlet

Chinese state-run outlet Xinhua has offered a glimpse at the dystopian future of reporting with an AI replacement for news anchors. Xinhua appears to be using two human anchors for the base layer – one Chinese-speaking, and the other English. The humans are then animated to appear like they’re reporting the day’s news. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB29ZVDOFfU The technology looks similar to that used for ‘DeepFakes’ – videos where celebrity faces are imposed on actresses...

8 November 2018 | China

AI will play ‘crucial role’ in the NHS as five centres announced

The UK government has announced the opening of five centres designed to capitalise on AI’s potential benefits in healthcare. Patients will benefit from the use of AI to diagnose problems earlier, greatly increasing the chances of successful treatment. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

“Artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in the future of the NHS – and we need to embrace it by introducing systems which can speed up diagnoses, improve...

7 November 2018 | Government

AI-powered lie detector will question travellers at EU borders

The EU is experimenting with an AI-powered lie detector in a bid to help solve its border control problems and policing demand. For some, gaining EU citizenship is a dream as passports allow free movement between all member states. However, for those ineligible, this also makes them a prime target for criminals. Just earlier this week, Bulgarian officials were arrested for selling fake EU passports ‘to 30 people a week’ for £4,445 each. According to The Times:

1 November 2018 | Europe

Microsoft believes the UK can be a ‘game changer’ for AI

A new report from Microsoft claims the UK has the right mix of ingredients to be a clear ‘game changer’ for the AI industry. The UK has established itself as a leader in AI with its renowned universities generating talent and spurring internationally recognised companies such as DeepMind, which was acquired by Google for £400 million. In the report, Microsoft wrote:

“The UK’s mix of start-up culture, renowned academic research capabilities, and...

1 November 2018 | Government