League table shows under 5% of councils are using AI

A league table created by Transformation Network shows that under five percent of councils are using AI for their operations. Furthermore, the ‘vast majority’ have no plans to explore artificial intelligence technology in the future.

The researchers conducted their study due to the dire outlook of councils. According to the Local Government Association, councils in England face a total funding gap of £8 billion by 2025.

A survey by the Local Government Information...

10 May 2019 | Government

Microsoft study indicates US businesses are slow to adopt AI

A Microsoft survey of business leaders from various nations has found US firms are particularly slow to adopt AI technology.

One standout result of the study is that German, British, Russian, Dutch, Swiss, and Italian business leaders are – on the whole – reporting they’re “actively implementing” AI ahead of the US.

In fact, of business leaders from the countries surveyed, only France was behind the US.

The survey did not include all countries and is...

8 March 2019 | Microsoft

Almost half of Europe’s AI startups have no actual AI

A new report highlights many of Europe’s AI startups appear to be cashing in on the hype and have no actual AI to speak of.

The fact you can add ‘AI’, ‘IoT’, or ‘blockchain’ to your company name/description and it will skyrocket your valuation has become something of a running joke in the industry. Shares in Long Island Iced Tea, for example, infamously shot up almost 200 percent after changing its parent company name to ‘Long Blockchain Corp.’

European...

5 March 2019 | Europe

UN: China and the US are leading the way in AI race

A report from the United Nations highlights a dominance by China and the United States in the race to artificial intelligence supremacy.

The study, by the UN World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), was published on Thursday.

US tech giant IBM is leading in AI patents with 8,920 filed. Microsoft followed with 5,930.

Japan’s Toshiba has the next highest number of patents (5,223), ahead of South Korea’s Samsung (5,102), and Japan’s NEC Group...

31 January 2019 | Government

Report: The public is unconvinced AI will benefit humanity

Decades of sci-fi flicks have instilled a fear of AI in some people – with a new report suggesting many remain unconvinced it will benefit humanity.

The report, from the Center for the Governance of AI based at Oxford University, reveals concerns artificial intelligence may harm or endanger humankind. 2,000 US adults were surveyed in 2018 for their views.

Baobao Zhang and Allan Dafoe, authors of the report, wrote in its summary:

“Public sentiments have...

10 January 2019 | Ethics

Capgemini: AI is a $340 billion opportunity for the retail sector

French digital consultation firm Capgemini predicts AI offers a yet untapped $340 billion opportunity for the retail sector.

Retail is a major focus of AI but there’s debate over whether it will have a positive or negative on society, especially with regards to jobs. Some believe AI will assist existing jobs while others take a view it will replace workers.

Capgemini found just one percent of retailers have achieved the level of AI deployment needed to reach its full...

2 January 2019 | Research

Morality algorithm proves AI can also be friendly

We’re used to seeing headlines of AI beating us at our own games in adversarial roles, but a new study has proven they can also excel when it comes to cooperation and compromise. The study, from an international team of computer scientists, found AI can be programmed with a higher degree of morality than humans. The researchers set out to build a new type of algorithm for playing games which requires working together rather than simply winning at all cost. Jacob Crandall, BYU Computer...

22 January 2018 | Ethics

Consumers believe AI should be held to a ‘Blade Runner’ law

A study conducted by SYZYGY titled Sex, lies and AI: How the British public feels about artificial intelligence’ has revealed the extent to which consumers expect AI to be regulated. Blade Runner 2049 is now in cinemas with its futuristic vision which, as you’d expect, features artificial intelligence. The original Blade Runner film released in 1982 envisioned what felt like a distant future but the new film has elements which now don’t seem that far away. Like many similar films...

6 October 2017 | Ethics

Google’s AI has a higher IQ than Siri, Bing, and Baidu — but all were beaten by a six-year-old

A trio of researchers developed an IQ test designed to determine how smart today’s AIs from three global leaders really are. Feng Liu, Yong Shi, and Ying Liu put their test to AIs from Google, Apple, and Microsoft. The AIs scored as follows: Google: 47.28 Baidu: 32.92 Bing: 31.92 Siri: 23.9 Google leads the pack comfortably according to the results. Baidu and Bing are a comfortable distance behind. Siri’s result is the most notable as it trails its competitors...

4 October 2017 | Research