Innovation

Posted on December 5, 2019 by admin

AI’s Next Great Challenge: Understanding the Nuances of Language

Illustration by James Yang Language is a uniquely human capability and the manifestation of our intelligence. But through AI — specifically natural language processing (NLP) — we are providing machines with language capabilities, opening up a new realm of possibilities for how we’ll work with them. Today you can walk into a darkened living room Read More

Posted on November 21, 2019 by admin

How Smart Speakers Are Poised to Reinvent the Travel Industry

HBR Staff/Victor Cardoner/Getty Images Marriott recently teamed up with Amazon to offer a hospitality version of the e-commerce giant’s Echo devices in select hotel rooms. Now, when guests want to order room service or housekeeping, they can simply ask Alexa, the voice of their disembodied personal concierge. Travelers with an Alexa device at home can Read More

Posted on November 21, 2019 by admin

Why Even AI-Powered Factories Will Have Jobs for Humans

Yagi Studio/Getty Images It was going to be the factory of the future. Dubbed the “Alien Dreadnought,” Tesla’s new manufacturing facility in Fremont, California, was designed to be fully automated — no humans need apply. If all went well, AI-powered robots would enable the company to achieve a weekly production of 5,000 Model 3 electric Read More

Posted on September 17, 2019 by admin

The Risks and Benefits of Using AI to Detect Crime

Patrick George/Getty Images Companies are using AI to prevent and detect everything from routine employee theft to insider trading. Many banks and large corporations employ artificial intelligence to detect and prevent fraud and money laundering. Social media companies use machine learning to block illicit content such as child pornography. Businesses are constantly experimenting with new Read More

Posted on September 17, 2019 by admin

New Supply Chain Jobs Are Emerging as AI Takes Hold

alashi/Getty Images Companies are cutting supply chain complexity and accelerating responsiveness using the tools of artificial intelligence. Through AI, machine learning, robotics, and advanced analytics, firms are augmenting knowledge-intensive areas such as supply chain planning, customer order management, and inventory tracking. What does that mean for the supply chain workforce?

Posted on September 17, 2019 by admin

How B2B Software Vendors Can Help Their Customers Benchmark

Gillian Blease/Getty Images Knowing which organizations perform the best on any particular dimension used to require subjective surveys or painstaking research. Today, the data to answer those questions exists — it’s captured by the software-as-a-service firms whose services companies use to run their businesses. Mainstream software companies are beginning to hold “data mirrors” up to Read More

Posted on September 17, 2019 by admin

What’s the Purpose of Companies in the Age of AI?

Tintan/Getty Images Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and computer technology are causing us to think again about some really basic questions: what is a firm?  What can firms do better than markets?  And what are the distinctive qualities of firms in a world of smart contracts and AI? While there has been a lot Read More

Posted on September 17, 2019 by admin

Why Western Digital Firms Have Failed in China

Paper Boat Creative/Getty Images Many leading American digital firms, including Google, Amazon, eBay, and Uber, have successfully expanded internationally by introducing their products, services, and platforms in other countries. However, they have all failed in China, the world’s largest digital market. The widely touted reasons for these failures include censorship by the Chinese government and Read More

Posted on September 17, 2019 by admin

To Make Self-Driving Cars Safe, We Also Need Better Roads and Infrastructure

Paul Taylor/Getty Images The big question around self-driving cars, for many people, is: When will the technology be ready? In other words, when will autonomous vehicles be safe enough to operate on their own? But there has been far less attention paid to two equally important questions: When will the driving environment be ready to Read More

Posted on September 17, 2019 by admin

What Data Scientists Really Do, According to 35 Data Scientists

burakpekakcan/Getty Images Modern data science emerged in tech, from optimizing Google search rankings and LinkedIn recommendations to influencing the headlines Buzzfeed editors run. But it’s poised to transform all sectors, from retail, telecommunications, and agriculture to health, trucking, and the penal system. Yet the terms “data science” and “data scientist” aren’t always easily understood, and are Read More

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