Tech Giants Continue to Acquire A.I. Companies at Rapid Rates

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We have never seen technology progress as fast as it does in today's world. 

Within the last three years, it's no secret that corporate giants are extremely interested in Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Major players such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, IBM, Intel, Salesforce, and Yahoo have all started acquiring A.I. companies looking to advance their technology. 

Just in 2016 alone, 4 major acquisitions have already been made. This rapid growth in AI acquisitions is further validation that society is embracing AI, and top tech companies are constantly trying to improve this technology for their consumers.

With almost 2 decades of experience under our belt, we have always seen the A.I. market on a steady incline. It is great to see this spike in the market with everyone jumping on board this A.I. train. 

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Robotics Challenge Finals 2015- Humanoid Robots Continue to Advance Each Year

Just a couple weeks ago, teams from all over the globe competed in the Robotics Challenge Finals 2015 put together by DARPA (The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). Check out this video from Yahoo! Tech to get a summary of what went down at this event.

Each year the robots entered into these challenges advance greatly. While the technology is rapidly growing, it is still in its infant stage according to DARPA's own Gill Pratt, the person in charge of the Robotics Challenge. "'These are still the Model Ts,' Pratt told me. 'In coming years, reliability will go up, prices will go down. And the technology here can be applied to robots for many, many purposes- in particular, robots for an aging society. In the United States right now, 13 percent of the population is over age 65. In 15 years that number will rise to 20 percent. Who's gonna take care of us? Wouldn't it be better if I could age in place, if I wouldn't have to go to a nursing home? If there would be technology in my home to make life better, so that I can have a more dignified life as I grow old?'"

Society is slowly gaining more and more acceptance of humanoid robots, and moving away from the fear of AI world domination. What is your opinion on robots, and their progression throughout the past 5 years?  
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Throwback Thursday: Are Robots Threatening Your Job Security?

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If you look back at past T.V. shows/movies, it is almost as if they were foreshadowing a future with robots and interactive technology. Take the 1960's cartoon series, The Jetsons, for example. They enhanced the futuristic vibe of the show by adding a robot as their housekeeper. Now, in today's World, the public is more afraid than ever of robots replacing humans in the job market. I recently read a funny article, making light of the public's worry about a 'robot take over'. The article is titled, '7 Roles That Robots Will Never Fill (Although We Kind of Wish They Would).' 

Read the full article to find out why the author thought a robot could never replace a human in certain occupations.

While most of these seem like a joke, their are many other jobs that robots cannot replace, either. For example, an occupation in creative arts. While, a computer can enhance art (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), a robot uses logic and lacks the element of a 'creative eye.' Some of the most beautiful art is abstract and that would be a hard concept for a robot to grasp.

What about teachers? We wrote a blog about Jibo, the social robot, being used as a tool to help teach children. While it was proven successful, it does not mean that the presence of a human teacher is obsolete. Young, developing minds require human interaction, and much more to thrive. 

In the end, it is important to look at robots/technology as supplementary to human jobs, instead of a threat to job security. Industry experts and trusted brands envision a work place where technology and humans work together. Creating efficiency, streamlining processes, responding quickly and reducing costs are just a few of the benefits that automation can provide. According to our metrics, we see millions of consumers interacting with Artificial Intelligence a month. People feel more comfortable with A.I. and in most cases, prefer the immediacy of using such tools. Not only are consumers getting to the answers they want quicker, but they are leaving the conversation feeling satisfied as well.       

What do you think about robots, automation and Artificial Intelligence becoming more predominate in the job market? Are you worried, or do you see it as a benefit? How do you interact with AI today in your occupation, and how does it make your job easier? 
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