News/AI Implementation
AI adoption is surging while data quality is plummeting, new report finds
Generative AI adoption surges amid data challenges: The rapid growth of generative AI in enterprise settings is accompanied by significant hurdles in data management and quality assurance, according to Appen's 2024 State of AI Report. Generative AI adoption increased by 17% in 2024, with expanded use in IT operations, manufacturing, and R&D sectors. Companies are facing a 10% year-over-year increase in bottlenecks related to sourcing, cleaning, and labeling data for AI systems. The demand for high-quality, accurate, diverse, and properly labeled data tailored to specific AI use cases is growing as AI models tackle more complex problems. Enterprise AI deployments...
read Oct 22, 2024Microsoft and OpenAI offer $10M to news outlets for AI adoption
AI in the newsroom: Microsoft and OpenAI launch $10 million initiative: Microsoft and OpenAI have announced a collaborative effort to provide $10 million in funding and resources to select news organizations, aiming to integrate AI tools into newsroom operations. The initiative offers $2.5 million in cash and $2.5 million worth of software and enterprise credits from each company to participating media outlets. This program comes amid ongoing copyright lawsuits against Microsoft and OpenAI from various news organizations, including The New York Times and The Intercept. The funding is part of a broader collaboration with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, focusing...
read Oct 22, 2024Takeaways from BlackLine’s conference on AI transformation for finance teams
Digital transformation in finance and accounting: BlackLine's Bottom Line conference highlighted the critical importance of digital transformation for finance and accounting (F&A) departments, emphasizing the need for organizations to become "future-ready" in an evolving technological landscape. The conference, held on September 11, 2024, focused on end-to-end finance and accounting processes, available technologies, and potential challenges in digital transformation. F&A departments have traditionally been slow to adopt new technologies due to the high stakes involved in accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and audibility. BlackLine, a leader in financial close, accounting, and financial reconciliation software, emphasized the importance of being "future-ready" for organizations with...
read Oct 22, 2024How to think like an AI model
The evolution of AI understanding: As Large Language Models (LLMs) continue to advance, gaining insight into their inner workings can significantly enhance our ability to utilize them effectively. The core functionality of LLMs revolves around next token prediction, where the model predicts the most likely word or word fragment to follow a given input. This prediction process is based on vast amounts of training data, encompassing a wide range of internet content, books, scientific papers, and other textual sources. LLMs operate within a limited context window, which serves as their short-term memory for each conversation. Next token prediction: The foundation...
read Oct 21, 2024With AI adoption pacing is crucial, Gartner keynote emphasizes
AI implementation strategies: Gartner's insights for businesses: Gartner analysts Mary Mesaglio and Hung LeHong presented key strategies for building successful AI stacks and pacing AI implementation during the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2024. The pressure on CIOs to execute AI strategies is increasing, with 57% of them tasked with creating such strategies according to a Gartner survey. Gartner analysts outlined two distinct implementation paces: "AI-steady" for organizations with modest AI ambitions, and "AI-accelerated" for those with larger ambitions or operating in industries being reinvented by AI. A Gartner survey revealed that employees saved an average of 3.6 hours per week using...
read Oct 21, 2024Red Hat unveils big enhancements to Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI
Red Hat's rapid AI innovation: Red Hat has unveiled significant enhancements to its Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI) platform, releasing version 1.2 just weeks after the initial 1.0 launch. RHEL AI is designed to streamline generative AI model development, testing, and deployment, with a focus on making large language model (LLM) training more affordable and accessible. The platform combines IBM Research's open-source Granite LLM family, InstructLab alignment tools, and a collaborative approach to model development. RHEL AI utilizes Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to enhance the accuracy of AI responses by accessing approved external knowledge sources. Key improvements in RHEL...
read Oct 21, 2024How AI-API integration will enable competitive advantage for forward-thinking companies
The AI-API synergy revolution: The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) agents and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) is reshaping the business landscape, enabling companies to operate more efficiently and make smarter decisions around the clock. AI agents act as autonomous digital workers capable of thinking and acting independently to achieve specific goals. APIs serve as a universal language, allowing AI agents to communicate with various software, data, and services that power modern businesses. This powerful combination is becoming a crucial competitive advantage for forward-thinking companies. Scaling AI with APIs: APIs play a critical role in unlocking the full potential of AI...
read Oct 21, 2024How training and AI are boosting retention of blue-collar workers
Blue-collar workforce challenges and innovative solutions: Companies in retail, food service, manufacturing, and other blue-collar industries are leveraging artificial intelligence and technology to address persistent labor shortages and high turnover rates. Despite rising wages and improved benefits since the COVID-19 pandemic, blue-collar sectors continue to struggle with workforce issues such as inexperience, absenteeism, and inconsistent performance. Joshua Kleyman, chairman of the National Logistics Training Center (NLTC) and CEO of Citizen Trucking, has been at the forefront of implementing AI-driven solutions to tackle these challenges. AI-powered insights and interventions: Advanced analytics are being employed to identify and address the root causes...
read Oct 18, 2024AI adoption will require solving these massive LLM security vulnerabilities
AI security vulnerabilities exposed: Recent research has revealed alarming security flaws in large language models (LLMs), highlighting the potential for malicious exploitation and data breaches. A study from UCSD and Nanyang Technological University demonstrated that simple prompts could manipulate LLMs into extracting and reporting personal information in a covert manner. The researchers developed an algorithm that generates obfuscated prompts, which appear as random characters to humans but retain their meaning for LLMs. These obfuscated prompts can instruct the LLM to gather personal information and format it as a Markdown image command, effectively leaking the data to attackers. Implications for user...
read Oct 18, 2024AI stagnation and the gap between investment and adoption
AI Investment-Adoption Gap Widens: The artificial intelligence industry is experiencing a paradoxical situation where massive investments in AI technology are not translating into widespread enterprise adoption, leading to what can be described as "AI stagnation." A recent survey by Censuswide for Red Hat found that over 80% of IT managers report an urgent AI skills shortage, particularly in areas like generative AI, large language models, and data science. This skills gap has increased from 72% last year, indicating a worsening situation despite growing investments in AI technology. The Investment Landscape: AI funding is reaching unprecedented levels, with significant implications for...
read Oct 18, 2024Why ‘predictive’ generative AI is the smart bet for real returns
The AI investment landscape: The artificial intelligence sector is experiencing significant growth, with over $1 trillion in expected capital expenditures on AI infrastructure, yet questions remain about the real return on investment for businesses. Businesses are seeking to separate hype from real value as they navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape. A recent Goldman Sachs Exchanges podcast featured a debate between MIT economist Daron Acemoglu and Goldman Sachs Research's Jim Covello on whether generative AI can live up to its massive potential. Joseph Briggs of Global Economics Research suggests AI could boost U.S. productivity by 9% over the next decade,...
read Oct 18, 2024How Walmart is evolving its data analytics platform around AI
Walmart's data analytics evolution: Walmart is transforming its data analytics platform to leverage AI and provide actionable insights for suppliers and merchants. Walmart Data Ventures, established nearly four years ago, created the Walmart Luminate platform to help both the retailer and its suppliers understand shopping patterns and product movement. The platform is now being rebranded as Scintilla, reflecting its expansion beyond the U.S. market and its focus on AI-driven recommendations. Scintilla aims to provide not just data points but also actionable recommendations to help drive business decisions. Key features and developments: The platform's evolution includes new tools and features designed...
read Oct 17, 2024NVIDIA and Lenovo join forces in the name of ‘superhuman productivity’
AI innovation in enterprise computing: Lenovo and NVIDIA have joined forces to introduce a comprehensive platform for enterprise AI, aiming to revolutionize productivity and efficiency across industries. At Lenovo Tech World 2024, Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang unveiled the Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA, a full-stack platform designed to build and deploy AI capabilities throughout enterprises. Huang emphasized the goal of achieving "superhuman productivity" through AI agents that can enhance employee efficiency across various industries. The collaboration also introduced a new high-performance AI server featuring Lenovo's Neptune liquid-cooling technology and NVIDIA Blackwell, marking a significant...
read Oct 17, 2024AI has helped Uncle Sam recover $1B worth of check fraud in 2024
AI-powered fraud detection yields significant results: The US Treasury Department's implementation of artificial intelligence in combating financial crime has led to a substantial increase in fraud recovery and prevention. Machine learning AI helped the Treasury recover $1 billion worth of check fraud in fiscal 2024, nearly triple the amount from the previous year. Overall fraud prevention and recovery reached more than $4 billion in fiscal 2024, a six-fold increase from the prior year. The Treasury began using AI for financial crime detection in late 2022, following the lead of banks and credit card companies. The importance of AI in fighting...
read Oct 17, 2024Technical considerations for business leaders implementing AI
The rise of generative AI in business: Generative AI is rapidly becoming a critical technology for businesses, requiring CEOs and other leaders to make informed decisions about its implementation and use. Generative AI involves two core phases: training, where the model learns from curated data, and inference, where the model applies its learning to analyze, recognize, and respond. Business leaders must balance cost considerations with the potential value that generative AI can deliver to their organizations, people, and customers. Choosing the right foundation model: Selecting an appropriate foundation model (FM) or large language model (LLM) is crucial for determining the...
read Oct 17, 2024Why CIOs must start paying more attention to edge computing
The convergence of AI and edge computing: Enterprise AI is poised to drive the development of autonomous systems, with edge computing playing a crucial role in enabling faster decision-making and reduced data transfer costs. Analysts predict that 75% of CIOs will increase their AI budgets this year, reflecting the growing importance of AI in enterprise strategies. Edge computing, which processes data closer to its source, is expected to become more widespread by 2025 as AI and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies continue to expand. CIOs are planning to implement AI on the edge by 2025 to enhance operational intelligence and...
read Oct 17, 2024How Liberty Dental is improving care management with AI tools
AI-driven care management revolutionizes dental insurance: Liberty Dental Plan has implemented a groundbreaking generative AI system to automate and enhance care plan creation, significantly improving efficiency and accuracy in member care management. The new AI-powered system has reduced the time required to create a care plan from 90 minutes to mere seconds, while also increasing accuracy by analyzing vast amounts of patient data. Care managers, who previously struggled to manage thousands of members each, now benefit from improved output and more efficient workflows. The project, which earned Liberty Dental a CIO 100 award, demonstrates the potential for AI to transform...
read Oct 17, 2024National Archives adopts Google Gemini AI for employees
National Archives embraces AI for efficiency and accessibility: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is actively exploring and implementing artificial intelligence technologies to enhance its operations and public services. AI initiatives and employee concerns: NARA has introduced several AI-related projects, sparking both excitement and apprehension among its staff. In June, NARA presented "AI-mazing Tech-venture," showcasing Google's Gemini AI as a productivity tool for employees. The agency plans to launch "Archie AI," a public-facing chatbot, in December. Some employees have expressed concerns about AI's role in archiving, citing potential risks to historical accuracy and institutional trust. NARA previously banned...
read Oct 17, 2024AI search tools are failing to impress marketers
AI-powered search tools face skepticism from marketers: The introduction of new AI-powered search tools has sparked interest in the industry, but many marketers remain cautious about their adoption and effectiveness. Recent launches like Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews have generated buzz, but marketers are hesitant to invest due to uncertainties surrounding reach and return on ad spend. The search advertising landscape is evolving, with new entrants like TikTok and potentially Reddit challenging Google's dominance, which has faced recent antitrust scrutiny. Despite the emergence of AI-powered alternatives, Google still holds approximately 80% of the search market share, according to Statista. Measurement...
read Oct 17, 2024IBM and AWS partner to accelerate enterprise cloud implementation
Cloud migration acceleration through AI: IBM, in collaboration with AWS, has developed a generative AI-powered solution to streamline and automate cloud migration at scale, offering operational efficiencies and supporting enterprise growth. The cloud migration landscape: IDC forecasts that 50% of global IT workloads will transition to the cloud within the next year. AWS cloud migration and modernization can lead to significant benefits, including: 31% average infrastructure cost savings 62% more efficient infrastructure management 3x more features delivered annually 69% reduction in unplanned downtime 43% fewer security incidents per year Challenges in cloud adoption: Existing licensing costs, lack of AWS expertise,...
read Oct 16, 2024How Heineken is using generative AI to boost innovation
AI-driven transformation in brewing: HEINEKEN, the renowned Dutch brewing company, is leveraging generative AI to revolutionize its operations and maintain its competitive edge in the global beverage market. Tony Costella, Global Consumer and Market Insights Director at HEINEKEN, shared insights on the company's AI strategy, which spans from enhancing consumer understanding to boosting innovation and streamlining internal processes. The company's approach demonstrates how traditional industries can effectively integrate cutting-edge technology to drive innovation and efficiency. Knowledge management revolution: HEINEKEN has developed an AI-powered knowledge management system, named "Kim" (Knowledge and Insight Management), to efficiently access and utilize its vast repository...
read Oct 16, 2024How to navigate data drift and bias in enterprise AI adoption
The importance of data quality in AI adoption: As organizations increasingly turn to AI technologies for innovation and competitiveness, the quality of data used to train AI models becomes a critical factor in determining their effectiveness and accuracy. AI technologies rely heavily on data to learn and make predictions, making high-quality data essential for obtaining accurate results and realizing the full benefits of these systems. Two significant challenges that can impact data quality and AI model performance are data drift and data bias, both of which require careful consideration and management. Understanding data drift: Data drift occurs when the statistical...
read Oct 16, 2024How to separate real innovation from AI hype
AI's transformative impact on ITSM: Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping IT Service Management (ITSM), becoming an essential component rather than just an add-on in the tech industry. AI is being integrated into various ITSM processes, including predictive maintenance, automated decision-making, and issue management. Major IT companies are leveraging AI to streamline ITSM operations, recognizing its game-changing potential. Despite the clear benefits, the hype surrounding AI has led to concerns about exaggerated claims and limited robust use cases. The reality of AI adoption in ITSM: A recent report by ManageEngine and the Service Desk Institute reveals a mixed landscape of AI...
read Oct 16, 2024Predictive, prescriptive and generative AI — how each is impacting our world
The AI revolution unfolds: Predictive, prescriptive, and generative AI are transforming industries and reshaping our world with their powerful capabilities to forecast, decide, and create. Predictive AI: The digital crystal ball: This technology uses historical data and machine learning to forecast future outcomes with remarkable accuracy, revolutionizing industries from weather forecasting to healthcare. Retail giants use predictive AI to anticipate consumer trends and optimize inventory management. Financial institutions employ it to detect fraudulent transactions before they occur. Healthcare providers leverage predictive AI to identify patients at risk of developing certain conditions, enabling early intervention. Limitations and considerations: While powerful, predictive...
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