Building A.I. That Can Build A.I.

A look at how Google is trying to overcome perhaps the biggest challenge facing the AI/ML industry: there just isn’t enough talent. This article highlights something we’ve known/have been dealing with for a while, that real expertise in AI has predominantly only existed in Academia. Lessons here, 1) if you have any background whatsoever in AI, you’re basically the hottest cheerleader in High School (or whatever the Snapchat equivalent to cheerleading is today, kids are terrifying), and 2) if you’re a company looking for an AI solution, be wary of folks throwing that term around because the reality is it’s really, really scarce. Also reminds us of BotBot.

You’ll Never Be Alone Again With This One Weird Chatbot Trick

Wow. This somewhat chilling but also inevitable step in the evolution of Chatbots in our lives is fascinating. This article takes you through how Eugenia Kuyda has created what sounds like the most comprehensive companion bot ever. Sure, cue the Black Mirror references, but so intriguing not only how this is a step towards “redesigning death,” but also life--and what we really need to weather its darkest moments. As Kuyda puts it, the strongest draw of her “Replika Bot” is the judgment-free attention it gives its users. What do you think?

Cisco's Enterprise AI Assistant Strategy Starts with This $55,000 Whiteboard

Sure, Chatbots and AI can significantly improve B2C communication, but there’s an equally powerful conversation revolution occurring inside the firewall as well. And Cisco, Microsoft, and other giants are leveraging hardware to wage the war over dominance in his arena. We’ll see how demands on security will impact the speed of this roll out. Let the (very expensive) games begin!

NoHold Lets Companies Turn Manuals into Google Assistant Voice Apps

Another step towards botifying all the things, supporting our theory that in the future, everything will have a conversational interface. But the truth is, that type of exponential step towards a conversational future is only possible if bot building becomes a commodity and/or is offloaded onto individuals. Intrapreneurs, who can spearhead the creation and deployment of chatbots, unencumbered by development or lengthy training times. How effective this is, and how far we really are from snapping your fingers to “bot that,” remains to be determined. Generalistic Templates are really hard to do well. Have you tried this yet? Let us know!