Following are highlights from the past week’s news developments in blockchain, artificial intelligence and Internet-of-Things technologies:
Ubitquity launches new partnership in Brazil
U.S.-based Ubitquity, a company that offers blockchain-based recording and tracking of property deeds, on April 5 announced a partnership with a Brazilian real-estate registry office to create a first-ever pilot program for official land records.
Intel demos blockchain-based demo for seafood supply chain
Intel recently launched a demo of its Sawtooth Lake distributed ledger technology that’s designed to provide traceability of seafood “from ocean to table.” The project aims to address issues with the traditional seafood industry supply chain, promote sustainability and provide transparency to vendors and customers.
Samsung SDS unveils Nexledger for enterprises
Samsung’s enterprise-focused SDS unit on April 6 unveiled Nexledger, a blockchain-based platform to help organisations manage data exchanges and financial transactions cost-efficiently, according to a report in the Korea Herald. The paper reported that Samsung SDS also announced a new blockchain-based payment service and digital identification service.
VW China starts AI joint venture with China’s Mobvoi
Volkswagen Group China on April 6 announced a strategic partnership with Mobvoi, a China-based artificial intelligence company. Under the joint venture, the two companies plan to work together to develop and implement AI technologies in cars.
MIT lab kicks off machine-learning initiative
The Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on April 6 launched a new industry collaboration to explore research opportunities and real-world applications for machine learning. Other founding members of the “SystemsThatLearn@CSAIL” initiative include BT, Microsoft, Nokia Bell Labs, Salesforce and Schlumberger.
Sage launches ‘BotCamp’ to boost AI skills
Sage on April 6 announced plans to establish a “BotCamp” to help young people entering the workforce learn valuable skills in using bots and artificial intelligence. Set to launch over the next six months, the program is expected to serve more than 100 school-leavers and millennials between the ages of 16 and 25.
Australia’s UTS opens Centre for Artificial Intelligence
The University of Technology, Sydney, on April 5 announced the opening of a new Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CAI). The centre will have five separate dedicated labs aimed at exploring not just AI technologies, but their potential impacts and ethical implications.
Nielsen adds AI to its Marketing Cloud
Nielsen on April 6 announced it has built its Artificial Intelligence adaptive learning technology into its Nielsen Marketing Cloud to automate audience model creation and optimization. According to the company, “This new capability enables Nielsen Marketing Cloud clients to respond instantly to real-time changes in consumer behavior, resulting in more relevant content and advertising, higher levels of customer engagement and improved ROI.”
Report: Blockchain market to pass $5.4B by 2023
A new report from Allied Market Research predicts that the global blockchain distributed ledger market will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 57.6 percent between now and 2023, when it is expected to exceed $5.4 billion in value. “Blockchain-based solutions are projected to be adopted earlier in some industries such as financial services and the supply chain industry as compared to many other industries,” said Allied Market Research analyst Himal Srivastava. “Exponential increase in data is expected to facilitate more R&D activities leading to increased competition in the market.”
IoT firm ‘bricks’ device of customer who posted negative review
US-based IoT firm Garadget, which enables smartphone-based control of garage door openers, came under fire recently after news emerged the company had “bricked” the device of a customer who posted a negative review of its product on Amazon. The company later reversed its action.
Telenor launches IoT initiative in Norway
Norway’s Telenor Group on April 4 unveiled a new multi-city Internet of Things pilot for Norwegian students and entrepreneurs. Aimed at boosting innovation, Telenor Start IoT will provide users with free access to a low-power wide-area experimental network, a backend system and development kits.