Watch Dr. Yonit Hoffman's Machine Learning Conference session

Accidents at sea happen all the time. Their costs in terms of lives, money and environmental destruction are huge. Wouldnt it be great if they could be predicted and perhaps prevented? Dr. Yonit Hoffmans Machine Learning Conference session discusses new ways of preventing sea accidents with the power of data science.

Does machine learning hold the key to preventing accidents at sea?

With more than 350 years of history, the marine insurance industry is the first data science profession to try to predict accidents and estimate future risk. Yet the old ways no longer work, new waves of data and algorithms can offer significant improvements and are going to revolutionise the industry.

In her Machine Learning Conference session, Dr. Yonit Hoffman will show that it is now possible to predict accidents, and how data on a ships behaviour such as location, speed, maps and weather can help. She will show how fragments of information on ship movements can be gathered and taken all the way to machine learning models. In this session, she discusses the challenges, including introducing machine learning to an industry that still uses paper and quills (yes, really!) and explaining the models using SHAP.

Dr. Yonit Hoffman is a Senior Data Scientist at Windward, a world leader in maritime risk analytics. Before investigating supertanker accidents, she researched human cells and cancer at the Weizmann Institute, where she received her PhD and MSc. in Bioinformatics. Yonit also holds a BSc. in computer science and biology from Tel Aviv University.

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Data to the Rescue! Predicting and Preventing Accidents at Sea - JAXenter

Business Overview

Microsoft AI is a platform used to develop AI solutions in conversational AI, machine learning, data sciences, robotics, IoT, and more.

Microsoft AI prides itself on driving innovation through; protecting wildlife, better brewing, feeding the world and preserving history.

Its Cognitive Services is described as a comprehensive family of AI services and cognitive APIs to help you build intelligent apps.

Executives

Tom Bernard Krake is the Azure Cloud Executive at Microsoft, responsible for leveraging and evaluating the Azure platform. Tom is joined by a team of experienced executives to optimise the Azure platform and oversee the many cognitive services that it provides.

Notable customers

Uber uses Cognitive Services to boost its security through facial recognition to ensure that the driver using the app matches the user that is on file.

KPMG helps financial institutions save millions in compliance costs through the use of Microsofts Cognitive Services. They do this through transcribing and logging thousands of hours of calls, reducing compliance costs by as much as 80 per cent.

Jet.com uses Cognitive Services to provide answers to its customers by infusing its customer chatbot with the intelligence to communicate using natural language.

The services:

Decision - Make smarter decisions faster through anomaly detectors, content moderators and personalizers.

Language - Extract meaning from unstructured text through the immersive reader, language understanding, Q&A maker, text analytics and translator text.

Speech - Integrate speech processing into apps and services through Speech-to-text, Text to speech, Speech translation and Speaker recognition.

Vision - Identify and analyse content within images, videos and digital ink through computer vision, custom vision, face, form recogniser, ink recogniser and video indexer.

Web Search -Find what you are looking for through the world-wide-web through autosuggest, custom search, entity search, image search, news search, spell check, video search, visual search and web search.

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What are the top AI platforms? - Gigabit Magazine - Technology News, Magazine and Website

Originally published in TechCrunch, March 16, 2020

In a briefing on Monday, research leaders across tech, academia and the government joined the White House to announce an open data set full of scientific literature on the novel coronavirus. The COVID-19 Open Research Dataset, known as CORD-19, will also add relevant new research moving forward, compiling it into one centralized hub. The new data set is machine readable, making it easily parsed for machine learning purposes a key advantage according to researchers involved in the ambitious project.

In a press conference, U.S. CTO Michael Kratsios called the new data set the most extensive collection of machine readable coronavirus literature to date. Kratsios characterized the project as a call to action for the AI community, which can employ machine learning techniques to surface unique insights in the body of data. To come up with guidance for researchers combing through the data, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine collaborated with the World Health Organization to come up with high priority questions about the coronavirus related to genetics, incubation, treatment, symptoms and prevention.

The partnership, announced today by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, brings together the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Microsoft Research, the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the National Institutes of Healths National Library of Medicine, Georgetown Universitys Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the Kaggle AI platform, owned by Google.

The database brings together nearly 30,000 scientific articles about the virus known as SARS-CoV-2. as well as related viruses in the broader coronavirus group. Around half of those articles make the full text available. Critically, the database will include pre-publication research from resources like medRxiv and bioRxiv, open access archives for pre-print health sciences and biology research.

To continue reading this article, click here.

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With Launch of COVID-19 Data Hub, The White House Issues A 'Call To Action' For AI Researchers - Machine Learning Times - machine learning & data...

Deep learning, a subset of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), is predicted to provide formidable momentum for the adoption and growth of artificial intelligence in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The next few years will see deep learning become part of main-stream deployments, bringing commendable changes to businesses in the region, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData estimates the APAC region to account for approximately 30% of the global AI platforms revenue (around US$97.5bn) by 2024. However, the share is expected to significantly go up, given the incumbent technology companies and the increasing number of start-ups that specialize in this field.

Furthermore, the technological enhancements supporting higher computation capabilities (CPU and GPU), and the huge amount of data, which is predicted to grow multiple folds due to the growth of connected devices ecosystem, are expected to contribute to this growth.

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Digital assistants like Cortana, Siri, GoogleNow and Alexa leverage deep learning to some extent for natural language processing (NLP) as well as speech recognition. Some of the other key usage areas of deep learning include multi-lingual chatbots, voice and image recognition, data processing, surveillance, fraud detection and diagnostics.

Sunil Kumar Verma, Lead ICT analyst at GlobalData, comments: The APAC market is proactively deploying deep learning-based AI solutions to bring increased offline automation, safety and security to businesses and their assets. In addition, AI hardware optimization with increased computing speed on small devices will result in the cost reduction and drive deep learning adoption across the region.

In APAC, deep learning is increasingly being adopted for various applications, driven by product launches and technical enhancements by regional technology vendors.

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For instance, China-based SenseTime leverages its deep learning platform to power image recognition, intelligent video analytic and medical image recognition to its customers, through its facial recognition technology called DeepID. Similarly, DeepSight AI Labs, an India-based start-up (which also operates in the US), also uses deep learning to develop SuperSecure Platform, a smart retrofit video surveillance solution that works on any CCTV to provide a contextualized AI solution to detect objects and behaviors.

Australia-based Daisee too offers an algorithm called Lisa, which leverages a speech-to-text engine to identify key conversational elements, determine its meaning and derive its context. Similarly, Cognitive Software Group is using deep learning / machine learning for the tagging of unstructured data to enhance natural language understanding.

Verma concludes: Although still in its infancy, deep learning is proving to be a stepping stone for technology landscape evolution in APAC. However, with the lack of skilled professionals and the fact that only a handful of technology companies are focussing on investing, hiring and training their workforce specifically for Deep Learning, there would be some initial roadblocks before witnessing success in adoption rates.

Marketing Technology News: COVID-19 Phishes Explode as U.S. Reels From Pandemic

MarTech Series (MTS) is a business publication dedicated to helping marketers get more from marketing technology through in-depth journalism, expert author blogs and research reports.

We publish high quality, relevant Marketing Technology Insights to help the business community advance martech knowledge and develop new martech skills. Our focus is on bringing marketers the latest business trends, products and practices affecting their marketing strategy.

We help our readers make sense of the rapidly evolving martech landscape, and cover the incredible impact of marketing technologies adoption on the way we do business.

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Deep Learning to Be Key Driver for Expansion and Adoption of AI in Asia-Pacific, Says GlobalData - MarTech Series

Executive Summary

Recent empirical research by the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab provides new insight into how work is changing in the face of AI. Based on this research, the author provides a roadmap for leaders intent on adapting their workforces and reallocating capital, while also delivering profitability. They argue that the key to unlocking the productivity potential while delivering on business objectives lies in three key strategies: rebalancing resources, investing in workforce reskilling and, on a larger scale, advancing new models of education and lifelong learning.

As AI is increasingly incorporated into our workplaces and daily lives, it is poised to fundamentally upend the way we live and work. Concern over this looming shift is widespread. A recent survey of 5,700 Harvard Business School alumni found that 52% of even this elite group believe the typical company will employ fewer workers three years from now.

The advent of AI poses new and unique challenges for business leaders. They must continue to deliver financial performance, while simultaneously making significant investments in hiring, workforce training, and new technologies that support productivity and growth. These seemingly competing business objectives can make for difficult, often agonizing, leadership decisions.

Against this backdrop, recent empirical research by our team at the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab provides new insight into how work is changing in the face of AI. By examining these findings, we can create a roadmap for leaders intent on adapting their workforces and reallocating capital, while also delivering profitability.

The stakes are high. AI is an entirely new kind of technology, one that has the ability to anticipate future needs and provide recommendations to its users. For business leaders, that unique capability has the potential to increase employee productivity by taking on administrative tasks, providing better pricing recommendations to sellers, and streamlining recruitment, to name a few examples.

For business leaders navigating the AI workforce transition, the key to unlocking the productivity potential while delivering on business objectives lies in three key strategies: rebalancing resources, investing in workforce reskilling and, on a larger scale, advancing new models of education and lifelong learning.

Our research report, offers a window into how AI will change workplaces through the rebalancing and restructuring of occupations. Using AI and machine learning techniques, our MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab team analyzed 170 million online job posts between 2010 and 2017. The studys first implication: While occupations change slowly over years and even decades tasks become reorganized at a much faster pace.

Jobs are a collection of tasks. As workers take on jobs in various professions and industries, it is the tasks they perform that create value. With the advancement of technology, some existing tasks will be replaced by AI and machine learning. But our research shows that only 2.5% of jobs include a high proportion of tasks suitable for machine learning. These include positions like usher, lobby attendant, and ticket taker, where the main tasks involve verifying credentials and allowing only authorized people to enter a restricted space.

Most tasks will still be best performed by humans whether craft workers like plumbers, electricians and carpenters, or those who do design or analysis requiring industry knowledge. And new tasks will emerge that require workers to exercise new skills.

As this shift occurs, business leaders will need to reallocate capital accordingly. Broad adoption of AI may require additional research and development spending. Training and reskilling employees will very likely require temporarily removing workers from revenue-generating activities.

More broadly, salaries and other forms of employee compensation will need to reflect the shifting value of tasks all along the organization chart. Our research shows that as technology reduces the cost of some tasks because they can be done in part by AI, the value workers bring to the remaining tasks increases. Those tasks tend to require grounding in intellectual skill and insightsomething AI isnt as good at as people.

In high-wage business and finance occupations, for example, compensation for tasks requiring industry knowledge increased by more than $6,000, on average, between 2010 and 2017. By contrast, average compensation for manufacturing and production tasks fell by more than $5,000 during that period. As AI continues to reshape the workplace, business leaders who are mindful of this shifting calculus will come out ahead.

Companies today are held accountable not only for delivering shareholder value, but for positively impacting stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, communities and employees. Moreover, investment in talent and other stakeholders is increasingly considered essential to delivering long-term financial results. These new expectations are reflected in the Business Roundtables recently revised statement on corporate governance, which underscores corporations obligation to support employees through training and education that help develop new skills for a rapidly changing world.

Millions of workers will need to be retrained or reskilled as a result of AI over the next three years, according to a recent IBM Institute for Business Value study. Technical training will certainly be a necessary component. As tasks requiring intellectual skill, insight and other uniquely human attributes rise in value, executives and managers will also need to focus on preparing workers for the future by fostering and growing people skills such as judgement, creativity and the ability to communicate effectively. Through such efforts, leaders can help their employees make the shift to partnering with intelligent machines as tasks transform and change in value.

As AI continues to scale within businesses and across industries, it is incumbent upon innovators and business leaders to understand not only the business process implications, but also the societal impact. Beyond the need for investment in reskilling within organizations today, executives should work alongside policymakers and other public and private stakeholders to provide support for education and job training, encouraging investment in training and reskilling programs for all workers.

Our research shows that technology can disproportionately impact the demand and earning potential for mid-wage workers, causing a squeeze on the middle class. For every five tasks that shifted out of mid-wage jobs, we found, four tasks moved to low-wage jobs and one moved to a high-wage job. As a result, wages are rising faster in the low- and high-wage tiers than in the mid-wage tier.

New models of education and pathways to continuous learning can help address the growing skills gap, providing members of the middle class, as well as students and a broad array of mid-career professionals, with opportunities to build in-demand skills. Investment in all forms of education is key: community college, online learning, apprenticeships, or programs like P-TECH, a public-private partnership designed to prepare high school students for new collar technical jobs like cloud computing and cybersecurity.

Whether it is workers who are asked to transform their skills and ways of working, or leaders who must rethink everything from resource allocation to workforce training, fundamental economic shifts are never easy. But if AI is to fulfill its promise of improving our work lives and raising living standards, senior leaders must be ready to embrace the challenges ahead.

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AI Is Changing Work and Leaders Need to Adapt - Harvard Business Review

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Steve LaTart in Minnesota is thinking of installing a space heater in his basement to recreate the atmosphere of his hot yoga classes now that his gym has closed due to coronavirus fears.

LaTarts says its part of the new, weird, strange workout plan he has devised during a nationwide trend of self-isolation and social distancing as the government recommends limiting gatherings to 10 or fewer people.

Gyms, yoga studios and CrossFit centers around the country are fueling the drive to stay active by offering online classes, some free of charge, or extending trial periods for at-home workouts.

Studio owners and fitness instructors are having to adjust too as they make the shift to teaching online. The Coalition of Health and Fitness Leaders, a group of fitness, nutrition and wellness industry representatives recently formed in response to the new coronavirus, hosted an online panel Thursday to provide guidance for instructors.

Countless people across the country who have been cooped up inside as their companies mandate work-at-home policies and their fitness centers shut down are getting creative with their workout routines.

Many are turning to online classes, grabbing bleach bottles as makeshift weights, or taking cues from YouTube challenges showing how to do crunches with furniture or turn a kitchen floor into a treadmill by soaping up the tiling.

LaTarts yoga and warrior sculpting instructors at Life Time in Minneapolis are still teaching classes. Theyve just moved them from the gym to cyberspace, where they are livestreaming instructions from their website. LaTart says knowing he can still participate in the classes is keeping him sane.

I like the idea that this is something thats normal, the 38-year-old radio producer said. This is someone I know. This is something thats familiar.

Beth Berglin, 40, a director at a charity in Miami, was used to going to boot camp-style classes four mornings a week until authorities began urging residents to avoid gatherings and she her husband decided to stay at home as much as possible. Her gym closed earlier this month, but she is staying active through online classes from Burn Boot Camp.

Part of the reason we exercise is to have that mental break, she said. I cant imagine getting through this without having some form of physical activity.

In Fort Lauderdale, LA Fitness members were told not to return as they left the gym last Monday night. That scene has played out across the country as state governments have ramped up containment measures. Planet Fitness, Equinox and Life Time Fitness have all said theyre closing outlets for several weeks or indefinitely in response to the coronavirus.

To make up for it, Planet Fitness started Home Work-Ins, a series of free, 20-minute classes that dont require equipment. Erica Lugo, a trainer on the reality television show The Biggest Loser, was scheduled to lead one of the workouts.

National chain CorePower Yoga closed its 200 studios, but is offering online classes free until May 31. Taryn Toomey closed her New York studios, but is offering two weeks of free streaming as a public service, which she said has drawn participants from around the globe.

Lebanon, Germany, Spain, Italy. Its overwhelming, Toomey said.

Fitness operations whose core business has always been online or home-based are also stepping up their game, using the opportunity to capture new clients. AloMoves, an online fitness service linked to the popular apparel line, has seen a 40% increase on its YouTube channel, where it is offering some free workouts.

The at-home workout company ob has had 10 times the number of sign-ups this month compared with last, according to co-founders Mark Mullett and Ashley Mills. They said the company also has received tons of requests from desperate parents now that schools are being canceled. Last week, ob launched four 10-minute dance and strength workouts for kids 10 and under.

Peloton, a company that sells high-end stationary bicycles and treadmills featuring instructors who give live and videotaped classes, has extended its free trial period to 90 days.

For most people, coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

Still, good diet and exercise can be crucial for the young and old alike to maintain sanity and keep the immune system strong against COVID-19. In addition to taking online courses, gym rats might now consider getting outdoors to exercise if they can, said Dr. Joe Khabbaza, a pulmonologist at Cleveland Clinic.

Simply walk outside in nature, Khabbaza said. People can use this as an opportunity to exercise in other ways.

Toomey encourages those filled with fear over the virus to use exercise as both a physical and spiritual balm. One of the best ways to fight the stagnation of home quarantine, she says, is to continue to breathe and keep moving and use the medicine of that.

See original here:
Fitness enthusiasts think outside the gym during coronavirus - WIZM NEWS

And if you're an introvert, quietly excited about the prospect of more alone time, we've got a separate guide on how you can make the most of social distancing.

Your "usual habits are going to be disrupted," said Gretchen Rubin, the author of "Outer Order, Inner Calm" and host of the "Happier" podcast. An important strategy is to "reimagine what you want and get out in front of it."

In terms of social connection, "nothing can beat real life," she said, but the second best way to interact can be through images. There are plenty of apps offering video chat or live broadcast functions, ranging from Skype to House Party. You could use one to connect with a friend you haven't seen in awhile.

She recommended"lots of touches" virtually, of course including writing physical cards to your friends, hosting a virtual family reunion and even basic lifestyle hacks like sending more voice memos rather than text messages.

"People have more time, and they want to hear your voice," she said.

Or you can create more group text message threads with friends and family, knowing that at any given moment, somebody on the thread might be free and able to write back.

Read more from the original source:
The extrovert's guide to social distancing - Quad City Times

On March 18, Bryan Majors, a personal trainer specializing in basketball, sent 5,000 subscribers an email message with the subject line I am Corona-positive.

Majors was trying to say he was being proactive and simply keeping an optimistic attitude about dealing with the virus and pandemic. The balance of his email made that clear.

But the subject line caused some to freak out. Understandably, some readers assumed he was actively battling the virus.

Two days later, he sent a follow-up message called Positive Mindset.

Don't be scared or worried, he wrote, I do not have Covid19. I apologize if you did not understand the previous email. I'm talking about how we ALL should be during these trying times of the spread of the Corona VIRUS! POSITIVE!!!''

It's something of a metaphor for the personal training and fitness industry during the pandemic getting knocked sideways, then getting back up and finding new methods that may outlast it.

I don't regret the wording one bit, said Majors, who has counted former McCaskey High School stars Kobe Gantz, Jerry Johnson, Dustin Salisbery and Lamar Patterson among his clients.

Now Majors is pumping out workout videos to clients.

I am surely going to remain in business, he said, and maybe get better.

Gyms are closed throughout Pennsylvania and most of the country. That means trainers who work at gyms, generally independent contractors, are taking a serious hit.

It's going to have a huge financial impact, Dan Cless, a trainer at Hempfield Rec Center, said last week.

If we have two weeks of down time, obviously, we don't make any money.

But as much as any profession, trainers are embracing online technology to take their service to the client.

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Cless uses training software to connect with his clients and create workouts for them. He also does at-home training.

Lancaster's Solid Rock Fitness and Health does almost exclusively in-home training, but that business has mostly dried up during the past couple of weeks.

So it has turned to online training, posting videos to a Facebook group.

The community aspect of it is really beautiful, said Solid Rock's owner, Valerie Petersheim.

Petersheim has engaged a nutritionist and yoga teacher to provide videos. The Facebook group is made up of mostly Lancaster County residents, although it includes members from as far away as Arizona and Florida.

It's a week-to-week thing, but I think it can sustain, Petersheim said. The mental and emotional benefit, right now, is as important as the physical.

Crunch Gym in Lancaster is offering a variety of workout videos to members, and also offering a 45-day free trial membership.

Universal Athletic Club in Manheim Township is offering a library of video workouts, many of them open to non-members, and live workouts utilizing the Zoom video teleconference software.

A week and a half ago, we were scratching our heads, wondering how we were going to pull this off, said Sheldon McBee, Universal's personal training director.

Now, we're thinking that when this is over, we're going to continue to use this technology.

Petersheim went a step further.

People are going to want this model, she said. It's a lot less germy than a gym.

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In the wake of COVID-19, the fitness industry goes remote - and some of it might stay that way - LancasterOnline

In response to Utah Governor Gary Herbert's "Stay Safe, Stay Home" directive announced Friday, The Bear River Health Department issued a public health order on Saturday that includes mandatory closure of all fitness centers, spas, entertainment venues and specialty surgery centers.

This public health order is for communities within the BRHD's coverage area including Cache, Rich and Box Elder counties.

According to the press release, the order to avoid gatherings of 10 or more people is effective immediately, while the changes in the following list will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 30.

Gathering Places: All museums, gyms, exercise studios, spas, fitness centers, health clubs, indoor recreation facilities, and all entertainment venues, including without limitation music performance venues, live stage performances, and lectures, shall be closed to members, guests, patrons and the general public.

Surgical Centers: Surgical centers that are not located within a hospital shall be closed to preserve valuable and scarce Personal Protective Equipment.

Hair and Nail Salons; Tanning Salons; Body Art Studios: Efforts to protect the public such as hand washing, social distancing and sanitization will be required by the order.

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Physical Therapy Clinics and Services & Child Day Care Centers: Screening, hygiene along with spacing and distancing will be a priority.

The order outlines recommendations for individuals which are effective immediately including many that have already been encouraged for the past couple of weeks including social distancing of 6 feet from others, refrain from visiting nursing care facilities and other similar assisted living facilities, avoid discretionary travel, nonessential shopping trips and social visits, and individuals over the age of 60 and those who are immunocompromised should avoid contact with others.

More details about business protocols and more specific details about what is or isn't restricted, go to brhd.org.

The order will remain in effect until April 13 at which time the BRHD Health Officer will re-evaluate and either end, modify or extend the order as needed.

According to the order, an initial violation of the order is punishable as a Class B Misdemeanor. Subsequent violations are considered Class A Misdemeanors

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Bear River Health Department orders closure of fitness centers, spas, entertainment venues, surgery centers - The Herald Journal

POMONA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 29: Doug the Pug attends the 2020 Beverly Hills Dog Show at the Los Angeles County Fairplex on February 29, 2020 in Pomona, California. (Photo by Sarah Morris/Getty Images)

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We all know that Doug the Pug is a star and whether he is walking the red carpet, starring in a commercial, or gracing us with his presence on social media, he knows how to draw attention. And now it seems he is also getting into the world of health and fitness.

According to People Magazine, on March 27, Doug the Pug hosted a workout session on the Facebook page for Planet Fitness. But thats not all, as he even has a Tik Tok video that he shared on Twitter showing off even more workout options that involve our furry friends at home.

Basically this is one health-conscious Pug and we are here for it. With so many of us practicing social distancing, some people are finding it hard to get in a good workout while at home. And with the help of Doug the Pug and other online fitness gurus, it looks like there may be some options for how to get in a solid workout even while you are at home and away from the gym.

The nice thing about these workout sessions with Doug the Pug is the fact that it reminds us that we can still be healthy and active with our dogs around. And while some of us might be walking our dogs more than ever, with these videos, we are reminded that there are more ways to workout with a pup around than just going for a walk.

Honestly, these workout videos are an awesome way to stay active, while also reminding us that our pups can help us out with some of these exercises.

In fact, I think these are a great way to be inspired and get active.

What do you think of Doug the Pugs workout videos? Are they inspiring you to stay active? Tell us what you think in the comments.

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Doug the Pug is all about fitness as he hosts different workout sessions - Dog of the Day