Bret Greenstein - December 11, 2018 - 89 views

Just as artificial intelligence (AI) has dominated business conversations this year, it’s also infiltrating holiday gift-giving lists. And it’s no coincidence – the same AI technologies that are driving business-changing enterprise systems are also becoming useful in our homes.  In fact, this giving season is a good time to experience the future of life, both […]

Aneeza Haleem - November 30, 2018 - 104 views

“The real problem is not whether machines think but whether man does.” – B. F. Skinner. If there’s been a theme for this year, it’s artificial intelligence. But most intelligent systems around us use what’s called “narrow intelligence” or “narrow AI” rather than the more sophisticated and autonomous form of AI known as “general intelligence.” […]

Manish Bahl - November 14, 2018 - 335 views

Are you greater than the sun that shines on everyone: Black, Brown, Yellow, Red and White, the sun does not discriminate. — Sara Ting, “Sun Poem.” You’ve seen the warning on your rearview mirror: “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” The future seems to be approaching faster than ever before. The rise of […]

Manish Bahl - November 1, 2018 - 397 views

Help Wanted: Data Trash Engineer. Algorithm Bias Auditor. Head of Machine Personality Design. Chief Purpose Planner. Could you envision needing one of these job titles in your organization, or even see yourself filling one of these roles? We can – if not now, then very soon. In fact, in an age when many pundits are […]

Ben Bengtson - October 1, 2018 - 148 views

Talk to senior life and annuity (L&A) insurance executives, and you’ll hear a common theme: How best to adapt to the rising customer expectations and disruptive changes underway? Consumers, especially millennials, who are accustomed to one-click ordering on Amazon or Uber, don’t understand why buying life insurance needs to be so confusing and time-consuming. They […]

Karthik Krishnamurthy - September 11, 2018 - 430 views

Consider these real-life examples: Facebook’s M virtual assistant was designed to offer helpful replies and emoticons to liven up messages. However, in a discussion on women’s health issues, it inappropriately suggested a vomit emoji, and it chimed into a discussion about a horror movie scene (don’t ask) by suggesting that the friends who were messaging […]

James Jeude - August 13, 2018 - 470 views

The introduction of zone defense to basketball (nearly a century ago!) led Frank Lindley, the creator of this approach, to win 83% of the games he coached. It’s a great example of what we mean when we talk about something being game-changing: a situation where the unwritten rules are so taken for granted that most […]

Robert H. Brown - August 1, 2018 - 172 views

Trees are sanctuaries. … A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought. … A tree says: My strength is trust.   — “Trees,” Hermann Hesse. — Aspens are an unusual tree species.  Growing seasons are short but vibrant. No tough bark for this species; scratching a white trunk reveals a […]

Robert H. Brown - July 27, 2018 - 140 views

It’s the middle of summer, in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, in the middle of the Roaring Fork Valley.  And at the middle of the Aspen Institute’s annual Action Forum, amid its stunning Doerr-Hosier Center, a panel discussion vividly captured the heart of a critical story of our time: the future of work. Moderated […]

Robert H. Brown - July 25, 2018 - 131 views

“He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again, You might say he found a key for every door.” – “Rocky Mountain High,” John Denver. – There’s something about John Denver. Wearing a puffy down vest, bespectacled, performing a wholesome, “nerd chic” brand of Meadow Rock.  Ever-so-slightly-edgy lyrics, like, “Friends around the campfire/and […]