Multi-purpose platforms with native apps are much more scalable and defensible than focused platforms reliant on integrations
I have previously explained how network effects shape three broad types of tech businesses — marketplaces, interaction networks and data networks. In addition to these, there is one other type of business where network effects play a central role — platforms. Unfortunately, the tech and startup world has spent much of the past decade using the term “platform” to describe everything from operating systems to analytics tools, algorithms, APIs, etc. Quite plainly, if everything is a platform, then nothing is and the term loses all meaning. So let’s take a more granular look at what platforms really are, and then unpack how their network effects work. Read More
Daily Archives: June 18, 2020
The 20 data science projects at the core of every successful business
What do you get if you draw a map linking the thirteen key business functions…
Marketing, Customer Services, Sales, R&D, Purchasing, Production, Distribution, IT, HR, Legal, Finance, Senior Management and Operations.
… to the three key elements of any business?… Read More
Inside the Attack: Understanding How Mobile Applications are Compromised
Simple Question Answering (QA) Systems That Use Text Similarity Detection in Python
How exactly are smart algorithms able to engage and communicate with us like humans? The answer lies in Question Answering systems that are built on a foundation of Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing. Let’s build one here.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer an abstract idea that conjures up images from sci-fi movies. Today, AI has evolved considerably, and it’s now able to recognize speech, make decisions, and work alongside humans to complete tasks at a larger scale.
So instead of robots that are trying to take over the planet, we think about Alexa, Siri, or a customer service chatbot. But how exactly are these smart algorithms able to engage and communicate with us like humans? Read More
What We Learned About Editors vs. Algorithms from 4,000 Stories in Apple News
If you check Apple News on June 4th, you’d find a “Spotlight” about the U.S. protests that features rights for protestors, educational resources, mental health resources for BIPOC, and a list of organizations where you can donate to support racial justice.
In case it is not obvious, these stories are curated by a team of human editors at Apple News, and not an algorithm. They show further evidence of the value of human curation, in a time when news is especially important. This was the topic of my recently-published research study, which I will summarize in this blog post. Read More
Researchers Have Found a Way to Listen In On Your Conversations Using Light Bulb Vibrations
As if we didn’t have enough to be stressed about in 2020, researchers from the Cyber Security Labs at Ben Gurion University and the Weizmann Institute of Science have come up with a way to listen in on a room, even at long distances, using less than $1,000 worth of equipment that’s able to measure subtle light changes in a room caused by sound waves vibrating a light bulb. Read More
Qualcomm’s Robotics RB5 Platform combines AI acceleration with 5G
Qualcomm today launched the Robotics 5G Platform, which it claims is the world’s first to support AI acceleration and 5G. It occupies the high end of the chipmaker’s prefab robotics solutions and is designed to enable things like machine learning, heterogeneous computing, and computer vision while withstanding “industrial-grade” temperatures and incorporating security “at every layer.”
Stakeholders like Qualcomm believe AI is moving to the edge. Read More
The U.S. Is Catching Up With China in AI Adoption, Kai-Fu Lee Says
The U.S. has started to catch up to China on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence technology, says AI expert Kai-Fu Lee.
When Lee—the chairman and CEO of Sinovation Ventures—wrote his book AI Superpowers in 2018, he argued that China was faster in implementing and monetizing AI technology. But the U.S. has started to close the gap on adopting and using AI day-to-day Lee said at Wednesday’s TIME100 Talks event. Read More
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