Machine learning & productivity - Weekly Mash-Up 183

How machine learning influences your productivity
Venture Beat

Productivity is ‘the metric that influences so many others by which business is measured — success, efficiency, profit’. AI has been touted as a new way to increase productivity. But this isn’t by replacing expensive workers with machines, but by helping us to work more efficiently. This use of the technology is being called ‘intelligence augmentation’. Read more

Virtual-reality worlds filled with penguins and otters are a promising alternative to painkillers
Quartz

Over 100 million Americans suffer long-term pain. VR could offer the solution, providing a “high-bandwidth channel” into our brains that can transform how we see ourselves, the world, and our pain. Throwing snowballs at penguins and snowmen can provide just the distraction someone coming off pain medication needs. Read more

How we can add personality to the machine and give artificial intelligence the human touch it's lacking
The Drum

Artificial Intelligence, the hot topic of the moment, will never achieve mass relevance and audience uptake if it doesn’t adopt a personable, human voice. Just as brands are under increasing pressure to appeal to customers with a unique tone of voice, AI must do the same. Read more

Augmented reality brings Beatie Wolfe’s new songs to life
New Scientist

Can augmented reality bring ceremony back to the act of listening to an album? Beatie Wolfe hopes to immerse and engage fans by incorporating this technology in the release of her new album Raw Space. Using 360 video and Augmented Reality, she streamed the album live on May 5th. Read more