ACTIVE USERS OF THE LIRC- January 2019

All the below Active Users are eligible for one extra library card for the month of 

February 2019

Sr. No.	Member	No's. of Transctions
1	YADAV SUNNY BHIMSEN VIMALA	27
2	CHAVAN ANKITA JEEVAN SARITA	27
3	CHANDARIA HETIK PIYUSH BHAVANA	26
4	BHUWAD JYOTSNA SURESH SARITA	25
5	PANDIT RUSHIKESH RAJESH SEEMA	25
6	AISHWARYA SREENIVASAN RAJANI SREENIVASAN	24
7	YADAV ANKIT KUMAR RAMESHWAR PRASAD SHIVKALIDEVI	22
8	JOSHI NEHA MUKUND RADHIKA JOSHI	22
9	CLETUS AGNELLO DSOUZA	22

Oracle CEO: All cloud apps to include AI as standard by 2025

Mark Hurd used the firm's EMEA conference to make predictions around the union between disruptive tech such as AI and the cloud


Artificial intelligence will be seamlessly integrated into all cloud apps by 2025 rather than being introduced as an afterthought, according to Oracle CEO Mark Hurd.

During the same time frame, as the world of business shifts further towards this increased use of AI and automation, there will be mass job creation rather than annihilation. Indeed, claims Hurd, some 60% of the IT jobs that will be required come 2025 don't actually exist today.

"The reality is cloud adoption is moving faster than predicted. Cloud is not just a technology. Cloud is a strategy, cloud is a business model," Hurd told delegates in attendance at the firm's Oracle OpenWorld event in London.

What's more, AI and robots will need to be managed and monitored in a way not too dissimilar to current, human employee/employer relationships.

"There will be a supervisor for these robots. Just like we all have bosses, the robot will have a boss," Hurd said.

Hurd also made other predictions about where things are headed, with a particular focus on data and security.

"The economy is a little less than $80 trillion. IT is a very small percentage of that - about 3%. IT then splits into two sections. One is consumer IT and the other is B2B IT. This is the first year I think we will see that consumer IT is bigger.

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"One of the big battlegrounds going forward is going to be about data, about AI, about security... The disruption is constant. Most of the data in the world is owned by two companies: Facebook and Google," he added, suggesting people would want greater ownership in the future and stressing that cloud would be both fundamental and foundational as the shift occurs.

Leo Johnson, disruption lead for PwC and co-presenter of Radio 4's FutureProofing served as the warm-up act for Hurd - who joined the conference by video link from the US as a lack of passport and inability to get a temp one due to the gov shutdown had prevented him from flying - also gave us a peek as to what the future of work could look like.

"Are we moving to a new wave of technology? Not just a set of innovative technologies, but to the deployment of it?" he said.

Source: https://www.cloudpro.co.uk/business-intelligence/7908/aws-releases-neo-ai-code-to-the-open-source-world (Accessed on January 28, 2019)

AWS releases Neo-AI code to the open-source world

Opening the platform up means developers and AI experts to develop cross-device AI tools


AWS has released its Neo-AI code as an open source project, encouraging developers and other AI experts to contribute to the platform.

The company explained that usually, ensuring a machine learning model works across a variety of hardware platforms (especially those running on edge networks) is difficult because there are so many factors and limitations to consider.

Even in less complicated devices, there are so many software variations that it can be tricky to make sure machine learning works across all of them. As a result, manufacturers and vendors are being limited by which companies they can work with to provide machine learning tools they require.

With AWS’s Neo-AI, machine learning models are automatically optimised for use TensorFlow, MXNet, PyTorch, ONNX, and XGBoost models, converting them into common formats to work on a wider variety of devices. The models can be run at a faster pace as well because Neo-AI uses a compact runtime, limiting the resources a framework would typically consume.

Even if edge devices are being constrained by resources, this is irrelevant, because Neo-AI will shrink down the resources needed to run. Neo-AI currently supports platforms from Intel, NVIDIA, and ARM, with support for Xilinx, Cadence, and Qualcomm arriving later in the year.

“To derive value from AI, we must ensure that deep learning models can be deployed just as easily in the data center and in the cloud as on devices at the edge,” said Naveen Rao, general manager of the artificial intelligence products group at Intel.

“Intel is pleased to expand the initiative that it started with nGraph by contributing those efforts to Neo-AI. Using Neo, device makers and system vendors can get better performance for models developed in almost any framework on platforms based on all Intel compute platforms.”

Source: https://www.cloudpro.co.uk/business-intelligence/7908/aws-releases-neo-ai-code-to-the-open-source-world (Accessed on January 28, 2019)

TCS becomes third most-valued IT company in the world

India's Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been ranked third most-valued IT services brand globally in 2018-19, after Accenture and IBM, according to a report by Brand Finance. Four Indian IT services companies -- TCS, Infosys, HCL and Wipro -- clinched spots in the top-10 global tally.

Valued at $26.3 billion, Accenture took the title of the world's most-valued IT services brand. The tag was previously held by IBM, which now occupied the second place with a brand value of $20.4 billion, according to the report.

"Holding steady in third place is India's largest IT services conglomerate, TCS, up 23% to $12.8 billion, with a value bolstered by the brand's disciplined focus on the market's increased demand for digital services," it added.

Brand Finance said TCS is also the first Indian IT services brand to achieve success in the Japanese market and has positioned itself as a leader in providing a superior all-round customer experience, leveraging artificial intelligence and robotic automation across its transformation programmes.

Wipro entered the top-10 list for the first time this year, said the report, which was released at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

"Up 25% to $4 billion, Wipro's significant investments in digital transformation capabilities, niche acquisitions, and a recent brand refresh, have propelled it to be the third fastest-growing brand in the segment," the report noted.

American brand Cognizant (brand value up 12% to $8.7 billion) and India's Infosys (brand value up 8% to $6.5 billion) held onto their last year's ranking of fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

The report pointed out that although Cognizant is headquartered in New Jersey, US, it holds a major employee base in Chennai and has offices in Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, and Cochin.

Others in the top-10 list included Capgemini, DXC Technology and NTT Data.

"There is a reason why Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India. As more IT services brands ramp up their outsourcing outposts across the country, it is the skilled workforce, world class facilities and infrastructure that makes India such an attractive location and ultimately a global powerhouse," Brand Finance Chief Executive Officer David Haigh said.

The index is based on Brand Finance's analysis of marketing investments, stakeholder equity and business performance of these companies.

"2018 was a year of celebrations at TCS, marking the completion of five decades of industry-leading customer satisfaction, business performance, and community impact," TCS Chief Marketing Officer Ravi Viswanathan said in a statement.

He added that the past year was characterised by momentum and milestones for TCS, including reaching $100 billion in market capitalisation, and securing record-level new customer partnerships in digital services.

In a separate statement, Wipro President (Marketing, Innovation and Technology) Milan Rao said the recognition is a testament to the company's rich technology heritage, sustained investments in building digital transformation capabilities, and deep domain and consulting expertise.

"As we further bolster our innovation ecosystem and capabilities for the digital era, we are confident that our brand value will go from strength and strength," he added. SR HRS

Source: https://www.gadgetsnow.com/it-services/tcs-becomes-third-most-valued-it-company-in-the-world/articleshowprint/67661188.cms (Accessed on January 28, 2019)

इंजिनीअरिंग कॉलेजांचे मूल्यांकन होणार सुलभ

Source: Maharashtra Times (Mumbai edition) Marathi dated January 22, 2019 (Accessed on January 22, 2019)

IIT Hyderabad Introduces India’s First B.Tech. in Artificial Intelligence Programme

HIGHLIGHTS

• The course will include study of algorithms, signal processing, robotics
• It will also teach the ethical impact of AI and related technologies
• B.Tech. in Artificial Intelligence will be offered from 2019-2020

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad is introducing a new B. Tech. course in Artificial Intelligence that will be available to the students beginning the coming academic year (2019-2020). It is the first such full-fledged B. Tech. programme to be offered by an Indian university. Even internationally, only select institutions like Carnegie Mellon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are currently offering similar courses, claimed IIT Hyderabad in a press release.

According to a report in NDTV, the B.Tech. in Artificial Intelligence course will intake 20 students each year, who will be selected through the JEE Advanced entrance examination that the students across the country take every year to get admission in the graduate courses at the IITs.

Commenting on the new course, Prof U.B. Desai, Director, IIT Hyderabad, said, “The basic aim is to create a complete ecosystem for Artificial Intelligence Academics and Research at IIT Hyderabad. This involves B.Tech., M.Tech. and different Minor Programs in AI. Moreover, the R&D will be strongly entwined with academics.”

The B.Tech. in Artificial Intelligence course will include study of algorithms, signal processing, robotics and mathematical foundations. It will also focus on application verticals such as healthcare, agriculture, smart mobility, and more. IIT Hyderabad notes that ethical impact of AI and related technologies on areas such as privacy, bias, and related issues will also taught to the students.

The institute hopes that the new programme will allow the students to become leaders in the field and help meet the growing demand for artificial intelligence and machine learning experts in the industry.

"AI solutions are particularly promising for India (given the availability of a large corpus of data) where it can have a major positive impact on several critical domains such as healthcare, crop and soil management, weather prediction, surveillance and security, and defence. However, the demand for professionals trained in this area far exceeds the current supply. The BTech program in AI is a step in the direction of addressing this highly skewed demand-supply scenario," said Dr. Sumohana Channappayya, Dean (Research and Development).

The IIT Hyderabad already offers a M.Tech. course in Machine Learning.

Source: https://gadgets.ndtv.com/science/news/iit-hyderabad-introduces-india-s-first-b-tech-in-artificial-intelligence-programme-1980185 (Accessed on January 22, 2019)

What makes India rank among the top 3 countries in Artificial Intelligence skills

In the past few years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has remained in the limelight with countries like China and the US leading the way. But, did you know that India too has joined the AI bandwagon? According to a latest LinkedIn report, India ranks third in the global front with respect to the penetration of AI skills (46%) just after China (48%) and the US (46%)! Exciting, isn’t it?

Stating that AI is ushering in a new era of digital revolution, the report highlighted three key points:

• 
  With an increase of 190% between 2015-17, AI skills are one of the most widely growing skills on LinkedIn.
• 
  The industries incorporating more AI skills within their workforce are the most dynamic industries.
• 
  The countries that record the highest usage of skills in and around AI are China, the USA, Israel, and Germany.

Another study titled The Augmented Human Enterprise (a collaborative study by Goldsmiths, the University of London, and Automation Anywhere) reinforces India’s stand as one among the top five countries in the world to have the highest penetration of AI skills. In a survey of four markets, this study established that India has the highest proportion of AI penetration with nearly 71% of the Indian respondents stated that their employees integrated both AI-based augmentation and Robotic Process Automation to the optimum potential.

So, how did India come to the forefront as being one of the leading countries in the world with AI skills?

The reasons behind India emerging as a forerunner of AI skills are many with a major push coming from the $143 billion outsourcing industry. For a long time, Indian IT and Consultancy magnates such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Wipro have been providing their services to global magnates including the US Army, Microsoft, IBM, and Deutsche Bank, to name a few.

Another impetus for AI comes from the Indian government’s Digital India and Make in India campaigns both of which focus on making India a digitally savvy and self-sufficient nation.

An excellent case in point is the NITI Aayog. In the June 2018 discussion paper titled ‘National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence’, NITI Aayog seeks to embark on a mission - #AIforAll - with special focus being on five sectors - agriculture, healthcare, education, smart cities and infrastructure, and smart mobility and transportation.

India has become a hotbed for startups and with the government’s efforts to digitize India, the startup scene is further blossoming. In just a matter of a few years, the AI-based startups in India have generated around $36 million in funding from philanthropic investors like Ratan Tata and also from VC firms such as Sequoia Capital.

At present, the trend is towards developing smart AI solutions in the country itself and Indian tech giants are fast catching up with the other two global leaders (China and the US). For instance, Tata Consultancy Services is now laying increased emphasis on building a strong market for its state-of-the-art AI product, Ignio. Infosys and Wipro, too, have joined TCS in the AI race. Infosys is working on its AI platform Nia which is based on its first AI platform Mana. The aim behind developing Nia is to promote data-driven business decisions by helping businesses dive into customer and market data to understand consumer behavior, market revenue patterns, predict compliance and fraudulent issues, among others. Wipro is focusing on leveraging Holmes (Wipro’s AI platform) to automate various mundane and routine facets of fixed-price projects with the aim of boosting the efficiency of the Software Engineers while also allowing them to focus on more important tasks that demand human intelligence. In the process, Wipro aims to save around $46.5 million!

Coming to the job front, job site Indeed maintains that between June 2016-June 2018, there has been a whopping 179% increase in the number of AI-related job searches in India. The report further maintains that since the very beginning of 2018, the demand for AI skills has been at an all-time high in India.

In the 2018 Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study it was found that although companies across the globe are planning to implement AI and other related technologies with their operational infrastructure, China and India hold the greatest chances of implementing AI in the short-term. Experts suggest that a primary reason behind this is that China and India being developing nations, the impact of any technological change on such economies is always of a greater magnitude than that in a developed nation. Let’s look at the case of smartphones. China and India are two of the largest global consumers of smartphones. Why? Because consumers in a developing nation are quick to adopt the latest technological trends. And with India being one of the fasted-growing economies backed by a huge population (the second largest in the world), the Indian market is ripe for AI-penetration.

How To Gear Up For India’s Emerging AI-Driven Economy?

The most important thing that you need to do in this rapidly advancing technological age is to Upskill! Make active learning a part of your upskilling routine. Learning as you go will not only increase your knowledge base but it will also increase your chances of being hired by top tech companies (the World Economic Forum maintains that today ‘active learning’ is a key in-demand skill). By learning the in-demand skills you can maintain your relevancy with the ever-changing needs of the job industry.

Upskilling has become quite easy today, thanks to the numerous online platforms offering excellent artificial intelligence courses. Taught by the leading industry experts and academicians, the most advantageous point of learning from an online platform is that you get to learn at your own pace and convenience.

So, are you ready to gear for India’s rapidly growing AI market?

Source: https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/here-s-why-india-ranked-third-in-artificial-intelligence-research-across-the-world-360738.html (Accessed on January 22, 2019)