back to article Yes, Alexa is all very well... but we want YOU to talk machine learning and AI

MCubed returns to London in October, and we want to hear how your organisation is using artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms, deep learning, and predictive analytics to solve real world business and technology problems. We’re looking to put together a conference schedule that shows how business and academia are …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Alexa: turn the living room light to full brightness

    "There is more than one device called Living Room".

    Alexa: TURN THE LIVING ROOM LIGHT TO FULL BRIGHTNESS

    "Ok" ( does nothing )

    Alexa: TURN THE LIVING ROOM LIGHT TO FULL BRIGHTNESS

    "Ok" ( turns living room light to full brightness )

    Can we sort basic interactions out first?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      In my house I teach the dimmer in a different way

      I simply lean over and turn the knob left or right. Does exactly what I ask first time.

      Is any of Alexa really AI or machine learning? Just a voice parser perhaps?

      Is AI just another new way of IT bods making their job sound even more rarified and "hard" to ensure outsiders don't really know you just cut'n'paste text most of the time when not drinking coffee?

      Will be interested to see what comes out though.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: In my house I teach the dimmer in a different way

        My understanding is that some language processing is what you'd call machine learning, but I don't know.

        The 'turn the lights on' / 'turn on ^colour scheme^ in ^room^' is great when it works. As is turning the bedroom light down, then off from in bed.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: In my house I teach the dimmer in a different way

        A tad cynical, but I know what you mean. I've thought the same but recently I started to learn "machine learning" and have applied to go and do a degree in Computer Science (haven't been accepted yet).

        Obviously I haven't got very far down the machine learning route yet, but the simple examples that you start with don't appear to offer any better way of solving the problem than a standard algorithm, but I am well aware that I am simply not far enough down the road to understand it all yet.

        How ever, with AI, I am getting off my bum and finding out what all the fuss is about...I just haven't found anything yet, so, so far it is just a new sales buzz word and a new sector to baffle other people in, just like "cloud storage" used to be Samba, NAS, FTP etc.

        It may simply be that machine learning is a far superior method than what has gone before, but no one has mastered it yet.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: In my house I teach the dimmer in a different way

          If you ever make it in this field, could you improve voice recognition to the point that we don't have to shout at Alexa/Google's thing/Siri like it's Johnny Foreigner? Thanks in advance.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    1. VinceH
      Meh

      Re: Alexa unexpected and unwarranted bursts of Creepy Laughter

      I'd seen reports of that, and wondered if it was a case of someone uncovering a flaw and exploiting it in an amusing way to make a point. But from that article:

      'The company suggested in an email that the laughs had occurred “in rare circumstances” because the speaker was picking up a “false positive” for the command “Alexa, laugh”. '

      How disappointing.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Glossary

    AI = pattern matching

    Data Mining = Query

    Big Data = Unreliable data

    Data Lake = Randomly collected stuff

    Machine Learning = pattern matching & can remember new patterns

    Computer says no = AI

    I'll be happier when these people find a way of predicting mistakes in decisions or data and ask for help. "Know your limits" needs to apply to systems (and their purchasers") too.

    I'll get my coat...

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