AI Tech
PR Newswire | September 29, 2023
Today, IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced the general availability of the first models in the watsonx Granite model series — a collection of generative AI models to advance the infusion of generative AI into business applications and workflows. IBM also confirmed that the standard contractual intellectual property protections for IBM products will apply to IBM-developed watsonx AI models. IBM's Granite models apply generative AI to the modalities of language and code.
Recognizing that a single model will not fit the unique needs of every business use case, the Granite models are being developed in different sizes. These IBM models — built on a decoder-only architecture — aim to help businesses scale AI. For instance, businesses can use them to apply retrieval augmented generation for searching enterprise knowledge bases to generate tailored responses to customer inquiries; use summarization to condense long-form content — like contracts or call transcripts — into short descriptions; and deploy insight extraction and classification to determine factors like customer sentiment.
With these models and watsonx, IBM enables businesses to be AI value creators. Businesses can bring their proprietary data to IBM base models and build a model that is unique to their business and use cases.
IBM has heavily invested for years in developing its foundation models. They are custom-built for the specific requirements of business use cases, which by definition are much more focused than consumer AI and demand the highest levels of precision and accuracy. IBM's internal benchmarking shows that specialized models can deliver better accuracy, and do so with lower infrastructure requirements, to achieve improved price-performance.
In addition to its own models, IBM provides flexibility to use third-party models like Meta's Llama 2-chat 70 billion parameter model and models from the Hugging Face community.
IBM Publishes Information about its Training Methodology for Granite Models
These IBM-developed foundation models have been trained on business-relevant datasets from five domains – internet, academic, code, legal and finance – and have been curated for business use by IBM. Training data was filtered for objectionable content and benchmarked against internal and external models to help enable responsible deployment and address key issues including governance, risk assessment, privacy concerns and bias mitigation. As part of this process, IBM is using its end-to-end AI and data model lifecycle governance process and capabilities to manage and help mitigate client risk with the watsonx AI and data platform. This includes the planned release of watsonx.governance, an AI governance toolkit to enable trusted AI workflows. Watsonx.governance will be generally available later this year.
IBM Contractual Protections for AI Models
IBM believes in the creation, deployment and utilization of AI models that advance business innovation responsibly. That is why the company is also announcing its standard intellectual property protection — similar to what it provides for hardware and software products — will apply for IBM-developed watsonx models.
IBM provides an IP indemnity (contractual protection) for its foundation models, enabling its clients to be more confident AI creators by using their data, which is the source of competitive advantage in generative AI. Clients can develop AI applications using their own data along with the client protections, accuracy and trust afforded by IBM foundation models.
When it comes to today's AI innovation boom, the businesses that are positioned for success are the ones outfitted with AI technologies that demonstrate success at scale and have built-in guardrails and practices that enable their responsible use, said Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, Products, IBM Software. Today's release of IBM's Granite model series and commitment to stand behind IBM-developed watsonx models is a testament to IBM's end-to-end model lifecycle management process in its watsonx AI and data platform that delivers businesses cutting-edge AI outfitted for their unique business needs.
For more than a century, IBM has worked to earn the trust of business and society by ushering powerful new technologies, including AI, into the world responsibly and with clear purpose. To date, the company has built and made available a range of open source tools and AI governance software to help ground the creation and use of this technology in principles of transparency, explainability, privacy, robustness and fairness.
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs, and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.
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AI Tech
Business Wire | October 30, 2023
Deloitte and ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) today announced an expansion to their alliance to integrate Now Assist generative AI capabilities with next-generation managed services. The alliance will provide end-to-end managed services and beyond, known in the industry as Operate services, through the combination of Deloitte’s domain and industry experience coupled with ServiceNow’s generative AI-enabled enterprise platform. Deloitte will also pioneer the use of ServiceNow’s platform to scale their client Operate services globally.
In today's challenging market conditions, many organizations often face inefficiencies and loss of productivity due to siloed operations across enterprise functions, such as finance, HR, IT, supply chain and procurement. This lack of agility is causing many organizations to rethink how they can boost efficiencies across their businesses through evolving generative AI technology to gain a competitive advantage. Generative AI is number one on the list of C-suite emerging technology investment priorities over the next twelve months, and in the next 3 to 5 years, revenue growth is the top long-term business outcome executives are looking to achieve with generative AI initiatives, according to IDC.
With generative AI at the heart of our expanded alliance, Deloitte and ServiceNow are positioned to help organizations realize their business transformation agendas through end-to-end Operate solutions, said Joe Ucuzoglu, Deloitte Global CEO. Leading organizations are seeking industry-tailored technology solutions to accelerate the time to value, which is exactly what our expanded alliance will deliver.
“Deloitte’s commitment to enhance their service offerings with ServiceNow’s Now Assist generative AI capabilities demonstrates its market-leading innovation on behalf of customers around the world,” said ServiceNow Chairman and CEO Bill McDermott. “This kind of co-development creates a fly-wheel effect for businesses – more use cases drive more workflow automation. Together, ServiceNow and Deloitte can deliver superior digital transformation to help customers in every industry improve their business.”
Deloitte’s Operate services are focused on helping customers manage their organizations’ ongoing operational and technology needs through strategically enhancing technology applications, cloud, and infrastructure, while also delivering ongoing advisory, data, and analytics services to help exceed customers’ business transformation agendas.
OperateEdge, Deloitte’s proprietary Operate management and delivery platform, combines data, tools and knowledge driven by Deloitte’s methodologies, industry standards, and leading AI practices. Industries and business areas will see a dramatic change in outcomes via Deloitte’s industry experience—and by using ServiceNow as the platform to scale client Operate services globally. Examples include:
Incident management allows for greatly improved productivity and experience through faster resolutions. The overall workload across the service delivery spectrum can improve efficiency by 20 to 30 percent.
Customer Service Management can streamline the customer engagement process from beginning to end by rapidly generating summaries from cases and chats, reducing the overall manual work for agents.
HR Service Delivery can enable generative AI capabilities for Case and Knowledge Management to boost agent productivity and deliver faster case resolution for employees, improving overall experience.
Through Deloitte’s industry experience—and by using ServiceNow as the platform to scale client Operate services across the globe—the companies also plan on delivering transformation across industries and business areas. Examples include:
Supply Chain: Can enable organizations to achieve sustained value across the supply chain and manufacturing functions, by operating client’s supply chain end-to-end, and leveraging AI-enabled assets to deliver value in quality, cycle times, asset efficiency and overall cost optimization.
Financial Services: Deliver leading operations and technology capabilities, specialized talent, and advanced technologies to streamline, automate and operate multiple functions, by managing assets across the spectrum of specialists and technology solutions to accelerate the organization’s transformation goals.
Life Sciences and Healthcare: Manage, run, reimagine, and transform core healthcare processes such as clinical operations, patient/clinician engagement, supply chain and administrative cost management, using analytics and AI-driven operations for patients, members, and clinicians to have a differentiated experience.
Sustainability: Manage, visualize, report and mitigate on sustainability initiatives, policies, and compliance, by leveraging data and generative AI to unlock valuable insights that propel sustainable logistics, reduce carbon emissions, and drive progress towards an organization’s sustainability and climate goals.
According to Deloitte Consulting’s latest Global Shared Services and Outsourcing Survey, 67% of executives indicate a budget increase for Operate services. In addition, Deloitte’s recent thought leadership with Harvard Business Review showcases how bringing in outside experience for core functions is changing the shape of business. Key benefits include replacing traditional outsourced service projects that focus on simple task completion and cost reduction with outcome-oriented engagements that allow organizations to operate with greater agility.
Deloitte is also infusing generative AI applications and capabilities across its organization to help its professionals become more efficient and productive. As part of this ongoing commitment, Deloitte is rolling out purpose-specific Large Language Models (LLMs) to support specialized teams across its business, building on Deloitte’s proprietary and deep knowledge of industries and domains, enriched with other data and insights. Additionally, Deloitte is increasing AI fluency, training more than 120,000 professionals as part of the next generation of AI talent via the Deloitte AI Academy™, as well as investing more than $2 billion in global technology learning and development initiatives through the Deloitte Technology Academy program, to boost skills in AI as well as other key industries and functional areas.
‘’This is an exciting step in our combined Deloitte and ServiceNow AI journey where we are continuing to bring together leading, unique industry assets and services that help address complex challenges that clients need to overcome, with a dedicated ServiceNow Assets & Solutions group (ASG) of professionals, unlocking more value from their investments with speed, scale and insight,’’ said Asish Ramchandran, Deloitte’s Chief Commercial Officer for the ServiceNow alliance.
Deloitte and ServiceNow are building on an eleven-year alliance. Most recently, Deloitte launched a dedicated ServiceNow Assets & Solutions Group (ASG), a team built to harness the power of the ServiceNow platform to deliver industry-specific outcomes for customers. Additionally, Deloitte has been presented with several ServiceNow awards in 2023, including: Americas Service Provider Partner of the Year, Worldwide Manufacturing Industry Partner of the Year, Worldwide Built with ServiceNow Offering Partner of the Year, Worldwide Employee Workflow Partner of the Year, APJ Customer Workflow Partner of the Year, and EMEA Transformation Partner of the Year.
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AI Tech
Microsoft | September 22, 2023
Microsoft debuts Copilot, an advanced AI assistant for Windows PCs, enhancing tasks from text generation to organization, set to launch on September 26, 2023.
Copilot integrates into Windows 11, Microsoft 365, Edge, and Bing, boosting productivity with real-time context while safeguarding user privacy.
Concerns include data security and AI reliance, highlighting the necessity for a balanced approach to AI adoption.
Microsoft has introduced a groundbreaking addition to its technology ecosystem with the launch of Copilot, a highly capable AI assistant designed to enhance the computing experience for Windows PC users. This advanced AI assistant offers a multifaceted approach to aiding users in their daily tasks, ranging from generating text and curating music playlists for concentration to facilitating window organization and assisting with creative pursuits involving photos and videos.
What sets Copilot apart is its seamless integration of various AI tools that Microsoft has already deployed across different applications, offering users a unified and intuitive experience. Notably, Microsoft has leveraged OpenAI's ChatGPT technology to power Copilot, harnessing its robust capabilities to elevate user interactions.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft Consumer Chief Marketing Officer, reportedly commented,
We are entering a new era of AI, one that is fundamentally changing how we relate to and benefit from technology.
[Source – Yahoo News UK]
Copilot's potential impact on the computing landscape is considerable. Its integration into Windows 11, Microsoft 365, Edge, and Bing represents a significant step toward a holistic AI companion that adapts to users' needs in real time, drawing insights from web context, work-related data, and current PC activities. This contextual awareness not only enhances productivity but also underscores Microsoft's commitment to user privacy and security. Copilot can be effortlessly summoned through app integration or via a right-click, making it an accessible and invaluable tool for users seeking to navigate the ever-evolving digital realm.
However, it is essential to acknowledge that the proliferation of AI assistants like Copilot raises legitimate concerns. One prominent issue pertains to privacy and data security. While Microsoft emphasizes its commitment to safeguarding user information, the integration of AI assistants into various aspects of daily life necessitates stringent measures to protect sensitive data.
Moreover, there is the challenge of potential over-reliance on AI, potentially leading to a decreased reliance on human problem-solving skills and creativity. Striking the right balance between AI assistance and human agency is a crucial consideration in the adoption of such technologies.
In summary, Microsoft's Copilot represents a noteworthy advancement in the realm of AI-powered assistance for computing tasks. Its ability to unify various AI tools into a single, user-friendly experience holds immense promise for enhancing productivity and user engagement. However, as with any technological innovation, careful consideration of privacy, data security, and the potential implications of over-reliance on AI remains imperative in the quest for a seamless digital future.
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