Nesta, an innovation foundation, has said that it will invest 250,000 GBP to fund 12 experiments aimed at using artificial intelligence and other technologies combined with human intelligence to “make something that is better than either on its own”.

A new study compiled by the International Data Corporation (IDC) has projected that global IoT spending will surpass $1.2 trillion by 2022. The comprehensive study indicates that the market will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6% over the 2017-2022 forecast period on its way to hitting the eye-watering figure of $1.2 trillion.

PwC and London Transport Museum collaborated with the international law firm Gowling WLG and Thales, the global transport and security company and produced a report titled ‘Rethinking Smart Futures’.

A report formed to establish which cities in the United States were the 'smartest' - has found that New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are the country's leading 'smart cities'. The report examined smart cities in North America and the research was conducted by ABI Research.

Nokia today signed a EUR 500 million loan transaction with the European Investment Bank (EIB), supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), a key element of the Investment Plan for Europe, also known as the Juncker Plan.

Some of Norway's largest companies are joining forces in establishing a national powerhouse for artificial intelligence. Its aim is to improve the quality and capacity for research, education and innovation in the field.

Global business value derived from artificial intelligence (AI) is projected to total $1.2 trillion in 2018, an increase of 70 percent from 2017, according to Gartner, Inc. AI-derived business value is forecast to reach $3.9 trillion in 2022.

PwC Middle East reports that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will contribute US$320 billion to the Middle East economy by 2030 - the equivalent to 11% of GDP.

BeyondTrust’s annual Privileged Access Threat Report highlights that greater privileged access visibility and improved integrations are vital to tackling the modern threat landscape.

Research conducted in the United States is projecting that the sales of autonomous vehicles is set to explode exponentially in the next eight years. The increase in sales is expected to be primarily propelled by aggressive investment from the likes of Google subsidiary Waymo.

New research compiled has projected that AI will replace between 40-50 million full-time jobs in the country over the next fifteen years. The report stated that it was imperative the China's labor market be prepared to adapt to the challenges brought on by the rapid development of AI and automation.

Linksys are celebrating 30 years of networking and Wi-Fi innovation for the home and business this year, and it has announced that there is rapid adoption of IoT in the Middle East with a growing number of people investing in smart devices for their home, according to latest study by Linksys on consumer Wi-Fi usage trends, ahead of GITEX Technology Week.

The possibilities of IoT in the home are endless, from smart lighting and thermostats to smart fridges to machine learning devices. Linksys’ study shows there is growing use of voice assistants and TV signals that are primarily internet based.

"The number of people using smart devices in the home is increasing rapidly, which means there is also a growing need to upgrade to bigger, faster home Wi-Fi systems," says Amanulla Khan, Managing Director Linksys Middle East, Turkey and Africa. "People may not realize that even if they only stream Netflix on a smart TV, it affects the overall Wi-Fi experience for others in the household by using bandwith."

Smart TVs lead the way:
According to the Linksys study, 85.4% of respondents from the Middle East own at least one smart TV, out of which 27.9% respondents own multiple smart TVs. UAE ranks above Saudi Arabia in the adoption of smart TVs, with 86.6% and 84.2% respondents respectively.

Watching TV through the internet is very popular in the Middle East, with internet-based entertainment being the primary source of TV for 22.3% of respondents. This is widely seen in the UAE, among 26.8% of respondents, and 17.8% seen in Saudi Arabia. Subscribing to TV services is still big in the Middle East and the study highlights about 25.5% of Middle East respondents using their smart TVs for subscription-based TV services. Of this figure, 52.1% use it to download TV series and movies, and 31.4% use it to live-stream sport events.

Voice Assistants on the rise:
The use of chatbots and virtual assistants, commonly called voice assistants, is rapidly increasing. The use of voice assistants such as Amazon Echo, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home is on the rise, with 35.7% ownership amongst respondents.

Other smart devices that have reached the 40% adoption barrier include connected security cameras and smart lighting, with 39.3% and 39.6% of Middle East respondents owning such devices respectively. While the use of smart doorbells is very popular - they are owned by almost half of the Middle East respondents (46.5%) -thermostats by Nest and Netatmo lag behind, with only 24.6% of respondents owning such devices.

The numbers by country:

UAE
Most likely (24%) of all to be classified as smart home adopters
Most likely of all to own a smart or connected TV (87%), and smart plugs (43%)
Most likely of all to consider purchasing a smart or connected TV (88%), and smart plugs (64%)

Saudi Arabia
Most likely (38%) of all to be classified as extreme smart home adopters
Most likely of all to own smart doorbells (48%), smart lighting (42%), smart switches (41%), connected security cameras (40%), voice assistants (38%), and smart thermostats (27%)
Most likely of all to consider purchasing smart lighting (68%), connected security cameras (67%), smart doorbells (63%), smart switches (63%), voice assistants (62%), and smart thermostats (47%)

Living in the digital age, the internet is increasing a part of our daily lives and a new normal for all. Linksys’ study forecasts that 58.5% of respondents who don’t own any smart home devices are keen to adopt IoT in their homes, with UAE at 55% and Saudi Arabia at 62%. Adoption of smart lighting was higher, at 58%, and 52% of respondents are considering investing in this by 2020. The Middle East will see a steady adoption of voice assistants such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, with 28.5% of respondents considering such a purchase by 2019.

Khan explains: "While we are now talking smart lighting and voice asistants, in the next couple of years we’ll move to even smarter connected devices in the home driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Solutions include Phyn, a smart water management system that protects your home from leaks by learning from your usage, and Whirlpool’s smart kitchen range, which automatically preheats the oven and cooks dishes based on recipes. These innovations will accelerate the number of IoT devices in the home and also the need for up-to-speed Wi-Fi.

Whoever wants a smart home needs to be smart and futureproof his or her home network too."

During GITEX, visit the Linksys stand at Hall 1 of Dubai World Trade Centre - the trade fair will run from 14-18 October 2018. Visitors will be able to experience a smart home with Intelligent Mesh™ technology brought to reality by Award Winning Velop Whole Home Wi-Fi system with entry-level Dual-Band offerings. Linksys will also showcase a range of disruptive intelligent business solutions for SMBs.

A report conducted by Phillips Lighting has named Singapore, London and Barcelona as the world’s best smart cities. The comprehensive study examined the drivers and hurdles presented by local authorities that are considering implementing smart city programs into their respective cities.

Singapore, London and Seoul have been named the world’s smartest cities following a new report compiled by the Eden Strategy Institute. The comprehensive study which was conducted in partnership with ONG&ONG Experience Design (OXD) involved 140 smart cities.

India's innovative bid to establish 100 'smart cities' in an effort to support the country's rapid growing urban population may well have a detrimental impact on the environment. A major study conducted by the University of Lincoln in the UK has stated that city planners needed to place a greater emphasis on supporting infrastructure and utilities if they want to avoid the likely prospect of harming the environment.

Internet of Things investment will support Lebanon's IT market growing to LBP 820 billion by 2019, and will transform daily lives and businesses, industry experts announced during the recent SmartEx Lebanon exhibition.

Almost half of businesses in the UAE are struggling with a knowledge gap when it comes to adopting artificial intelligence (AI), according to a survey of business leaders in the UAE, conducted by Vanson Bourne and sponsored by Avaya Holdings Corp.

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science has announced that it is set to introduce eco-friendly drones to electrically seed clouds as part of the nation's weather bureau experiments. The UAE has been experimenting with new cloud-seeding methods and technology in order to feed rainwater to parched reaches of the region- and it has now revealed its exciting new experiment which will include the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for seeding.

Global ride-hailing service Uber has taken its very first steps to expand its self-driving research into foreign markets with the announcement that it plans to open a research facility in Toronto, Canada. This latest expansion is for Uber's Advanced Technologies Group, which is responsible for the majority of the firm's research on autonomous vehicles. Uber also disclosed that University of Toronto professor Raquel Urtasun has been tasked with the responsibility of leading the new research center.

Global transportation company Uber, have announced that it will purchase artificial intelligence group Geometric Intelligence in an effort to increase its research into self-driving car technology. It's expected that the acquisition of the artificial intelligence company will form the core of Uber's own research centre.