iCAD’s Breast AI Platform Earns U.S. Department of Defense Authorization to Operate

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January 25, 2022

The U.S. Department of Defense has granted Authorization to Operate (ATO) to the Company’s breast artificial intelligence (AI) platform (DoD). ProFound AI®, part of iCAD’s breast AI platform, was the first artificial intelligence software for digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) to be FDA cleared in 2018.

Stacey Stevens, President and incoming CEO of iCAD, Inc., said, “It is a significant accomplishment for our technology to achieve this authorization. This distinction is a testament to the security of our technology and reinforces our steadfast commitment to providing safe and reliable health solutions to our customers and their patients. We look forward to capitalizing on this new market opportunity and continuing to expand access to ProFound AI and enhancing patient care for those in the military and their families.”

To be permitted for usage in a DoD healthcare institution, technology must be given an ATO, according to the DoD’s Risk Management Framework (RMF). To get an ATO designation, technology must meet the Department of Defense’s strict cybersecurity prevention requirements, which are designed to reduce the danger of a cyber-attack.

ProFound AI is a cancer detection tool that analyses each tomosynthesis image quickly and reliably, finding both malignant soft-tissue densities and calcifications. The program is scientifically proven to assist radiologists by boosting cancer diagnosis and cutting reading times while lowering false-positive rates and unnecessary recalls.

It is built with the latest in deep-learning AI technology. Profound AI’s algorithm generates Certainty of Finding lesions and Case Scores when reviewing mammography exams, which show the machine’s confidence that detection or case is malignant.

According to extensive reader research, Profound AI for DBT improved average reader sensitivity and specificity by 8% and 7%, respectively. Additionally, the technology lowered radiologists’ reading time by 52.7 percent.

Silicon Labs Brings AI and ML to the Edge with Matter-Ready Platform

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 25, 2022

Silicon Labs AI and ML Edge with Matter-Ready Platform

Intelligence wireless technology providing company Silicon labs unveils wireless SoCs for Bluetooth and Multiple-protocol operations and a new software toolkit. The newly developed SoCs named BG24 and MG24 will allow the company to bring artificial intelligence and machine learning to the edge with a matter-ready platform.

This new co-optimized hardware and software platform will aid in the delivery of artificial intelligence applications as well as high-performance wireless connectivity to battery-powered edge devices.

Silicon Lab’s newly released processors support a variety of wireless protocols and have PSA Level 3 Secure Vault protection, making them perfect for smart home, medical, and industrial applications.

CEO of Silicon Labs, Matt Johnson, said, “The BG24 and MG24 wireless SoCs represent an awesome combination of industry capabilities including broad wireless multiprotocol support, battery life, machine learning, and security for IoT Edge applications.”

The announced SoCs include the following features –

Two new 2.4 GHz wireless SoC families are available, with support for Matter, Zigbee, Bluetooth mesh, proprietary and multiprotocol operation, OpenThread, Bluetooth Low Energy, and many more such capabilities. The technology also comes with the largest memory and flash capacity in the company’s product portfolio.
A latest software toolkit that enables developers to quickly build and deploy artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms utilizing popular suits such as TensorFlow.

United States-based silicon and software solutions provider Silicon Labs was founded by Bill Bock in 1996. To date, the organization has successfully acquired more than 20 companies, including Redpine Signals, Sigma Designs, Touchstone Semiconductor, Energy Micro, and many more.

Silicon Labs’ new technology will be commercially available from April 2022. However, the product has already been shipped to Silicon Lab’s alpha customers. In a private Alpha program, more than 40 organizations from various industries and applications have already begun developing and testing this innovative platform solution.

Intel to build $20 billion Chip Manufacturing Facility

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 24, 2022

intel $20 billion Chip Manufacturing Facility

Semiconductors manufacturing giant Intel announces its plans to build a $20 billion microchip manufacturing facility in Ohio. This development is a step towards countering the global chip shortage.

The ship shortage has not only affected the smartphone industry but several other electronics and automobile sectors. According to Intel, this new manufacturing facility will considerably help meet the current global demand for semiconductors.

The massive production facility will be built on nearly 1,000 acres and create over 3,000 job opportunities in the initial stage. This new move by Intel also strengthens its motive of manufacturing essential electronics products within the United States.

Experts believe that Intel’s semiconductors manufacturing center in Ohio might make the city a new technology hub as several more related companies would start to open their centers in the region.

CEO of Intel, Patrick Gelsinger, said, “A semiconductor factory is not like other factories. It’s more like a small city supporting a vibrant community of services, suppliers, and ancillary businesses. You can think about this as a magnet for the entire tech industry.”

Intel hinted that the investment for its new production facilities in Ohio could shoot up to $100 billion in the coming decade. The US President Joe Biden used Intel’s announcement in Ohio to promote a $52 billion plan currently awaiting House approval that would invest in the chip industry and ensure that more manufacturing takes place in the United States.

Intel announced that two planned factories, or fabs, will support both its own processor line. Additionally, the Intel factories will also serve as a manufacturer for microchips designed by other companies.

“We are going to invest in America. We’re investing in American workers. We’re going to stamp everything we can, ‘Made in America,’ especially these computer chips,” said Joe Biden.

The current chip foundry business is dominated by Taiwanese company TSMC on a global scale. Intel’s new factories will help them challenge this dominance and make the United States the global leader in semiconductor manufacturing.
Recently, the government of India also approved a Rs 76,000 Cr scheme for Semiconductor Manufacturing to counter the international chip shortage.

Pixis Raises $100 million in its Series C Funding Round

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 24, 2022

Codeless artificial intelligence infrastructure provider Pixis raises $100 million in its series C funding round led by SoftBank Vision Funds 2. Other investors like General Atlantic, Celesta, Premji Invest, and Chiratae Ventures also participated in Pixis’ series C funding round.

According to the company, it plans to use the newly raised funds to scale its AI platforms and plugins. Additionally, Pixis also intends to use its finances to expand into various global markets, including the United States, Europe, and APAC. Exfinity Venture Partners, a Pixis early investor, made a partial exit with 37 times profit because of this Series C funding round.

Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers, Priya Saiprasad, said, ”Pixis has developed an end-to-end codeless AI infrastructure that equips teams with cutting-edge data science to automate and improve core processes, from budget allocation to real-time campaign optimization and reporting.”

She also mentioned that they are incredibly excited to partner with Pixis to support the mission to make marketing data-backed, intelligent, agile, and effortlessly scalable in the new cookie-less world.

United States-based technology company Pixis, formerly known as Pysis One, was founded by Harikrishna Valiyath, Shubham A Mishra, and Vrushali Prasad in 2018. The firm specializes in providing codeless artificial intelligence-powered infrastructure to scale accurate data-driven marketing. To date, the company has raised total funding of $128 million over three funding rounds. Last year, Pixis raised nearly $17 million during its Series B funding round.

“The web going cookieless, in conjunction with decreasing access to the depth of data that was previously available, is a worrisome situation for marketers. In this environment, it is self-evolving neural networks that are proving to be invaluable assets in countering the disruptions to the marketing landscape,” said Shubham Mishra.

He further said that they are looking forward to partnering with SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and General Atlantic to make codeless artificial intelligence infrastructures more accessible in different parts of the world.

Researchers develop an AI light-field Camera that reads 3D Facial Expressions

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 24, 2022

AI light-field Camera 3D Facial Expressions

Researchers from Korea’s one of the best science and technology universities, KAIST’s Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, have developed a new artificial intelligence-powered light field camera that can read 3D facial expressions.

The highly capable camera uses a technique that uses infrared light to read facial expressions. Professors Ki-Hun Jeong and Doheon Lee led the research team which developed this artificial intelligence-enabled technology.

The newly developed light-field camera comes with micro-lens arrays in front of the image sensor, allowing it to capture the spatial and directional information of light in a single shot, making it tiny enough to fit into a smartphone.

The research named ‘Machine-Learned Light-field Camera that Reads Facial Expression from High-Contrast and Illumination Invariant 3D Facial Images’ was published in Advanced Intelligent Systems.

Prof Ki-Hun Jeong said, “The sub-miniature light-field camera developed by the research team has the potential to become the new platform to quantitatively analyze the facial expressions and emotions of humans.”

He further added that the technology could be used in various fields like mobile healthcare, field diagnosis, social cognition, and human-machine interactions. According to the researchers, facial expressions captured through 3D images had more than 80% accuracy, making it a reliable technology.

The camera uses a near-IR-range vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) to stabilize the precision of 3D picture reconstruction, which was previously dependent on ambient light. Researchers say that the light-field camera eliminates 54 percent of image reconstruction errors when an external light source is placed on a face at 0-, 30-, and 60-degree angles.

Researchers were also able to reduce optical crosstalk while boosting picture contrast by 2.1 times. This was made possible by introducing a light-absorbing layer for visible and near-IR wavelengths between the micro-lens arrays.

TCS, Wipro, Infosys to carry out Research at JNTU-Kakinada

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 24, 2022

Industry-leading technology companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, and Infosys collaborate to conduct joint research at the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU-Kakinada) in various fields, including artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and data science.

The announcement was made during a meeting convened by JNTU Kakinada’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof.G.V.R. Prasada Raju. According to the agreement, the Indian technology giants will collaborate to primarily focus on areas such as Industry-Institution Collaborative Research, Industry Sponsored Research, sponsorship for Ph.D. applicants, and internship opportunities for M.Tech students.

Prof Prasada Raju said, “The JNTU-K will go for collaborative research with each company. A joint patent will be claimed for the ‘outcome’ of the research in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, IoT, and Data Science.”

He also mentioned that this research is to find solutions for numerous emerging real-life challenges with the help of new technologies. TCS, Wipro, and Infosys have agreed to finance JNTU-K research in their respective domains under the Industry-Sponsored Research category.

TCS, Wipro, and Infosys have also committed to providing full-time Ph.D. candidates with financial assistance. In addition, the companies will give one-year guaranteed internship opportunities for M.Tech students at their deemed organizations.

Financial aid will also be provided to two Ph.D. students from each department, the tech companies clarified. Prof Prasada Raju added, “We are preparing to begin the collaborative projects from the present academic year itself. The research wings have been communicated about the development.”

This new joint venture will not only accelerate the pace of research in artificial intelligence, data science, and IoT but will also provide students access to high-tech research laboratories and assistance from experts working with TCA, Wipro, and Infosys, mentioned Prof. Prasada Raju.

Dynam.AI reveals next-generation AI platform Vizlab

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 24, 2022

Dynam.ai next-generation AI platform Vizlab

Artificial intelligence solutions developing company Dynam.AI reveals its new next-generation AI platform named Vizlab. The unique AI platform identifies the needs of enterprise data scientists and provides solutions for them using artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.

Initially, the AI platform was developed by Dynam.AI to support its internal consultative services. But now, Dynam.AI has decided to launch Vizlab commercially.

Vizlab provides data scientists with the tools they need to create explainable AI solutions based on highly accurate analytics insights. Vizlab is an entirely customizable platform with an end-to-end AI/ML development solution, allowing data scientists to develop and deploy artificial intelligence engines at scale.

CEO of Dynam.AI, Diana Shapiro, said, “To put it simply, Vizlab is a game-changer for enterprises with an in-house data scientist team looking to gain actionable insights from their proprietary data, regardless of industry. We are proud to unveil our Vizlab platform as a subscription model for enterprise AI data scientists to access directly.”

She further added that they are expecting data scientists and experts to visit the Vizlab platform and join the waitlist to get a demo of the working of the artificial intelligence-powered platform. Interested individuals can register for a demo from the official website of Vizlab.AI. United States-based artificial intelligence startup Dynam.AI was founded by Bfrank Colson in 2017.

The firm specializes in providing AI-powered solutions to its clients according to their unique requirements. Dynam.AI has a proven track record of solving problems related to inventory optimization, customer conversions, behavioral risk, machine failure and maintenance, content optimization, and more. To date, the company has raised more than $2 million from Analytics Ventures.

Dynam.AI has acquired a vast customer base over the spread, including industry-leading companies like Ondas Holdings, a subsidiary of American Robotics, and many others. “We’re eager to utilize the Vizlab platform to further advance and accelerate our broad portfolio of industrial inspection applications,” said CEO of American Robotics, Reese Mozer.

ei3 Completes Acquisition of AI Firm Cognitive Solutions and Innovation AG

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 23, 2022

ei3 Acquisition Cognitive Solutions and Innovation AG

Industrial Internet of Things manufacturing company ei3 announces that it has completed the acquisition of artificial intelligence firm Cognitive Solutions and Innovation AG. The acquired company is a leading developer of artificial intelligence-powered products for industrial manufacturing.

ei3 did not provide any information regarding the valuation of this acquisition deal, but it was revealed that the transaction was completed through cash and stock. Additionally, after the acquisition, ei3 plans to rebrand itself to ei3 Europe. As a part of the acquisition deal, Dr. Stefan Hild, CEO and founder of COGSI AG, will become a board member of ei3 and serve as the Vice President of data science at ei3.

CEO of ei3, Spencer Cramer, said, “As companies continue to invest further in ESG and CSR programs to increase sustainability and meet regulatory demands, they need a partner who can help connect their goals to meaningful and measurable results.”

He further added that through technology, ei3, and Cognitive Solutions would collaborate to accomplish a shared vision of secure, smart, and sustainable manufacturing. Switzerland-based artificial intelligence company Cognitive Solutions and Innovation AG was founded in 2016. The firm specializes in developing top-of-the-line analytics and artificial intelligence solutions for industrial applications.

Over the years, COGSI has acquired a vast customer base of companies spread across the world, including in the United States. The company has a highly talented team of artificial intelligence engineers, which COGSI uses to develop innovative solutions for common industrial assets that can be quickly customized to meet individual client needs.

“Our teams share a strong sense of purpose. Because ei3 is one of the first Industrial IoT companies, it has connected some of the largest fleets of machines and other assets. This provides a rich background for creating value by applying AI,” said Dr. Stefan Hild.

He also mentioned that they have already seen the advantages of incorporating artificial intelligence-powered analytics into the mix, and they plan to further enhance its capabilities to help their clients achieve more efficiency.

Honda Invests in Helm.ai to Strengthen its Software Technology Development

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 22, 2022

Automobile manufacturing giant Honda announced that last year it invested in United States-based technology firm Helm.ai to further strengthen its software development in various fields, including artificial intelligence and computer vision.

Honda invested in Helm.ai to boost value generation in the company’s efforts to make mobility products smarter and achieve greater results faster. According to Honda, the investment will also help strengthen the relationship between Honda and Helm.ai and accelerate the product development process by integrating the companies’ expertise.

Earlier, Honda had worked with Halem in 2019 under Xcelerator, a global open innovation program of Honda. The program is designed to facilitate partnership between startups and Honda and is run by Honda’s subsidiary, Honda Innovations.

California-based scalable artificial intelligence firm Helm.ai was founded by Tudor Achim and Vlad Voroninski in 2016. The company specializes in developing artificial intelligence solutions for autonomous driving vehicles. To date, Helm.ai has raised over $39 million from several investors like Honda, Base Capital Funding, One Way Ventures, Freeman Group, Amplo, and many others.

Helm.ai is particularly experienced in the domain of unsupervised learning-based artificial intelligence image identification technology. Unsupervised learning, also known as unsupervised machine learning, analyses and clusters unlabeled datasets using machine learning techniques.

These algorithms identify hidden patterns or data groupings. It is the best solution for exploratory data analysis, cross-selling techniques, consumer segmentation, and image identification because of its ability to recognize similarities and differences in information.

According to Honda, it would continue to offer highly competitive and attractive products and services to its customers by partnering with multiple startups under its Xcelerator program.

MIT CSAIL has developed a programming language for Quantum Computing, Twist

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 21, 2022

MIT CSAIL Twist Quantum Computing language

Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (CSAIL) have developed their new programming language – Twist – for quantum computing.

Quantum computing is different from conventional computing as it uses qubits to encode information as zeros or ones, or both simultaneously. Therefore, conventional programming languages can not be used in quantum computing.

The newly developed programming language Twist can effectively describe and confirm which knowledge items are entangled in a quantum program. The information displayed by Twist is in a language that is easily understandable to a classical computer programmer.

MIT Ph.D. pupil Charles Yuan said, “Because understanding quantum programs requires understanding entanglement, we hope that Twist paves the way to languages that make the unique challenges of quantum computing more accessible to programmers.”

He further added that their developed language enables developers to write safer quantum computing programs explicitly stating when a qubit must not be entangled with another.

One of the major benefits of quantum computing is that it can be used to solve highly complex problems with a minimal number of qubits if the right programs are run. Twist was created by the researchers at MIT to be expressive enough to jot down applications for well-known quantum algorithms and identify problems in their implementations.

Scientists also tested that programming language, in which it was found that Twist has lower than 4% overhead when compared to current quantum programming strategies.

“By introducing and reasoning about the ‘purity’ of program code, Twist takes a big step toward making quantum programming easier by guaranteeing that the quantum bits in a pure piece of code cannot be altered by bits, not in that code,” said the Seymour Goodman Professor of Laptop Science on the University of Chicago, Fred Chong.