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contextual reasoning AI R&D: DARPA Investing $2 Billion in Contextual Reasoning

In the view of the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a government agency that has contributed heavily to AI research in the past, AI’s programmed ability to process information is still much too limited. What AI needs is contextual reasoning capabilities.

A cumulus cloud, photo by Alex Machado How Cloud Automation Can Enhance Your BusinessThe cloud supports the automation of your business and can make things run smoother and more efficiently. It also can help manage all the different moving parts of a company. Taking a deeper dive into these benefits can help you decide if you should add the cloud to your business plans.
Training class with people's hands raised, photo by Nicole Honeywill If You Want Training to Take, Explore Experiential LearningPeople typically think of training classes as passive activities, where the instructor talks and the others listen. But experiential learning, where you learn through hands-on activities and then reflect on the experience, often gets the lesson to stick in people's brains better. Consider using interactive lessons.
A businessperson and a customer shaking hands Communicating to Customers That You CareHow can you communicate caring to your customers if your job doesn’t lend itself to demonstrating in person how hard you’re trying? Fortunately, showing evidence of caring is not about scurrying around; it’s about interacting with customers in a way that says you’re listening to them and taking their needs seriously.
migration map Real-Time Bird Migration Algorithms for Live Tweeting

New maps on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s BirdCast website let you track migratory birds in near real time, as well as forecast avian migration up to three days ahead. Pamela Rentz looks at why the when, where, and how far birds will migrate is important.

Cartoon showing a customer's request for a tree swing A Tester’s Role in Requirements ExplorationAgile is supposed to get people to talk to each other in real time. However, many teams still lack a shared understanding of what they are going to build, even as they start coding. As testers, we can explore feature specifications early, contributing to successful and timely delivery through defined requirements.
A cockpit's dashboards as a pilot flies a plane, photo by Kristopher Allison Testing at 43,000 Feet: Reporting Risk That MattersMany teams' daily testing gets broken down into numbers. If you're used to dashboards, it can be easy to forget the prime objective: to raise up quality issues—or, in the case of safety-critical devices, potential hazards. Graphs are comfortable, but do they really provide the information we should be looking for?
Consultant talking to a software professional Wisdom from Consulting: Getting and Vetting AdviceWhen you hire a consultant, they may appear to have a wealth of experience and knowledge—and may actually have it. But accepting their advice without question is dangerous. Here are some good practices to keep in mind when you're receiving advice, including asking questions, exploring alternatives, and analyzing risks.