Category Archives: Data Mining
Parent Locked Out Of 12-Year-Old’s Health Records By Casper’s … – Cowboy State Daily
Caspers Banner Health has revoked at least one parents access to her childs medical records online now that the child is 12 years old, according to a tip sent this week to Cowboy State Daily.
Access to your childs account has been revoked, reads a screen shot of Banner Healths message to the parent. The reason for this is because the child is now between the ages of 12 and 17. Based on state law, a minor child may consent to certain treatments without parental consent.
Records of those treatments are protected, Banner Healths note continues, and may not be released to a parent without the minor patients consent.
Because the hospital cant separate those protected records out, it denied the parent proxy access to her childs patient account.
The parent still can request the childs medical records by going to a Banner Health hospital or clinic and completing a request for certain records, the note says.
It adds: We can limit access to records of treatment that may not be provided without the minors consent.
Banner Health,in response to Cowboy State Daily inquiries,sent an email roughly reiterating its note to the parent and referencing the 1998 Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act.
The act doesnt center around medical treatments;it was designed to protect children from data-mining websites by requiring disclosures and parental consent.
Because, Consent
A friend of Rep. Landon Brown, R-Cheyenne, sent him the note, which he in turnshared withCowboy State Daily.
Brown was concerned. He met with Banner Health leadership Thursday, and his concern swelled to frustration, he told Cowboy State Daily.
Theyre claiming now only the person who receives the treatment and consents to the treatment has access to medical records, said Brown of Banner Healths stance.
Brown said Banner Health leadership referenced the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which sets privacy standards in medical care.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reads HIPAA as promising privacy for children in situations where the child can consent to care on his own. The agency has codified its interpretation into regulation.
Brown said hes discussing that interpretation with attorneys and has asked Wyomings Legislative Service Office to look into the issue.
When it comes to childhealth care, the parent should have access to the records at all times, said Brown. Those parents are responsible for their childs wellbeing.
Brown or another legislator will likely bring a proposed remedy in the upcoming state legislative session, he said.
Plagues, Abortions, Emancipations And STDs
There are a few instances in Wyoming law wherein children have medical decision-making power, such as when a child is legally emancipated from his parents.
Wyoming law allows children to petition courts for special permission to get an abortion without a parents consent.
It also lets children consent to care for sexually-transmitted diseases.
During a public health emergency, the state health officer may subject a child to vaccination or treatment without consent if the childs parent cant be found and the treatment is necessary to protect public health or to protect the child, the law says.
Authorities can subject a mentallyill child to treatment during an emergency detainment situation if safety demands it.
Parents also can authorize medical autonomy for their children.
State law doesnt appear to promise medical records privacy for the child from his parents in those instances.
Seems Like Overkill
Banner Healths note indicates that parents can apply for records at a facility, but not access them in total online, and the hospital can restrict access if it identifies privacy issues under its federal consent interpretation.
Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander,calls thatoverkill.
It seems like overkill to restrict all records just in the case of these specific procedures where a child was allowed to go out on their own, said Case. Thats like one in 10,000 maybe. But say its one in 100youve got 99 out of 100 people (for whose sake) youre preventing parents from having their rights with their children.
Brown said the Casper facilitys online records system may be unable to separate out those exempted treatments,and Banner Health is sending parents to facilities in person so that a human, rather than a computer system, can determine which records the hospital deems shareable.
The legislator reiterated his disagreement with that stance, however.
Maybe A Glitch.
Or it could be a glitch, Republican Rep. Dan Zwonitzer,chairman of the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, told Cowboy State Daily.
Theyre looking into it, from what I understand, said Zwonitzer, adding that the topic may surface at next weeks meeting of his committee in Evanston.
(Theyre) just locking out the online portal, said Zwonitzer. Parents certainly have access to all their childs medical records up until the age of 18.
Zwonitzers conversations with hospital personnel so far have left him with the impression that the system has a glitch that Banner could fix.
But if theres something more there, well certainly discuss it with Banner Health and determine if any kind of statutory changes are needed, he said.
Working On This
That wasnt Browns impression at all. He characterized the hospital as doubling down on its reluctance to share some records with parents in cases allowing child consent.
Im just extremely disappointed in what their response was, said Brown. We will clearly be working on this.
The Whole Patient Population
Rep. Jeanette Ward, R-Casper, told Cowboy State Daily that Banner Health sent the same note to the whole patient population of children turning 12.
She shared Brown's frustration.
"I think it's ridiculous that a parent cannot have access to their 12-year-old's online medical records and yes, this needs to be remedied by law," said Ward.
She asserted that government, school districts and authorities other than parents are part of a societal erosion of parental rights, and said society should work to secure those rights instead.
"We can start by declaring that PARENTS are the primary stakeholders in their children's education and healthcare," said Ward in an emailed statement to Cowboy State Daily.
Clair McFarland can be reached at Clair@CowboyStateDaily.com.
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Parent Locked Out Of 12-Year-Old's Health Records By Casper's ... - Cowboy State Daily
Democracy at Stake: The Unethical Path of Tech Giants … – SMERCONISH
Ethical people do unethical things; thats human nature. We are always internally fighting against those forces that would tempt us in some negative way, and sometimes, our better angels dont win. There are many lessons in this vein we can learn from the tech boom as a result of the widespread adoption of the internet, the single greatest communication platform humanity has ever seen.
Innovation is awarded, expansion of business, and the reach to potential customers is unparalleled online, and with success in these two comes unfathomable wealth that potentially anyone with programming skill and some foresight can achieve, regardless of previous status. However, with the drive for expansion and accumulation of wealth comes serious questions about the ethics of how to best serve the public.
Big Tech and The Drive to Decline
The lesson learned by the elite tech wealthy is that they owe society nothing in terms of helping to secure and protect the democratic norms that have made many countries successful enough to support a burgeoning billionaire class. So when you bite the hands that feed you, how do we, as the collective hand, respond? Apparently, its to let them keep biting us harder.
Big Tech has created the structure that has allowed anger and autocracy to thrive in the name of innovation. They finally put all the nails in democracys coffin. Let me explain.
The previous nails helped to erode the core of what society was in the name of progress. The Amazons of the world decimated the competing small business sector, took innovative products, and weaponized them against us. The Alexa voice assistant and Ring Doorbell have data mined us, our children, and our neighbors. Amazon illegally stored childrens data indefinitely, violating multiple laws, including the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act.
War Crimes, Genocide, Disinformation, Depression, and More Have Also Thrived Under Their Watch
Outside of illegally data mining us which made founder Mark Zuckerberg billions after he was caught, Facebook has; aided in literal war crimes, allowed genocide to occur in Myanmar, not been quick enough in policing live streams of rampaging gunmen, dropped a supercharger into foreign intelligence disinformation operations that have influenced elections around the world, harmed younger generations due to lack of policing of cyberbullying and introduced serious depression with an increase in suicides in the younger population. They also tried to cover up much of this in the name of profits.
Twitter, where civility has gone to die, was also illegally data mining its users and ramped up disinformation and anger. Now that Elon Musk has bought it and destroyed two-thirds of its value in less than a year, a once useful (though convoluted) user verification system was dismantled in favor of anyone who wanted to pay for verification without verifying. This led to a pharmaceutical stock market disaster after a fake but verified account that looked like the company declared to the world that insulin would be free from now on, which lost them billions of dollars in a single day. Spoofing of notable people and brands has been rampant, with a more recent case involving a sitting member of the U.S. Congress, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, successfully impersonated by a verified account.
Bots, often controlled by foreign governments, run rampant across these platforms. Yet, theyre somewhat reticent to stop it as the bots inflate the perceived numbers of users on the platform, which, in turn, motivates companies to advertise on their platforms. In the age of Generative A.I., those bots will be even harder to spot and mimic human behavior to the point where we may lose our reality.
The Acceleration of Societys Death Spiral
Weve been backsliding on social norms, decorum, discourse, and democracy for a few decades, but Big Tech is speeding this up like a drunk driver careening toward a tree.
Historically, these companies have little checks beyond infrequent slap-on-the-wrist government oversight. They all have ethics and safety teams dedicated to combating all of the negatives mentioned above, and this is where the final nail gets pounded in. During the pandemic, Big Tech went on a hiring spree to keep up with the demands of a growing user base working from home. Now that the world is past, or at least settled into the pandemic, the firings have started due to shareholder demand for better efficiency (meaning stop wasting money on too many employees).
What were the teams that got slashed the deepest or even closed? The Safety and Ethics teams. Wunderbar.
Facebooks team combating disinformation and misinformation had corporate buy-in in developing a new tool for fighting this onslaught and saw this needed project also cut along with their jobs. Under Musk, Twitter killed off their Human Rights, Security, and Public Policy teams. Amazons Twitch streaming platform fired their Responsible AI group, whose job was fixing the rampant racism and sexism on the platform. Alphabets Google also cut their Responsible AI team as well, and Google owns YouTube, the worlds largest self-sharing video site.
Societys Lack of Education on This Is a Clear Crisis
If the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections have taught us anything, people are uneducated and fall for disinformation, spread it like wildfire with the help of algorithms, and cant be persuaded to understand what they just did and why its wrong. 2016 saw deep social divisions grow based on politically biased false evidence and narratives. 2020 took that division and widened it to the point where millions of Americans believed there was such an existential crisis in the government, society, and election that the only way to cure it was to storm the Capitol and stop a peaceful democratic process. Did all of these thoughts magically go away in the last year? Now, we are walking into a 2024 election with even fewer checks against the inevitable flood of disinformation we will be exposed to, thanks to Big Tech efficiency and the expanding use of A.I. to pump out fake news 24/7.
There are no easy answers here. Ive called for educating the general public on disinformation and logic, but honestly, that wont happen on any large scale. Besides shutting down social media platforms, the only solution is forcing them to have vast ethics and safety teams. That should be their cost of doing business. Honestly, they should want to help us here. An open society allowed them to thrive. Now its their turn to pay us back and help protect and rebuild the safeguards of democracy theyve damaged that ensure everyones freedom.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
An expert in cybersecurity and network infrastructure, Nick Espinosa has consulted with clients ranging from small business owners up to Fortune 100 level companies for decades. Since the age of 7, hes been on a first-name basis with technology, building computers and programming in multiple languages. Nick founded Windy City Networks, Inc at 19 which was acquired in 2013. In 2015 Security Fanatics, a Cybersecurity/Cyberwarfare outfit dedicated to designing custom Cyberdefense strategies for medium to enterprise corporations was launched.
Nick is a regular columnist, a member of the Forbes Technology Council, and on the Board of Advisors for both Roosevelt University & Center for Cyber and Information Security as well as the College of Arts and Sciences. Hes also the Official Spokesperson of the COVID-19 Cyber Threat Coalition, Strategic Advisor to humanID, award-winning co-author of a bestselling book, TEDx Speaker, and President of The Foundation.
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Democracy at Stake: The Unethical Path of Tech Giants ... - SMERCONISH
What Are the Advantages of Pursuing Data Science Courses Online … – The Good Men Project
Data science has quickly become a lucrative professional option as a result of widespread digitization. In order to maximize business outcomes by making the most of their data, forward-thinking companies throughout the world are looking for digital competence. However, the demand-supply gap for IT expertise is growing as the industry is rising and going through a tectonic upheaval. Numerous online platforms have developed data science courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels to fill the gap. However, due to time and money restraints, lack of access, and numerous other barriers, not everyone can enroll in full-time courses. This is where online certification programs might be useful.
In this article, we will understand the advantages of pursuing data science courses online over traditional in-person courses.
Data science is primarily concerned with finding hidden patterns in massive amounts of data by using a variety of tools, algorithms, and approaches. In contrast to conventional data analysis, data science seeks to go beyond insight discovery in order to make proactive decisions and predictions based on knowledgeable previous data trends.
The design of online data science courses is similar to that of traditional ones; the only distinction is the method of delivery. Typically, data science sessions are broken up into a certain number of weeks, with three to five lectures per week. Students receive tasks from teachers that they must finish within a set time frame. If an exam is required for the course, students must take it near the end.
The amount of interest, challenge, and suitability for students needs is what sets apart online data science courses from one another. An effective online course is one that incorporates these factors in a balanced way. These courses are now provided by numerous institutions and online learning platforms.
Data science online courses teach the fundamentals of data science, data collecting, supervised learning, cloud databases, predictive modeling, numpy, pandas, Ipython, python programming, relational database management systems, etc. It assists with database creation and access, writing simple SQL queries, filtering and sorting many tables, using Python to access databases, and working with actual datasets.
Online certification courses are very helpful to upskill you in this industry because data science is a huge, constantly expanding, and lucrative field. Online classes are undoubtedly the best option if youre more dedicated to your business. Data science is a lucrative career choice that facilitates rapid advancement in employment responsibilities based on the qualifications and expertise of the applicant.
Online education is gradually replacing traditional classroom instruction throughout the world. All because of scientific advancements. These affordable, engaging courses are everything that students are looking for. A large number of students can enroll in an online course at once as opposed to a small number in a traditional classroom.
To put it briefly, learning the fundamentals of data science can help a learner meet the current problems in the data analytics industry. For students who want to build a bright career in the data science field and experience general progress in the future, taking an online data science course is quite advantageous.
Photo: iStock
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What Are the Advantages of Pursuing Data Science Courses Online ... - The Good Men Project
Standardised ESG reporting could help solve mining’s image issues – Reuters
MELBOURNE, June 15 (Reuters) - A global move to standardise reporting on environmental, social and governance issues could make the mining industry more investable and help attract talented graduates to the sector, private equity and industry sources said on Thursday.
The mining industry has struggled with some poor environmental and social legacies that have impacted its ability to recruit young talent for whom ESG issues are a major concern. As the industry improves its standards, proactive companies are likely to attract fresh capital, they said.
"One of the things that our investors look for, that is top of mind, now, is the whole ESG equation ... Standards are being raised around the world," said Owen Hegarty, executive chairman of resource-focused private equity firm EMR Capital, which holds some $5 billion under management.
"If you can have a shining ESG beacon in the night on your credentials ... you will certainly attract more capital than anyone else," he added, speaking at a mining conference in Melbourne.
New guidelines from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) are the start of a wave of standardisation that will allow investors to quantitatively assess the ESG credentials of companies by sector and which the mining industry will ultimately be mandated to follow, said Aletta Boshoff, national ESG lead at advisor BDO.
"Comparable information is what investors want," she said.
Private equity has already put together standardised metrics, said Lauren McGregor, director at Resource Capital Funds, which had $2.5 billion under management at the end of March.
RCF is one of more than 325 private equity houses that have signed up to the ESG Data Convergence Initiative, which is creating standardised ESG metrics for the PE industry. Its signatories have combined assets under management $27 trillion.
"If we lean into it, it's a chance to make mining as a sector more investable," she said.
The sector can improve by seeking out and meeting the expectations of stakeholders early, not just those of shareholders but also governments, regulators and communities.
Miners that have been successful in various remote locations already have many of these standards built into their core operations, EMR's Hegarty said.
"It doesnt matter if youre in the Atacama or the red dust of Mt Isa, or the rainforests of north Sumatra .... Youve got communities. If they are not there when you show up, they will arrive eventually and their expectations, their requirements change over time," he said.
Managing environmental and social risks can be expensive but miners needed to look into what advantages ESG compliance could bring, said Steve Morgan, principal at corporate advisory Automic ESG.
One nickel company Automic ESG was advising was offsetting the costs of lowering its carbon footprint against an expected premium for its more sustainable product, he said.
"There is an upside for projects that have the right ESG credentials," Morgan said.
Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Stephen Coates
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Standardised ESG reporting could help solve mining's image issues - Reuters
Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (JSE:HAR) is favoured by institutional owners who hold 62% of the company – Simply Wall St
Key Insights
If you want to know who really controls Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (JSE:HAR), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 62% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).
Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. Therefore, a good portion of institutional money invested in the company is usually a huge vote of confidence on its future.
Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Harmony Gold Mining.
Check out our latest analysis for Harmony Gold Mining
Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.
As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Harmony Gold Mining. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Harmony Gold Mining's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.
Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Our data indicates that hedge funds own 5.0% of Harmony Gold Mining. That worth noting, since hedge funds are often quite active investors, who may try to influence management. Many want to see value creation (and a higher share price) in the short term or medium term. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Van Eck Associates Corporation with 18% of shares outstanding. With 12% and 10% of the shares outstanding respectively, African Rainbow Minerals Limited and Public Investment Corporation Limited are the second and third largest shareholders.
To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 5 shareholders control more than half of the company which implies that this group has considerable sway over the company's decision-making.
Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.
While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.
Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.
Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited in their own names. It's a big company, so even a small proportional interest can create alignment between the board and shareholders. In this case insiders own R84m worth of shares. Arguably, recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.
With a 10% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Harmony Gold Mining. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.
It appears to us that public companies own 12% of Harmony Gold Mining. This may be a strategic interest and the two companies may have related business interests. It could be that they have de-merged. This holding is probably worth investigating further.
It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Harmony Gold Mining better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Harmony Gold Mining you should know about.
If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.
NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.
Find out whether Harmony Gold Mining is potentially over or undervalued by checking out our comprehensive analysis, which includes fair value estimates, risks and warnings, dividends, insider transactions and financial health.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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Kiwis TikTok video lays bare the reality of working in Australian … – New Zealand Herald
A young Kiwi has shared the harsh reality of life as a fly-in-fly-out mining worker in Australia, an opportunity seen as a path to wealth by many.
Kieran Wealleans is an apprentice diesel mechanic but works long hours in a remote part of Australia with nothing to do outside work.
I work 11 hours a day, Monday to Sunday. I have no friends or family around me. I go home just to do the same repetitive cycle, Wealleans said on video-sharing social media platform TikTok.
I cant go for walks or anything cause the only thing is road that goes straight for three hours. I have f***-all service, but hey, at least the sunsets are cool.
In his video, which has been seen by more than 200,000 people since it was uploaded last month, Wealleans doesnt talk about the big money that entices workers - including many from New Zealand - to jobs in the mining industry.
But the average salary for fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) diesel mechanics is NZ$140,962, or just over $72 an hour, according to a story about the video on news.com.au
A normal day is 11 hours, but he usually did 13 due to overtime.
He worked three weeks on, one week off, Wealleans wrote in the comments section for his video.
It was hard to make friends because he worked alone and stayed in accommodation by himself in the middle of nowhere.
He hadnt chosen a FIFO role, Wealleans said.
My work just started doing FIFO and I dont have qualifications for anything else.
The video attracted hundreds of responses, many from current or former FIFO workers.
Some were understanding.
Thats why they call it the golden handcuffs we want out but the money keeps us in, wrote one.
Another wrote that FIFO feels like jail, while TikTok user Evan acknowledged the gig could get tough.
Important to stay out of bad habits and keep ya mind clear.
However, others were more forthright.
From one Kiwi who did FIFO to another youve got a choice dont like it, go home.
Kiwis have long sought the big bucks on offer for those willing to take on long hours and weeks at a time away from friends and family in remote locations across the ditch.
Mining revenues hit record levels in Australia last year - reaching NZ$496.8 billion, good news for New Zealanders cashing in on lucrative job opportunities.
Among them was a Kiwi miner with more than 30 years experience who told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend he expected his wages would double to $180,000 a year - with potential to rise further - when he moved to Australia.
Not having to pay for accommodation, travel, or meals while working flying in and flying out on a two-week on and two-week off roster was a big attraction.
Ill come home on my two weeks off because there is more money to be made in Aussie and we are not keeping up.
Kiwis whod already made the move told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend last month of high incomes that had allowed them to buy homes, investment properties, cars and toys, and they had financed frequent overseas holidays.
While some acknowledged the challenges of FIFO, the opportunities far outweighed them.
Former Whakatne pre-school teacher Gerri Mark now drives dump trucks in the mines in Western Australia after crossing the ditch in 2017 following a marriage break-up.
She earned $140,000 with four bonuses a year, had company health insurance, and worked 15 days on and 13 days off.
Ive made enough money to live an amazing life as an independent, single woman. I brought my first house two years ago and now Im looking at an investment property.
I paid cash for my Holden ute, I own everything in my house, I dont have a credit card and I pay cash for everything.
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Kiwis TikTok video lays bare the reality of working in Australian ... - New Zealand Herald
GraphGen, Retrospective Loss and Large Scale Pretraining – INDIAai
These are the most exciting AI research papers published in the last year. It combines advances in artificial intelligence (AI) with data science. It is ordered chronologically and includes a link to a longer article.
Deep neural networks (DNNs) have facilitated advancements in various fields. To better utilise the prior knowledge accessible in previous model states during training, the authors offer a new retrospective loss in this study. Together with the task-specific loss, minimising the retrospective loss pulls the present parameter state away from the optimal parameter state and towards the optimal parameter state from a previous training session. To verify that the suggested loss leads to increased performance across input domains, tasks, and architectures, the researchers analyse the approach and conduct comprehensive experiments in various domains, including images, voice, text, and graphs.
Model-based dialogue assessment measures, such as ADEM, RUBER, and the more recent BERT-based metrics, are gaining attention. These models aim to weigh responses highly if they are relevant and negatively if not. These models would be trained with various useful and irrelevant replies in an ideal world. As a result, current models are typically trained using a single relevant response and numerous randomly picked responses from unrelated contexts (random negatives) due to the need for more publicly available data.
The researchers present the DailyDialog++ dataset to facilitate improved training and rigorous evaluation of model-based metrics. Using this dataset, the researchers first demonstrated that n-gram-based and embedding-based metrics do not distinguish critical responses from random negatives when there are several correct references. Unlike n-gram and embedding-based metrics, model-based metrics do better on random negatives but significantly worse on adversarial examples. This study proposes a new BERT-based evaluation metric called DEB, which is pre-trained on 727M Reddit interactions and then fine-tuned on our dataset to determine whether or not large-scale pretraining is beneficial. Compared to other models, DEB performs substantially better on random negatives (88.27% accuracy) and correlates more with human evaluations. However, when tested on adversarial replies, its performance drops significantly again, demonstrating that only a massive pre-trained evaluation model can withstand the adversarial cases in their dataset.
There is a wealth of research on generative graph models in the data mining books. Newer methods have shifted away from relying on a pre-decided distribution and instead, learn this distribution directly from the data. In contrast, older methods rely on generating structures that comply with a pre-decided distribution. Learning-based approaches have increased quality, but some difficulties remain.
To address these shortcomings, the authors of this study create a generic method they name "GraphGen." Using minimal DFS codes, GraphGen transforms graphs into sequences. Canonical labels, such as minimum DFS codes, record the graph structure in addition to the label information. A unique LSTM architecture is used to learn the intricate joint distributions of structural and semantic labels. Extensive studies on million-size, real-world graph datasets reveal that GraphGen is four times faster on average than state-of-the-art approaches and superior in quality across a comprehensive range of eleven different measures.
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GraphGen, Retrospective Loss and Large Scale Pretraining - INDIAai
JustCall launches AI-driven platform to improve call center ops via … – VentureBeat
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JustCall by SaaSLabs, a contact center software provider backed bySequoia Capital, today unveiled JustCall iQ, an AI-driven conversational intelligence platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The solution is designed to enhance the performance of call center sales teams, operations and customer support.
By harnessing the power of AI, JustCall iQ offers real-time coaching and sentiment analysis, aiming to allow call center agents to quickly achieve optimal performance.According to the company, its approach enables agents to achieve peak performance within days instead of the conventional months-long training methods.
JustCall said that the platform, facilitated by an AI bot, automatically records and transcribes all calls, delivering teams a transcript of their meetings. This streamlined process allows managers to conduct efficient call reviews without having to listen for the entire duration.
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After analysis, the system assists sales teams in identifying crucial moments that contribute to successful or unsuccessful calls. This helps sales employees improve their pitches and convert potential leads, while support teams can use the insights to improve customer satisfaction and drive business growth.
Our new offering is a tool that lets you record, transcribe and analyze calls to get useful information that can be used for improved onboarding, continuous training and coaching, Gaurav Sharma, CEO and founder of JustCall, told VentureBeat. Features such as AI-based performance scoring and sentiment analysis are great for agents and managers to improve win/call resolution rates, and our real-time agent assist bot offers prompts to agents to quickly address customer concerns as they happen.
The company claims that early adopters have experienced significant improvements, such as a 44% increase in closed-won rates, a 25% reduction in average handle time and a 32% boost in customer satisfaction.
Sharma emphasized his companys commitment to eliminating guesswork in call analysis and providing valuable insights through post-call reports. These reports offer an overview of each call, including performance assessment, key takeaways, and actionable steps to reinforce successes and address challenges in future calls.
According to him, many businesses with call center managers remain entrenched in outdated call evaluation methods that depend on human monitoring. Not only does this prove costly, it results in many calls going unreviewed.
Turnover rates for call center employees are high compared to other industries, and the work is stressful, dealing with angry customers, strict time limits and repetitive tasks, Sharma told VentureBeat. With JustCall iQ, were helping businesses improve customer experiences to capture the value of every call. We improve feedback and engagement and help guide agents with the right prompts as calls happen.
Sharma asserts that sentiment analysis offers a valuable opportunity for managers to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of their pitches and delivery in customer interactions. By employing emotion detection and language processing, customer sentiment analysis delves deep into customers emotions and reactions.
He said that admins and managers can use sentiment analysis to identify trends that inform their guidance and coaching of agents.
The success of every customer interaction hinges on the real-time reactions and sentiments expressed by customers. Sentiment analysis is crucial in monitoring each calls emotional quotient (EQ), focusing on vital parameters including fluency, empathy, satisfaction, interest levels, excitement levels, politeness and patience, explained Sharma. Organizations learn from precise and unbiased insights delivered after every call, eliminating the guesswork and need for manual data mining, which saves managers valuable time and ensures a more objective analysis of customer interactions.
The company said that online insurance providerApollo Insurancehas adopted the JustCall iQ platform to gain insights into its customer interactions. The platform enables Apollo to track metrics such as text volume, call duration, agent performance and the average communication count that results in conversions.
Likewise,Newity, a small business lender, has used JustCall iQ to improve operational efficiencies in its financial services business. Its sales and support teams use the platforms real-time features, including agent assistance and real-time coaching, increasing their efficiency over a traditional QA team.
Using the analytics has given them valuable insights into whats happening with these calls and texts, said Sharma. Now they can route leads to the agents most likely to convert them to sales which has helped them increase conversions significantly.
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Driving Value and Accelerating Business Innovation Amidst Budget … – Solutions Review
Solutions Reviews Premium Content Series is a collection of contributed articles written by industry experts in enterprise software categories. In this feature, Alteryx CIO Trevor Schulze offers commentary on driving value and accelerating innovation amidst budget cuts.
Organizations are under increasing financial and competitive pressure, all while needing to keep up with growing customer demands. They are seeking ways to differentiate performance from peers, prioritize key products and services, and position their companies to thrive in todays competitive market.
Unfortunately, todays current economic climate has many business and IT leaders navigating budget cuts while trying to avoid critical mistakes that could hamper progress toward business goals. But priorities such as digitization, customer experience, time to market, and increasing revenue remain top of mind for business leaders regardless of economic cycles.
Companies that demonstrate resilience during times of crisis invest in ways of working that galvanize innovation by expanding not contracting access to core technologies. IT leaders can turn adversity into opportunity by making informed decisions about where to cut, maintain, or even increase technology spending. After all, those who wisely invest in their digital capabilities and data in a downturn have proven time and time again to come out the other side stronger and pull away from their competition.
Combining the current economy with increased corporate overhead costs, many business and IT leaders feel forced to implement broad-brush budget cuts, which could mean penalizing both efficient parts and high-performing areas of an organization. This can result in lost value and negatively impact the organizations ability to remain competitive.
IT leaders who move too quickly with these cuts in an attempt to streamline operations may very well complicate existing processes and introduce potentially harmful risks to the organization. They need to approach these decisions intentionally using an asset they already have: data.
The mission of data and analytics is to manage data resources and create analytic insight that can help organizations make the most informed decisions to better navigate these rocky times. Further, the ability to squeeze every ounce of strategic and operational insight from company data is increasingly essential to increasing profitability and uncovering new revenue streams that will help the company thrive.
IT leaders who can identify sources of complexity and inefficiency and predict the impact of changes will give stakeholders and decision-makers the confidence to maintain spending on resources that deliver tangible business value. For those looking to trim budget without hampering business acceleration, the following strategies are critical to success:
Data and analytics strategies connected to operating models will put business and IT leaders in a position to positively impact operational costs, reduce exposure to business risk, and deliver on the promise of business value. But first, organizations need to build a culture where data is the basis of every decision and strategy and where all employees are on board with this approach and mindset.
You need to ensure everyone across an organization knows how to use data to make better decisions. Make it easy by providing no-code/low-code automation solutions that enable any employee, regardless of their technical skills, to turn data into powerful business insights. This will help your business more easily navigate the unpreditable climate ahead. Furthermore, investing in democratizing data and analytics results in long-term resilience beyond the budget cuts many organizations are faced with today.
You dont need to always start from zero each time you have a business problem to solve. In fact, the answers you need to make better decisions are often hiding in plain sight, yet not enough organizations are mining through all of their resources. This is a missed opportunity when you consider that organizations that use a variety of data sources and types are best positioned to get insights that lead to improved customer acquisition, retention, and experience.
Oftentimes, business units fall victim to tool sprawl and run up cloud costs on dozens of disconnected tools that cant scale across multiple teams making point solutions easier targets for budget cuts and leaving teams who rely on them in the dust.
Investing in platforms that support multiple personas, unlimited use cases, and feature expansion is key to reducing costs, driving ROI and future proofing investments. Users will also be the first to experiment and take advantage of system updates and new features as theyre introduced, driving faster innovation. Not having to find point solutions for every niche problem you come across will save you from the hassle of onboarding a new vendor every single time, especially considering your platform may be introducing the new capabilities and modules you may very well need.
Case in point: a new study from BCG found that using a data platform and flexible, scalable technology platforms and applications to facilitate data access and support business needs easily and flexibly is one of the key attributes of companies best positioned to move into new high-growth markets.
Another key area of investment to discuss with your stakeholders is to enable your team to do more and increase productivity by doubling down on automation.
Why have knowledge workers spend their time doing manual work in spreadsheets, when they can spend their time working on projects that drive top-line growth and bottom-line returns? Meanwhile, automating mundance tasks can free up IT and data teams to work on complex projects that rely on their technical expertise.
Above all, its essential for business and IT leaders to start every budgetary decision with data. CIOs and their teams require visibility into their tech spending to ensure efficiency and strategic alignment. Todays ever-changing economic climate requires data and analytics to help organizations derive insights for significant competitive and operational advantages in customer acquisition, retention, and experience. Those organizations that will thrive beyond the rocky times will be the ones that regularly examine and benchmark investments across multiple cost views to facilitate smarter spending and better business outcomes.
As Alteryx's Chief Information Officer, Trevor Schulze leads the global IT team in delivering a comprehensive, business-led technology services and solutions portfolio. Before joining Alteryx, Schulze served as RingCentral's Chief Information Officer.
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Driving Value and Accelerating Business Innovation Amidst Budget ... - Solutions Review
What Is Decision Intelligence? How Is It Different From Artificial … – Dataconomy
Making the right decisions in an aggressive market is crucial for your business growth and thats where decision intelligence (DI) comes to play. As each choice can steer the trajectory of an organization, propelling it towards remarkable growth or leaving it struggling to keep pace. In this era of information overload, utilizing the power of data and technology has become paramount to drive effective decision-making.
Decision intelligence is an innovative approach that blends the realms of data analysis, artificial intelligence, and human judgment to empower businesses with actionable insights. Decision intelligence is not just about crunching numbers or relying on algorithms; it is about unlocking the true potential of data to make smarter choices and fuel business success.
Imagine a world where every decision is infused with the wisdom of data, where complex problems are unraveled and transformed into opportunities, and where the path to growth is paved with confidence and foresight. Decision intelligence opens the doors to such a world, providing organizations with a holistic framework to optimize their decision-making processes.
At its core, decision intelligence harnesses the power of advanced technologies to collect, integrate, and analyze vast amounts of data. This data becomes the lifeblood of the decision-making process, unveiling hidden patterns, trends, and correlations that shape business landscapes. But decision intelligence goes beyond the realm of data analysis; it embraces the insights gleaned from behavioral science, acknowledging the critical role human judgment plays in the decision-making journey.
Think of decision intelligence as a synergy between the human mind and cutting-edge algorithms. It combines the cognitive capabilities of humans with the precision and efficiency of artificial intelligence, resulting in a harmonious collaboration that brings forth actionable recommendations and strategic insights.
From optimizing resource allocation to mitigating risks, from uncovering untapped market opportunities to delivering personalized customer experiences, decision intelligence is a guiding compass that empowers businesses to navigate the complexities of todays competitive world. It enables organizations to make informed choices, capitalize on emerging trends, and seize growth opportunities with confidence.
Decision intelligence is an advanced approach that combines data analysis, artificial intelligence algorithms, and human judgment to enhance decision-making processes. It leverages the power of technology to provide actionable insights and recommendations that support effective decision-making in complex business scenarios.
At its core, decision intelligence involves collecting and integrating relevant data from various sources, such as databases, text documents, and APIs. This data is then analyzed using statistical methods, machine learning algorithms, and data mining techniques to uncover meaningful patterns and relationships.
In addition to data analysis, decision intelligence integrates principles from behavioral science to understand how human behavior influences decision-making. By incorporating insights from psychology, cognitive science, and economics, decision models can better account for biases, preferences, and heuristics that impact decision outcomes.
AI algorithms play a crucial role in decision intelligence. These algorithms are carefully selected based on the specific decision problem and are trained using the prepared data. Machine learning algorithms, such as neural networks or decision trees, learn from the data to make predictions or generate recommendations.
The development of decision models is an essential step in decision intelligence. These models capture the relationships between input variables, decision options, and desired outcomes. Rule-based systems, optimization techniques, or probabilistic frameworks are employed to guide decision-making based on the insights gained from data analysis and AI algorithms.
Human judgment is integrated into the decision-making process to provide context, validate recommendations, and ensure ethical considerations. Decision intelligence systems provide interfaces or interactive tools that enable human decision-makers to interact with the models, incorporate their expertise, and assess the impact of different decision options.
Continuous learning and improvement are fundamental to decision intelligence. The system adapts and improves over time as new data becomes available or new insights are gained. Decision models can be updated and refined to reflect changing circumstances and improve decision accuracy.
At the end of the day, decision intelligence empowers businesses to make informed decisions by leveraging data, AI algorithms, and human judgment. It optimizes decision-making processes, drives growth, and enables organizations to navigate complex business environments with confidence.
Decision intelligence operates by combining advanced data analysis techniques, artificial intelligence algorithms, and human judgment to drive effective decision-making processes.
Lets delve into the technical aspects of how decision intelligence works.
The process begins with collecting and integrating relevant data from various sources. This includes structured data from databases, unstructured data from text documents or images, and external data from APIs or web scraping. The collected data is then organized and prepared for analysis.
Decision intelligence relies on data analysis techniques to uncover patterns, trends, and relationships within the data. Statistical methods, machine learning algorithms, and data mining techniques are employed to extract meaningful insights from the collected data.
This analysis may involve feature engineering, dimensionality reduction, clustering, classification, regression, or other statistical modeling approaches.
Decision intelligence incorporates principles from behavioral science to understand and model human decision-making processes. Insights from psychology, cognitive science, and economics are utilized to capture the nuances of human behavior and incorporate them into decision models.
This integration helps to address biases, preferences, and heuristics that influence decision-making.
Depending on the nature of the decision problem, appropriate artificial intelligence algorithms are selected. These may include machine learning algorithms like neural networks, decision trees, support vector machines, or reinforcement learning.
The chosen algorithms are then trained using the prepared data to learn patterns, make predictions, or generate recommendations.
Based on the insights gained from data analysis and AI algorithms, decision models are developed. These models capture the relationships between input variables, decision options, and desired outcomes.
The models may employ rule-based systems, optimization techniques, or probabilistic frameworks to guide decision-making.
Decision intelligence recognizes the importance of human judgment in the decision-making process. It provides interfaces or interactive tools that enable human decision-makers to interact with the models, incorporate their expertise, and assess the impact of different decision options. Human judgment is integrated to provide context, validate recommendations, and ensure ethical considerations are accounted for.
Decision intelligence systems often incorporate mechanisms for continuous learning and improvement. As new data becomes available or new insights are gained, the models can be updated and refined.
This allows decision intelligence systems to adapt to changing circumstances and improve decision accuracy over time.
Once decisions are made based on the recommendations provided by the decision intelligence system, they are executed in the operational environment. The outcomes of these decisions are monitored and feedback is collected to assess the effectiveness of the decisions and refine the decision models if necessary.
AI, standing for artificial intelligence, encompasses the theory and development of algorithms that aim to replicate human cognitive capabilities. These algorithms are designed to perform tasks that were traditionally exclusive to humans, such as decision-making, language processing, and visual perception. AI has witnessed remarkable advancements in recent years, enabling machines to analyze vast amounts of data, recognize patterns, and make predictions with increasing accuracy.
On the other hand, Decision intelligence takes AI a step further by applying it in the practical realm of commercial decision-making. It leverages the capabilities of AI algorithms to provide recommended actions that specifically address business needs or solve complex business problems. The focus of Decision intelligence is always on achieving commercial objectives and driving effective decision-making processes within organizations across various industries.
To illustrate this distinction, lets consider an example. Suppose there is an AI algorithm that has been trained to predict future demand for a specific set of products based on historical data and market trends. This AI algorithm alone is capable of generating accurate demand forecasts. However, Decision intelligence comes into play when this initial AI-powered prediction is translated into tangible business decisions.
In the context of our example, Decision intelligence would involve providing a user-friendly interface or platform that allows a merchandising team to access and interpret the AI-generated demand forecasts. The team can then utilize these insights to make informed buying and stock management decisions. This integration of AI algorithms and user-friendly interfaces transforms the raw power of AI into practical Decision intelligence, empowering businesses to make strategic decisions based on data-driven insights.
By utilizing Decision intelligence, organizations can unlock new possibilities for growth and efficiency. The ability to leverage AI algorithms in the decision-making process enables businesses to optimize their operations, minimize risks, and capitalize on emerging opportunities. Moreover, Decision intelligence facilitates decision-making at scale, allowing businesses to handle complex and dynamic business environments more effectively.
Below we have prepared a table summarizing the difference between decision intelligence and artificial intelligence:
Decision intelligence is a powerful tool that can drive business growth. By leveraging data-driven insights and incorporating artificial intelligence techniques, decision intelligence empowers businesses to make informed decisions and optimize their operations.
Strategic decision-making is enhanced through the use of decision intelligence. By analyzing market trends, customer behavior, and competitor activities, businesses can make well-informed choices that align with their growth goals and capitalize on market opportunities.
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Optimal resource allocation is another key aspect of decision intelligence. By analyzing data and using optimization techniques, businesses can identify the most efficient use of resources, improving operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This optimized resource allocation enables businesses to allocate their finances, personnel, and time effectively, contributing to business growth.
Risk management is critical for sustained growth, and decision intelligence plays a role in mitigating risks. Through data analysis and risk assessment, decision intelligence helps businesses identify potential risks and develop strategies to minimize their impact. This proactive approach to risk management safeguards business growth and ensures continuity.
Market insights are invaluable for driving business growth, and decision intelligence help businesses uncover those insights. By analyzing data, customer behavior, and competitor activities, businesses can gain a deep understanding of their target market, identify emerging trends, and seize growth opportunities. These market insights inform strategic decisions and provide a competitive edge.
Personalized customer experiences are increasingly important for driving growth, and decision intelligence enable businesses to deliver tailored experiences. By analyzing customer data and preferences, businesses can personalize their products, services, and marketing efforts, enhancing customer satisfaction and fostering loyalty, which in turn drives business growth.
Agility is crucial in a rapidly changing business landscape, and decision intelligence supports businesses in adapting quickly. By continuously monitoring data, performance indicators, and market trends, businesses can make timely adjustments to their strategies and operations. This agility enables businesses to seize growth opportunities, address challenges, and stay ahead in competitive markets.
There are several companies that offer decision intelligence solutions. These companies specialize in developing platforms, software, and services that enable businesses to leverage data, analytics, and AI algorithms for improved decision-making.
Below, we present you with the best decision intelligence companies out there.
Qlik offers a range of decision intelligence solutions that enable businesses to explore, analyze, and visualize data to uncover insights and make informed decisions. Their platform combines data integration, AI-powered analytics, and collaborative features to drive data-driven decision-making.
ThoughtSpot provides an AI-driven analytics platform that enables users to search and analyze data intuitively, without the need for complex queries or programming. Their solution empowers decision-makers to explore data, derive insights, and make informed decisions with speed and simplicity.
DataRobot offers an automated machine learning platform that helps organizations build, deploy, and manage AI models for decision-making. Their solution enables businesses to leverage the power of AI algorithms to automate and optimize decision processes across various domains.
IBM Watson provides a suite of decision intelligence solutions that leverage AI, natural language processing, and machine learning to enhance decision-making capabilities. Their portfolio includes tools for data exploration, predictive analytics, and decision optimization to support a wide range of business applications.
Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence and analytics platform that enables businesses to visualize data, create interactive dashboards, and derive insights for decision-making. It integrates with other Microsoft products and offers AI-powered features for advanced analytics.
While you can access Power BI for a fixed fee, with the giant companys latest announcement, Microsoft Fabric, you can access all the support your business needs with this service in a pay-as-you-go pricing form.
Salesforce Einstein Analytics is an AI-powered analytics platform that helps businesses uncover insights from their customer data. It provides predictive analytics, AI-driven recommendations, and interactive visualizations to support data-driven decision-making in sales, marketing, and customer service.
These are just a few examples of companies offering decision intelligence solutions. The decision intelligence market is continuously evolving, with new players entering the field and existing companies expanding their offerings.
Organizations can explore these solutions to find the one that best aligns with their specific needs and objectives to achieve business growth waiting for them on the horizon.
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What Is Decision Intelligence? How Is It Different From Artificial ... - Dataconomy