Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio out of Montreal (home base). It’s not a long segment – about 10 minutes every week – about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly on i Heart Radio, if you’re interested in hearing more of me blathering away about what’s going on in the digital world. I’m really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry DiMonte morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

• Amazon has faced a lot of negative feedback, because they are selling their facial recognition technology to governments, law enforcement and beyond. Their latest iteration of this technology – which is called, Amazon Rekognition – claims that it can now detect emotions: including fear. The big brother creeps back in? 
• Speaking of artificial intelligence, the New York Times reported last week, that the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, showcased an artificial intelligence that passed an 8th grade science test. “The AI correctly answered more than 90 percent of the questions on an eighth-grade science test and more than 80 percent on a 12th-grade exam.” Four years ago, this attempt was made… all systems failed. Imagine what will happen in the next four years? 
• In case you didn’t know, Montreal is a major hub in the AI space. Just this week, Element AI closed a $200 million round of financing. According to the media, the company has already burned through a lot of money, and is having trouble establishing the true commercial value of their work to corporations. This is the true problem with all of this AI stuff. Will companies pay for it, and when will it really help to move the needle? 
• App of the Week: Sprinter.