Facebook and Amazon
Algorithmic analysis and prediction have been central to the success of Facebook in plotting the ‘social graph’ of users’ interests and interrelations which drives its massive online advertising revenues. Facebook AI Research (FAIR) has four AI laboratories around the world, is active in conducting cutting-edge AI research, and has made several AI-related acquisitions, such as the company Ozlo, which builds virtual assistants (Patrizio 2018). Amazon’s development of ‘recommendations’ for customers across its escalating retail and logistics operations relies on the algorithmic analysis of vast volumes of consumer data, now increasingly integrated with the operations of its huge and partially robotized warehousing and order fulfilment systems. Amazon has a number of specific AI-based products, including the Echo ‘smart home’ system; its digital personal assistant, Alexa; Lex, a business version of Alexa; Polly, which turns text into speech, and Rekognition, an image recognition service. In addition, ML permeates the suite of services in the Fulfilment by Amazon programme the retailer offers to third-party sellers.
means of cognition
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