Latest news with #AI-enhanced
Arabian Post
30-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Google's Opal Makes AI App Creation Accessible
Google's latest innovation, Opal, has introduced a groundbreaking way for users to create artificial intelligence mini-applications using just natural language. This shift marks a significant leap in the growing trend of no-code platforms, where complex coding tasks are simplified, enabling non-technical users to build sophisticated apps with minimal effort. The launch of Opal signals a broader movement toward intuitive software development that allows individuals to build AI-powered tools with little to no knowledge of programming. Instead of writing lines of code, users can use plain English prompts to instruct Opal, making app creation far more accessible to anyone with an idea but lacking technical expertise. Opal allows users to create AI-powered applications by simply describing what they want the app to do. By processing these instructions, Opal translates them into functioning code that can perform tasks such as data analysis, content generation, or even automating certain workflows. Google's move comes as part of a wider shift towards simplifying AI for broader consumer use, enabling a more diverse set of creators to leverage this technology. ADVERTISEMENT This new tool is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, where no-code platforms are gaining traction as a way to democratise access to programming and AI. Platforms such as OpenAI's GPT-3 and other machine learning tools have already showcased the power of AI to the general public, but Opal takes this further by offering a user-friendly interface that eliminates the barrier of complex coding. Opal's appeal lies in its simplicity and versatility. Users can generate everything from custom chatbots to AI-enhanced data processors, with just a few sentences of description. The implications for industries such as e-commerce, education, and content creation are profound, as smaller businesses or independent creators can now develop applications without needing an extensive development team. The demand for such tools is growing. According to a report by Gartner, the no-code development market is expected to reach $45 billion by 2025, as companies seek faster, more cost-effective ways to build custom software. Opal is positioning itself as a significant player in this rapidly expanding market, bringing AI to the masses through simplicity and ease of use. Critics, however, argue that while platforms like Opal may enable a surge in app development, they could lead to oversimplification of complex tasks. AI is a highly nuanced field, and critics warn that such tools could make users overly reliant on automated processes, potentially leading to unintentional errors or misused technology. Despite these concerns, Opal's entry into the market represents a significant step in the evolution of AI accessibility. By leveraging the power of natural language processing, Google is not only advancing its own AI ambitions but also helping to shape the future of software development. With applications spanning across multiple sectors, Opal could help bridge the gap between highly technical AI tools and the everyday user, allowing for a more diverse set of applications to emerge in the AI space.
Forbes
30-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
NiCE's $955M Cognigy Deal Targets $30B AI Customer Experience Opportunity
The war for CX specialized AI platform dominance continues with NiCE buying Cognigy. The deal enhances NiCE's position in the emerging $30 billion market for AI agents that can handle complex customer interactions from start to finish In a move that signals a tidal wave of upcoming of artificial intelligence acquisitions, NiCE snapped up German conversational AI leader Cognigy for approximately $955 million. The acquisition showcases a strategic bet on how conversational and agentic AI will drive the future of customer interactions in an increasingly AI-enhanced application landscape. The deal, expected to close in Q4 2025 pending regulatory approvals, combines NiCE's CXone Mpower platform with Cognigy's enterprise-grade conversational and agentic AI capabilities. Cognigy's customer roster includes large firms such as Mercedes-Benz, Nestlé, and Lufthansa Group. Cognigy currently runs production deployments handling millions of customer interactions across multiple languages and channels. The Cognigy portfolio is expected to achieve 80% year-over-year ARR growth in 2026, reaching an estimated $85 million. The acquisition shows how NiCE is valuing where the AI market is going—particularly as major cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft are making massive investments in agentic AI platforms. The Agentic AI Arms Race: Context for the Acquisition You may be wondering why NiCE invested $995 million in a startup when it was already developing its own AI platform with MPower. NiCE's acquisition comes at a pivotal moment as the technology industry shifts toward "agentic AI"—autonomous software systems that can reason, plan, and take action independently rather than simply respond to queries. Unlike simple chatbots that follow predetermined scripts, these agents can adapt to new situations, access multiple systems, and resolve issues that previously required human intervention. The acquisition gives NiCE a proven platform for agent development and deployment, rather than having to build these capabilities from scratch or rely on generic cloud provider tools. The timing of the acquisition is no coincidence. Just months before NiCE's announcement, AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft unveiled various components to create more comprehensive agentic AI platforms. Meanwhile, all three of these cloud computing providers offer conversational AI and contact center solutions that compete with NiCE in various market segments. Over the past year, these hyperscalers have worked hard to eliminate any contact center feature gaps while driving innovation in areas such as conversational AI and agentic AI. For example, at Google Cloud Next 2025, the company introduced its Agent Development Kit (ADK) that allows developers to build multi-agent systems with less than 100 lines of code, alongside the Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol for enabling AI agents from different vendors to communicate with each other. More than 50 technology partners, including major enterprise software providers like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and SAP, have signed on to support this protocol. This July, AWS upped the ante with Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, which enables organizations to deploy and operate secure AI agents at enterprise scale with seven core services, alongside a new AWS Marketplace category for AI agents and tools, and a $100 million investment to boost agentic AI development. The AWS Marketplace now features more than 900 agents and related support from providers including Anthropic, Salesforce, IBM, PwC, and others. Meanwhile, the 2025 release wave 1 for Dynamics 365 Contact Center introduced Copilot and agent capabilities to automate intent determination for evergreen self-service and autonomous knowledge management. Additional key features include multimodal support in the customer intent agent, enhanced unified routing features, and new workforce and quality management capabilities. Why This Acquisition Matters: 3 Strategic AI Customer Experience Imperatives The acquisition and NiCE's current strategy targets what it identifies as a massive underserved market. According to CEO, Scott Russell, AI-led self-service resolves only about 5% of customer interactions, leaving enormous room for growth. The company projects this could represent a $30 billion market opportunity as businesses seek to automate more sophisticated customer service scenarios. Enterprise buyers have told Lopez Research that conversational interfaces for customer service experiences are one of the first three use cases that their firms will deploy when looking to add AI into the organization. The combined entity is positioning itself to capture a significant share of this expanding market. One of the most compelling aspects of this deal is the minimal overlap between the two companies' customer bases. NiCE CEO Scott Russell shared with industry analysts that "customer overlap is relatively low," creating significant cross-selling opportunities. NiCE can introduce Cognigy's AI capabilities to its established North American enterprise clients, while Cognigy can leverage NiCE's broader customer experience platform to expand within its European customer base. "Companies aren't just looking to upgrade their customer service. They're reimagining it, and they're doing it AI-first," Russell emphasized. NiCE said the acquisition will aid its strategy to move customer service from a reactive function into a proactive, intelligent system that can resolve issues autonomously or seamlessly hand off to human agents when needed NiCE has long said that it is a customer experience company, yet there are so many different technologies that are part of creating the customer experience. While Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) offers solutions for customer support, NiCE aims to expand its reach beyond traditional contact center operations to encompass comprehensive workflow orchestration and proactive communications. Expansion beyond the contact center isn't a new strategy for NiCE. However, combining the two platforms is expected to accelerate its ability to automate and orchestrate entire customer journeys from initial intent to final fulfillment, spanning front office, middle office, and back office operations. For example, Cognigy said one of its financial services customers is processing 10s of thousands of outbound collections calls every week on its platform. The goal is also to add more proactive outbound marketing scenarios. The technical capability to orchestrate these complex workflows requires deep integration between conversational AI, workflow automation, and enterprise systems. Cognigy positions itself as enabling organizations to "design, build, and operate self-service agentic AI agents at scale." This capability becomes increasingly important as major cloud providers expand their own agentic AI offerings. AWS's recently announced AgentCore to streamline development with features such as memory management, identity controls, and tool integration. At the same time, Google's Customer Engagement Suite offers "human-like voices, the ability to understand emotions so agents can adapt better during conversations, and streaming video support so virtual agents can interpret and respond to what they see in real-time. Additional Benefits: European Presence and Data Compliance Advantages The acquisition provides NiCE with a crucial European footprint at a time when data sovereignty and AI regulations are reshaping enterprise technology decisions. Cognigy's German heritage and European operations position the combined entity to address growing demand for "Sovereign AI" solutions. What is Sovereign AI? Sovereign AI refers to a country or region's capability to produce artificial intelligence using its infrastructure, data, and workforce, while maintaining control over AI development and deployment. For enterprises, this means AI solutions that comply with local data protection laws (like GDPR), operate within national borders, and reduce dependence on foreign AI providers. As Cognigy CEO Philipp Heltewig explained, "We see it as an investment into the European ecosystem," noting that this represents "the biggest AI exit in Europe ever." For multinational corporations operating under increasingly strict data residency requirements, having AI capabilities that can operate within European sovereign cloud environments becomes a competitive necessity. For example, Google Cloud has also recognized this trend with its Sovereign AI solutions on-premises, allowing Gemini to run in Google Distributed Cloud locally and in air-gapped environments. Navigating the Multi-Platform Reality Through Protocol Standards While the acquisition creates a powerful integrated platform, both companies acknowledge the reality of enterprise technology environments. The companies expect customers will continue to use multiple platforms and vendors. The key is enabling seamless orchestration across these diverse systems. This challenge is driving the adoption of emerging protocols that both Google and AWS are actively promoting. Google's Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol "will allow AI agents to communicate with each other, securely exchange information, and coordinate actions on top of various enterprise platforms or applications," Additionally, AWS's marketplace now supports solutions that work with "Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) standard protocols." For business leaders, this means choosing vendors that can integrate with existing technology stacks while providing a path toward more unified AI-driven operations. The fact that both major cloud providers are supporting these interoperability standards suggests the industry is moving toward a more connected, agent-driven ecosystem—precisely what NiCE and Cognigy are positioning to deliver. The Broader Implications for Enterprise AI Strategy This acquisition reflects several important trends that business leaders should consider when developing their AI strategies. First, speed matters. As Russell noted, "speed is a choice." In rapidly evolving technology markets, companies that move quickly to integrate advanced capabilities often gain insurmountable competitive advantages. The fact that major cloud providers are investing billions in agentic AI infrastructure means the competitive window for building differentiated customer experience capabilities is narrowing. Second, AI is complicated and platform integration often beats point solutions. The most successful AI deployments will be those that integrate across entire business processes, not just individual functions. Customers expect seamless experiences regardless of which systems are handling their requests behind the scenes. Finally, it's only the beginning for both the creation of AI-enabled CX platforms and acquistion rollups. The NiCE-Cognigy acquisition represents both a consolidation play and a bet on a strategy to embed the functionality of conversational and agentic AI across business operations. For enterprise leaders, the key question is how they'll construct CX applications and workflows in the future. While NiCE touts a vision of AI-first customer experience, it's a requirement for any leading technology vendor to offer a robust AI platform. The competition from hyperscalers and existing CCaaS vendors means NiCE will need to execute flawlessly to maintain its advantage. The competitive landscape will be shaped by how fast a company can create flexible AI platforms that deliver measurable business outcomes
BusinessToday
23-07-2025
- Business
- BusinessToday
US$130 Billion 5G-AI Economic Opportunity For ASEAN
ASEAN stands at the precipice of a transformative digital era, with the convergence of 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI) poised to unlock a staggering US$130 billion economic opportunity for the Asia Pacific region by 2030. However, a new comprehensive research report by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) warns that coordinated policy frameworks are urgently needed to harness this potential and prevent deepening digital divides across the diverse bloc. Released today, the report, 'Leveraging 5G to Accelerate AI-Driven Transformation in ASEAN: Imperatives, Policy Insights, and Recommendations,' serves as a blueprint for policymakers to accelerate the region's digital leadership. Professor Vu Minh Khuong, Practice Professor at the LKYSPP, National University of Singapore, underscored the urgency at the report launch. 'The convergence of 5G and AI represents the infrastructure of innovation, powering smart manufacturing, precision agriculture, and autonomous mobility. But ASEAN cannot afford to wait. The window for establishing regional leadership in intelligent connectivity is rapidly closing.' The study highlights significant disparities in 5G adoption across ASEAN, ranging from a robust 48.3% penetration in Singapore to less than 1% in several member states. Without unified action, these disparities threaten to hinder regional competitiveness as other global regions accelerate their digital transformation. Drawing from extensive interviews and surveys with over 400 professionals across eight ASEAN countries, the LKYSPP report identifies ten critical imperatives to fast-track 5G-AI transformation. A core recommendation is the establishment of coordinated digital leadership to overcome existing fragmentation that is slowing regional progress. The report urges ASEAN governments to view 5G not merely as a telecom upgrade, but as a strategic enabler for AI, while simultaneously addressing widening skills gaps impeding enterprise adoption. To secure ASEAN's digital future, the research recommends five strategic priorities: Establishing national 5G-AI development strategies with clear 2025-2030 roadmaps. Creating empowered coordination agencies within ASEAN member countries. Deploying forward-looking spectrum policies that promote accessibility and innovation. Fostering vibrant AI-driven ecosystems through robust public-private collaboration. Implementing robust monitoring frameworks to track progress and enable course corrections. The LKYSPP study emphasizes that prioritizing enterprise adoption is key to realizing 5G's economic impact. It points to existing regional successes demonstrating transformative potential, such as Singapore's 5G-powered smart ports achieving 50% latency reduction, Thailand's deployment of AI-enhanced disaster management systems, and Malaysia's wholesale network model reaching 82% population coverage. These examples, the report notes, illustrate the power of effectively implemented coordinated strategies. Furthermore, the report highlights the critical role of private 5G networks for Industry 4.0 transformation and positions Fixed Wireless Access as a compelling solution to bridge connectivity gaps in underserved areas. Current 5G deployments are also framed as crucial infrastructure for 6G evolution, expected by 2030, making today's policy decisions pivotal for future competitiveness. Looking ahead, the study envisions an ASEAN where enterprises scale globally through intelligent manufacturing, farmers optimize yields with AI-driven analytics, and students in remote areas access immersive education platforms, all powered by 5G and AI. Realizing this ambitious vision, according to the LKYSPP, demands bold and coordinated action, strategic planning, and sustained commitment to digital transformation. The comprehensive 148-page report and its executive summary are now available for public download, serving as both a strategic guide for policymakers and a resounding call to action for regional institutions to seize the 5G-AI moment and shape a digitally empowered future for ASEAN's 700 million citizens. Related
Associated Press
22-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Releases Strategic Roadmap for ASEAN's 5G-AI Transformation
New Research Reveals US$130 Billion Economic Opportunity and Outlines Policy Framework to Accelerate Regional Digital Leadership by 2030 SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 22 July 2025 - The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) today released a comprehensive research report outlining how ASEAN can harness 5G and artificial intelligence convergence for transformative economic growth. The study, 'Leveraging 5G to Accelerate AI-Driven Transformation in ASEAN: Imperatives, Policy Insights, and Recommendations,' provides policymakers with actionable strategies to unlock the region's digital potential. Prof. Vu Minh Khuong, Practice Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, at the report launch event ASEAN faces a critical window of opportunity. The research shows 5G alone is projected to contribute US$130 billion to Asia Pacific's economy by 2030. However, adoption remains uneven across the region — ranging from 48.3% penetration in Singapore to less than 1% in several ASEAN member states. Without coordinated action, these disparities risk deepening digital divides and weakening regional competitiveness. ASEAN may be left behind as other regions accelerate their digital transformation. 'The convergence of 5G and AI represents the infrastructure of innovation, powering smart manufacturing, precision agriculture, and autonomous mobility. But ASEAN cannot afford to wait. The window for establishing regional leadership in intelligent connectivity is rapidly closing,' said Professor Vu Minh Khuong from LKYSPP. 'Our report provides ASEAN policymakers with a blueprint to navigate the complex intersection of 5G and AI integration, and now policymakers must act decisively. Coordinated strategies that can accelerate regional leadership in intelligent connectivity must be established to help the region move beyond incremental improvements toward transformative digital leadership.' The LKYSPP study, drawing from extensive stakeholder interviews and survey responses from over 400 professionals across eight ASEAN countries, identifies ten critical imperatives for accelerating 5G-AI transformation, beginning with establishing coordinated digital leadership to address fragmentation that is currently slowing regional progress. ASEAN governments should treat 5G as a strategic AI enabler — not merely a telecom upgrade — while addressing the widening skills gaps that are impeding enterprise adoption across the region. To secure ASEAN's digital future, the report recommends implementing five strategic priorities: The LKYSPP report emphasises that enterprise adoption should be prioritised as the primary driver of 5G's economic impact. Looking across the region, there is much potential and notable examples of success: Singapore's 5G-powered smart ports have achieved 50% latency reduction, Thailand has deployed AI-enhanced disaster management systems, and Malaysia's wholesale network model has reached 82% population coverage. These examples illustrate the potential for transformative impacts when coordinated strategies are effectively implemented. According to the LKYSPP research report, private 5G networks are essential for Industry 4.0 transformation, while Fixed Wireless Access offers a compelling solution for bridging connectivity gaps in underserved areas. The report also positions current 5G deployment as critical infrastructure for 6G evolution expected by 2030, making today's strategic decisions particularly important for future competitiveness. Looking ahead, the study envisions ASEAN leading a 5G-AI powered future where enterprises scale globally through intelligent manufacturing, farmers optimise yields using AI-driven analytics, and students in remote areas access immersive education platforms. Realizing this vision requires bold coordinated action, strategic coordination and planning, and sustained commitment to digital transformation. The comprehensive 148-page report and executive summary are now available for download. The findings serve as both a strategic guide for policymakers and a call to action for regional institutions to seize the 5G-AI moment and shape a digitally empowered future for ASEAN's 700 million citizens. Hashtag: #LeeKuanYewSchoolofPublicPolicy #LKYSPP The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Professor Vu Minh Khuong Prof Vu Minh Khuong is a Practice Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. His research and teaching concentrate on economic development and policy analysis. He has published three books and over 50 papers in prestigious academic journals, including Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Information Economics and Policy, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Telematics and Informatics, Telecommunication Policy, Journal of Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Energy Policy. He is among the top 2% of most-cited scholars worldwide. Prof Vu earned his PhD from Harvard University. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Telecommunications Policy and the Journal of East Asian Policy. About the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) is an autonomous, professional graduate school of the National University of Singapore. Its mission is to be a leading global public policy school, with its faculty and alumni shaping thought leadership, improving standards of governance, and transforming lives for a more sustainable world. In addition to its Masters and PhD programmes, LKYSPP offers high quality Executive Programmes for civil servants, corporate executives, and non-profit professionals to equip them with insights and skills to transform their organisations and the world.
Newsweek
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Driving an AI-Embedded Car Is More Natural Than You Think
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The American public is deeply skeptical of artificial intelligence (AI). Any vehicle that is marketed with AI at the front of the conversation has a steep hurdle to clear to prove itself as more than just a smartphone on wheels. The new Mercedes-Benz CLA sedan does just that. A study by the Pew Research Center published earlier this year found that experts are far more positive and enthusiastic about AI than the general public. Around 35 percent of American adults have a negative view of AI, while only 17 percent view it positively. Fifty-six percent of AI experts have a positive view of the technology, and 47 percent of experts are "more excited than concerned about the increased use of AI in daily life," the Pew study revealed. However, just 11 percent of the public feels the same way. Not only are people less than thrilled about the future of AI, but they also mistrust it. A 2025 study of 48,000 people in 47 countries by the University of Melbourne, in collaboration with KPMG, found that 66 percent of people are using AI with "some regularity," but 58 percent of all respondents view the technology as untrustworthy. Stepping into the car and getting behind the wheel to experience the latest in Mercedes-Benz platform, electric power, charging, safety and infotainment technology – all of it using AI – is natural from a brand identity standpoint. Look around: Even with the elevated appointments, new cabin design and enhanced features, the CLA is clearly a Mercedes-Benz. Face of the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Face of the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Mercedes-Benz There's nothing unnatural or unapproachable about the AI-enhanced car. In fact, it being enriched with the technology may be the least interesting thing about it to the people buying and driving it. Yes, it's an all-electric, battery-powered car (a hybrid is coming later). But, its interior design removes many of the visual barriers traditionally associated with battery-electric vehicles. The car comes loaded with screens, physical button controls and cushy surfaces for arms to rest on. The seat is comfortable for hours at a time. Even better is the car's infotainment system. While much has been made of its ability to use AI to learn about its owner, the technology is well-layered and easy to manage to execute mundane tasks, like accessing saved navigation routes. And, its failings aren't quite failings. Instead, there are a few things that could be better, like a closer view of the route when following navigation. You can pinch and zoom in/out but that view doesn't stay. In European cities especially, having that view ability without needing to take your hands off the wheel while in traffic and looking for a turn would be appreciated. How does it drive? The answer is simple: like a car. Mercedes-Benz leaves the aggression to its AMG arm here for their forthcoming version, instead delivering smooth and steady acceleration at a digestible rate with well-managed torque allocation as elegant in this electric as it is in the company's hybrid E-Class. Steering too. Braking is a bit too soft on mid-speed rural road drives. While the upgraded Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 is nothing to shake a stick at, having the lower-power CLA 250 yielded zero power complaints. That's the benefit of electric power providing instantaneous torque. And, with around 400 miles of expected window sticker range, fast-charging capability and NACS and CCS charging ports, many potential customer adoption obstacles are no longer talking points. Thanks to the car's connected capability, things like braking feel and navigation views can be improved via an over-the-air update and don't require a stop at the local dealership for an upgrade. And, Mercedes-Benz can turn those updates around fairly quickly. The use of AI to digest the large amount of sensor data coming into the car to enable its various advanced driver safety system technology helps to keep the car in its lane on the highway while it maintains its speed camera-friendly rate of travel with aplomb. AI controls other parts of the ownership experience as well, including charging, by combining navigation data with the car's powertrain system to ensure that it arrives at the designated charge point with a system pre-conditioned to receive optimal electron input. What it comes down to is this: Whether it's infused with AI or not isn't the point. The point is that this next-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA is a really good car. It ticks so many boxes that it simply cannot be overlooked as part of a new, entry-level luxury car buying experience. Even more so, its success bodes well for the future of the company, which will see an all-electric version of its GLC SUV debut in September. Preliminary drives of it have revealed that it's even better than the CLA.
