Seattle-based tech startup Unearth Technologies, known for its breakthrough construction mapping software, announced its acquisition by Southern California’s Procore Technologies. Specifics of the deal weren’t shared with the public.

Unearth Technologies’ Impact on the Industry

Unearth Technologies surfaced in the tech scene in 2016 and has been revolutionizing the construction industry with its innovative software, dubbed “OnePlace.”

This mobile software leverages geographic information system (GIS) technology to gather and unify construction project data within detailed maps. Amongst its roster of clients are notable contractors, utilities, and a multitude of Fortune 500 companies.

“The product has been deployed across arrays of diverse terrains from dams to air bases and dense forests, and has aided in the management of thousands of miles of buried utilities over the years” – Brian Saab, CEO and co-founder of Unearth Technologies.

Directorial Roles at Procore

The collaborative work of co-founders Brian Saab and Amy Hutchins will continue at Procore Technologies, after having previously worked together at Seattle travel software startup Buuteeq.

Accomplishments and Future Endeavors

Unearth Technologies’ journey thus far has been fueled by various funding rounds including a $7-million Series A round in 2019. Its notable roster of investors include Cercano, Madrona Venture Group, among others.

Amidst the recent slowdown in acquisition activity within the tech industry, largely due to increased interest rates and stubborn inflation, McKinsey has reported an 85% jump in investments in the architecture, engineering, and construction technology sector from 2020 to 2022.

We extend our congratulations to both Unearth Technologies and Procore Technologies on this exciting new chapter and anticipate the innovative strides this synergy will make in the future.

We’d love to hear what you think about this acquisition in the comments below.

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The post Procore Technologies Gains New Ground with Acquisition of Unearth Tech Startup first appeared on Tech Insight.

Want Microsoft’s suite of tools to work for you?

The company’s burgeoning CoPilot AI technology is making waves in the world of software development, and it’s expecting you, the end user, to reap the benefits in the long run. Recently, it integrated CoPilot across its 365 cloud service and called upon household names such as Goodyear and General Motors to provide feedback on the digital tools. Over on their official blog, Microsoft welcomed hundreds more companies to the fold to trial a private, paid trial of CoPilot.  So, what is CoPilot? You’ve come to the right place to find out.

Remember Microsoft Word’s ever-ready paperclip?

Imagine its friendly prompts, but supercharged. Could your company be one of the next wave to benefit from this wholly modern tech?

As reported by The Register, CoPilot AI is built on OpenAI’s current Codex model and aims to make coding faster and more efficient by providing developers with AI-generated suggestions – this development promises to further revolutionise the world of coding, and empower digital workers of all levels to exceed. Let’s delve into the features of Microsoft’s CoPilot AI and discuss how it can enhance software development processes.

A Game-Changer for Developers

CoPilot AI is designed to provide developers with real-time, context-aware suggestions while they code. By analyzing the codebase and understanding the developer’s intent, CoPilot can offer helpful recommendations, making the coding process more efficient and less prone to human error; it doesn’t threaten human ingenuity when it comes to coding… it promises to empower it. The artificial intelligence (AI) system can generate code snippets, suggest corrections, and even offer alternative approaches to solving problems. 

• Time-saving: With its smart suggestions, CoPilot AI can help developers save time by eliminating the need for manual research or browsing through documentation.
• Improved code quality: CoPilot AI can detect potential errors and suggest corrections, leading to higher quality and more reliable code.

• Enhanced productivity: By assisting with mundane and repetitive tasks, CoPilot AI enables developers to focus on more critical aspects of their projects, ultimately boosting productivity.
• Accelerated learning: CoPilot AI can be an invaluable resource for new developers, as it can help them learn best practices and improve their coding skills.

Navigating CoPilot’s potential for turbulence

While Microsoft’s CoPilot AI offers numerous benefits, it’s equally worthwhile to consider its most pertinent ethical implications and limitations. For one, CoPilot may sometimes generate incorrect or insecure code – and the developer could be none the wiser. As with all AI developments, developers must be cautious when working, and thoroughly review the AI-generated suggestions before implementing them in their final projects.

What’s more, there are concerns about the potential misuse of AI-generated anything for malicious purposes. To mitigate such risks, both Microsoft and OpenAI must continue to invest in the development of the technology and establish clear guidelines for ethical use. The story of AI is just beginning, and thankfully, CoPilot has the potential to make coding more efficient, less error-prone, and accessible to a wider range of developers – even those who are just starting out.

While the AI system has its limitations and ethical concerns, its benefits can significantly enhance the software development process. As CoPilot AI continues to evolve, so will the coding experience for developers and everyday computer users worldwide.

The big question is, where does CoPilot go from here?

Source: https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/10/microsoft_copilot_ai/?td=rt-3a

Do you think CoPilot could transform the way you work? Let us know what you think below!

For more on how AI is influencing the way we work, read a top tech CEO’s thoughts here: CEO: Modern Workers Must Embrace AI to Thrive.

The post Microsoft’s CoPilot AI: A Game-Changer for Developers first appeared on Tech Insight.

Modern workers need not fear the advancement of AI, the CEO of Digital Science & Research Limited has shared. Dr Daniel Hook seems to be alleviating many pressing – and some valid – concerns workers may have about the threat AI poses to their roles and their livelihood. In short, while there will be some teething issues, Hook has good news for people worrying if artificial intelligence will leave their talents underutilised.

Dr Hook shares that AI is forming a core tenet of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and that the workforce has much to gain by embracing new opportunities presented by ChatGPT and its kin, even if it initially poses a threat to our more traditional modes of work.

It’s undoubtedly reshaping today’s technological landscape; like all new technologies, Hook is aware there will be a period in which people push back against it. Just as in the art world, we’ve become conditioned, ironically, to the shock of the new. However, what Ai does promise is to alleviate common crises across sectors – more so, as systems continue to improve and integrate into our daily lives (and they will), there will be an ever-increasing demand for professionals who can harness and control these tools.

Think about every technology you use today – somebody, somewhere had to master it for it to grow and flourish.

Will AI kill the arts? No.

Hook’s recent think piece on the topic at Digital Science’s TL:DR blog highlights the importance of mastering the “AI dark arts” to excel in the job market of the future. Unfortunately for naysayers, artificial intelligence isn’t going anywhere. The term refers to the skills and knowledge required to develop, manage and optimise AI systems; this experience is not only essential for developers and engineers but also for individuals in various sectors, as AI continues to transform industries across the board.

Just as video didn’t actually kill the radio, AI promises to not eradicate workloads, but transform them! Many creatives are nervous about the current battlegrounds of copyright regarding the art we produce; as the dust settles on artificial intelligence’s emergence, Hook is confident that the focus will swing back in our focus. The good news for us, it seems, exists in the five key themes Hook outlines in his piece, titled Tinker. Researcher. Prompter. Wizard. Vitally:

• Global Challenges
• Research Integrity
• The Future of Research
• Open Research
• Community Engagement

“We are living in a world where what AIs can achieve seems magical to us, one in which we are only limited by our own imaginations. The consequences are wondrous and terrifying in equal measure,” he says. “This strange new world is one in which words have a new power that they didn’t have just a few months ago.” The five areas that Hook highlights are specifically where AI can flex its muscles – brain power, through sheer force of will.

Will AI kill collaboration?

“One, perhaps scary, notion is that an AI may herald the return of the days of the lone researcher,” he says. “I have written before that it is a conceit to believe that you can be the best writer, idea generator, experimentalist, data analyst and interpreter of data for your research. But, with Large Language Models (LLMs), you may only need to be capable of just a few of these in order to work once again alone.”

Consider the greatest feats of humanity, and you’ll realise that collaboration lies at the heart of our monuments, brilliant inventions and infrastructure. The increased implementation of artificial intelligence will likely see the great thinkers of the world team up with their tech, rather than each other… but this doesn’t signify the end of the world.

Far from it. One thing’s for certain, change is inevitable, and it’s happening right now. Scared that artificial intelligence could steal your job? You needn’t be – with the right know-how, it promises to supercharge it.

Source: https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/article/tinker-researcher-prompter-wizard/

Want more on AI? Click here to find out how Microsoft is utilising their Azure tech to transform the healthcare system: OpenAI Changes Healthcare For The Better.

The post CEO: Modern Workers Must Embrace AI to Thrive first appeared on Tech Insight.

Would you trust AI to keep you safe? Microsoft and Epic are banking on it. The two companies are vying to streamline healthcare systems around the world to keep you safe, using their trademark software solutions: Microsoft’s OpenAI and Epic’s patented EHR.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) intelligence into common consumer technologies isn’t going away, with even the titans of the tech space vying to utilise the new tech to make headway. Microsoft has been a household name since the company reinvented personal computing in the mid-’70s. Now, a stride towards integrating Azure’s OpenAI Service into its offering promises to uphold Microsoft’s reputation and reinforce its position in the market, by better serving the healthcare industry.

On Monday 17th April, Microsoft Corp. announced that the company was expanding its ‘strategic collaboration’ with Epic – the self-described developer of cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology – to develop and better integrate generation AI into the healthcare sector. The companies will do this by harnessing Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service, breakthrough AI tools that provide industry-leading code and language AI models; across any sector, Azure OpenAI can help modern workers complete tasks more efficiently, with less.

How are they doing it?

Microsoft seeks to utilise Azure’s ever-developing toolset to combine both its scale and power with Epic’s industry-leading electronic health record (EHR) software. It reinforces the companies’ long-standing partnership, which already enables organisations to run Epic’s digital environments on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.

A shared innovation, it promises to deliver a ‘comprehensive array’ of generative AI-powered solutions that are integrated with Epic’s electronic health record software to increase productivity, enhance patient care and improve the financial integrity of health systems across the globe – its potential extends beyond borders.

Its worth is already being proven, as UC San Diego Health, UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin and Stanford Health Care have each deployed these innovative enhancements to automatically draft message responses, alleviating users from the common stresses of time-sensitive responses and faceless, automated responses. Another innovation will introduce conversational, natural language queries and interactive data analysis to SlicerDicer, Epic’s current self-serving reporting tool.

This will help clinical leaders to explore their data and findings in more intuitive ways. As per Microsoft’s press release, “A good use of technology simplifies things related to workforce and workflow,” said Chero Goswami, chief information officer at UW Health.

“Integrating generative AI into some of our daily workflows will increase productivity for many of our providers, allowing them to focus on the clinical duties that truly require their attention.”

OpenAI to the rescue!

Leading industry experts have repeatedly flagged just how urgently health systems and hospitals need to address the intense pressures on both costs and margins; in the US, approximately half of hospitals ended last year in the red.

Microsoft and Epic’s cutting-edge collaboration and implementation of Azure OpenAI Service promise to further streamline processes across the board, making it easier for healthcare organisations to identify operational improvements – improvements that not only include reducing costs, but changes that will ultimately assist workers in finding answers to questions locally, and potentially, worldwide. A digital solution for personal problems.

Would you trust OpenAI to keep you safe? Let us know in the comments!

Want to hear more about what Microsoft is doing to change the world?
Click here: Microsoft Pledges https://techinsight.newshub.talkabout.tech/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/09/uk-technology-heatmap-3.jpg-Carbon Data Centre by 2030

Source: https://news.microsoft.com/2023/04/17/microsoft-and-epic-expand-strategic-collaboration-with-integration-of-azure-openai-service/

The post OpenAI Changes Healthcare For The Better first appeared on Tech Insight.