By Karen Mazurkewich, Editor, and Kara Collins, Managing Editor Since artificial-intelligence software is encoded with the same basic 1’s and 0’s that have formed the building blocks of computer programs for decades, readers might ask, what makes AI “special”? What makes artificial intelligence more “intelligent” than, say, an old Xbox, or a gas-station microwave oven? And why all the…

This is how artificial intelligence is changing the world — Prepared by Max Hickey, Dan Liu, Jason Moody, Nirusan Rajakulendran and Deanna Schmidt, research analysts with MaRS Market Intelligence

Can a computer write a great novel, paint a masterpiece? Not yet, but algorithms are beginning to prove very helpful in humanity’s quest for creativity. And it won’t be long, some predict, before they’re making that quest on their own. — By Gerry Flahive You’re designing an office environment for 250 software workers. Parameters? Many. Time and resources? Limited. Number of employees who would like to have their desk near a window? All of them.

There’s a growing campaign to make sure society comes out a winner — By John Lorinc The transformative power of artificial intelligence has come to preoccupy big business and government as well as academics. …

AI-assisted screening of job applications reduces sexism, racism and ageism in the workplace — By Nora Underwood Four years ago, much to his mother’s chagrin, Jahanzaib Ansari dropped out of university to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams. His first effort, a bespoke tailoring business founded with two friends, was a success, but Ansari left. He had personal reasons but also wanted to try his hand at selling technology…

From heating homes and trading electricity to boosting wind power production and keeping pipelines safe, machine-learning algorithms and big data are giving the energy sector a serious boost — By Tyler Hamilton When Ontario’s energy ministry launched its “green bank” this past summer to help homeowners and small businesses become more energy efficient, one of its first actions was to give away and install 100,000 smart thermostats.

Challenged by nimble startups, Canada’s big banks are embracing AI, both to cut costs and compete. From chatbot service reps to predicting what will go viral online, the changes will be staggering. — By John Lorinc The feeling of dread is nearly universal in our credit-addled society: Even as bills pile up and that retirement fund demands care and feeding, temptation rears its head — a pricey outfit, an impulse weekend in New York, that new iPhone.

Machine-assisted medicine is so good at figuring out what ails you that frail patients need not undergo arduous tests and Alzheimer’s disease no longer comes as a surprise — By Jonathan Kay To understand the revolutionary innovations in medical technology being unleashed by artificial intelligence, it’s useful to start with the lives — and deaths — of two legendary actors: Paul Newman and Gene Wilder.

When it comes to discovering life-saving drugs, AI kicks the “fast track” into overdrive — By Mary Gooderham They say that speed kills, but in medical science it can also save lives. For example, developing new drugs is lengthy, complicated and expensive. It requires that scientists identify proteins that cause disease, evaluate molecules that may target those proteins, and then go through rounds of clinical trials before receiving…