Global private investment firm, Bridgewest Group, recognized for developing innovative companies in life sciences, software, and deep tech, announce the grand opening of new operational Center of Excellence in Hyderabad, India. The Global Capability Center (GCC), Bridgewest India will bring vast operational resources and economies of scale to the growing suite of portfolio companies for worldwide private equity firm Bridgewest Group.
Laxman Settipalli, General Manager and Head of Bridgewest India is the driving force behind the new Center. “The celebrations today are just the tip of the excitement and energy we have. In just a few months, we have structured our offering, put systems in place, hired our initial team, and moved into our new office in Gowra Palladium in Hyderabad. We’re seeing lots of engagement from companies and lots of interest from great local talent,” said Laxman. “Hyderabad India is recognized as India’s premier pharma, IT and innovation hub,” added Laxman.
Bridgewest India is recruiting top-level talent, spanning a multitude of expertise across technology, operations, and corporate functions. “HR, legal, R & D, marketing, sales, program management, engineering, finance, and local governance teams are customized to the business needs at hand. Performance, agility and value gives us the edge in high-growth technology and pharma sectors,” added Laxman.
Australia-based sterile injectable drug manufacturing company and Bridgewest Group life sciences company, NovaCina, is already seeing the value in partnering with Bridgewest India. “The sales and marketing talent has the right experience and mindset for NovaCina. The high-productivity is enabling NovaCina to reach more customers and achieve top-line growth at a speed and scale that otherwise would be difficult and costly,” said Tommy Broudy, Operating Partner, Bridgewest Group, life sciences portfolio.
“This is a significant milestone for our group. We are thrilled to be in Hyderabad today to inaugurate our new GCC. The demand for operational resources continues to rise across our portfolio. Bridgewest India’s suite of talent and services will be a powerful growth enabler for all of Bridgewest Group’s global portfolio companies,” said Adam Gickling, COO, Bridgewest Group.
Bridgewest Group has long been recognized for creating and growing businesses across the globe. “Our ability to empower good ideas and good people to bring forth solutions that improve our work, our health and our world, is our life’s work. The expertise, flexibility and cost efficiencies provided by Bridgewest India enable the founders and their teams to focus on their life’s passion – to transform their remarkable ideas into business success,” says Dr. Massih Tayebi, Founding Partner and Chairman of Bridgewest Group.
The post Bridgewest Group celebrates grand opening of Global Capability Center, Bridgewest India appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

 
Sainsbury’s, a prominent UK supermarket chain, is set to leverage Microsoft’s artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to elevate its store operations and provide customers with a more engaging and convenient shopping experience.
As part of its strategic initiative, the ‘Next Level Sainsbury’s strategy’, the supermarket will integrate generative AI, powered by Microsoft Azure, to enhance its online shopping platform and optimize customers’ search experience. By harnessing AI capabilities, Sainsbury’s aims to offer a more interactive and personalized online shopping journey for its millions of customers across the UK.
In addition to enhancing the online shopping experience, Sainsbury’s plans to equip its store colleagues with real-time data and insights to streamline in-store processes such as shelf replenishment. Leveraging multiple data inputs, including shelf-edge cameras, AI technology will guide colleagues on prioritizing restocking activities, thereby improving efficiency and productivity.
Over the next five years, Sainsbury’s will deploy Microsoft Azure to implement these initiatives, integrating data assets with Microsoft 365 collaboration tools to drive innovation and operational excellence.
Clodagh Moriarty, Chief Retail and Technology Officer at Sainsbury’s, expressed confidence in the collaboration with Microsoft, emphasizing its role in accelerating the supermarket’s ambition to become the UK’s leading AI-enabled grocer. Moriarty highlighted the strategic investment in transformative capabilities, aimed at enhancing efficiency, productivity, and customer service while delivering value to shareholders.
Clare Barclay, CEO of Microsoft UK, commended Sainsbury’s visionary approach, noting its commitment to placing AI at the forefront of its business strategy. Barclay expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize the retail experience for both customers and store colleagues.
The partnership between Sainsbury’s and Microsoft signifies a significant step towards ushering in the next generation of retail, powered by innovative AI-driven solutions.
Source: technologyrecord.com
The post Sainsbury’s aims to be an ‘AI-enabled grocer’ with Microsoft AI technology appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

Artificial intelligence has made remarkable strides, from passing bar exams to reading bedtime stories with emotion. Yet, despite these feats, it still falls short of matching the intricate nuances of human communication—particularly, the art of sarcasm.
However, researchers in the Netherlands are determined to change that narrative. They have developed an AI-driven sarcasm detector that can discern when sarcasm is being used, a feat previously thought to be exclusive to human cognition.
Matt Coler, from the University of Groningen’s speech technology lab, expresses excitement about the project’s progress. He emphasizes the importance of understanding sarcasm, a pervasive aspect of human discourse, to facilitate seamless communication between humans and machines.
Recognizing sarcasm poses challenges due to its subtlety, especially in text-based interactions where cues like tone and facial expressions are absent. To overcome this, researchers trained their AI using a combination of text, audio, and emotional content from popular sitcoms like Friends and The Big Bang Theory.
The AI, trained on annotated data from these shows, demonstrated an impressive ability to detect sarcasm in unlabelled exchanges from the sitcoms, achieving an accuracy rate of nearly 75%. Further enhancements are underway, including incorporating visual cues like eyebrow movements and smirks, to improve accuracy even more.
Beyond enhancing interactions with AI assistants, this technology holds potential for detecting negative language and identifying instances of abuse or hate speech. However, as AI becomes more adept at understanding sarcasm, questions arise about its potential to wield sarcasm itself.
Coler muses about the implications of machines responding with sarcasm, raising concerns about clarity in communication. Nonetheless, advancements in AI-driven sarcasm detection offer promising prospects for improving human-machine interactions and bridging the gap between artificial and human intelligence.
Source: theguardian.com

The post Researchers build AI-driven sarcasm detector appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.