Digital Fluency: Understanding the Basics of Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain Technology, Quantum Computing, and Their Applications for Digital Transformation

✍ Scribed by Volker Lang

• Publisher: Apress
• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 316
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

If you are curious about the basics of artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and quantum computing as key enablers for digital transformation and innovation, Digital Fluency is your handy guide. The real-world applications of these cutting-edge technologies are expanding rapidly, and your daily life will continue to be affected by each of them. There is no better time than now to get started and become digitally fluent.

You need not have previous knowledge of these versatile technologies, as author Volker Lang will expertly guide you through this digital age. He illustrates key concepts and applications in numerous practical examples and more than 48 catchy figures throughout Digital Fluency. The end of each chapter presents you with a helpful implementation checklist of central lessons before proceeding to the next. This book gets to the heart of digital buzzwords and concepts, and tells you what they truly mean.

Breaking down topics such as automated driving and intelligent robotics powered by artificial intelligence, blockchain-based cryptocurrencies and smart contracts, drug development and optimization of financial investment portfolios by quantum computing, and more is imperative to being ready for what the future of industry holds. Whether your own digital transformation journey takes place within your private or public organization, your studies, or your individual household, Digital Fluency maps out a concrete digital action plan for all of your technology and innovation strategy needs.

What You Will Learn

• Gain guidance in the digital age without requiring any previous knowledge about digital technologies and digital transformation
• Get acquainted with the most popular current and prospective applications of artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and quantum computing across a wide range of industries including healthcare, financial services, and the automobile industry
• Become familiar with the digital innovation models of Amazon, Google, Microsoft, IBM, and other world-leading organizations
• Implement your own digital transformation successfully along the eight core dimensions of a concrete digital action plan

Who This Book Is For

Thought-leaders, business executives and industry strategists, management and strategy consultants, politicians and policy makers, entrepreneurs, financial analysts, investors and venture capitalists, students and research scientists, as well as general readers, who want to become digitally fluent.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
About the Author
Introduction
Chapter 1: Digitalization and Digital Transformation
1.1 Historical Business Transformations
1.2 Innovation and Disruption Theory
1.3 The Digital Ecosystem
1.3.1 Major Driving Forces
Major Driving Forces: Complexity
Major Driving Forces: Agility and Flexibility
Major Driving Forces: Cybersecurity
Major Driving Forces: Efficiency
Major Driving Forces: Automation
Major Driving Forces: Sustainability
Major Driving Forces: Connectivity
Major Driving Forces: Compliance
1.3.2 Digital Transformation Strategy
1.3.3 Digital Key Technologies
1.3.4 Innovation Models of Google, Amazon & Co.
1.4 Classical Data Processing
1.4.1 The Digital Code
1.4.2 Principles of Operation
1.4.3 Computers and Other Digital Devices
1st Computer Generation: Mechanical Switches
2nd Computer Generation: Electromechanical Relays
3rd Computer Generation: Vacuum Tubes
4th Computer Generation: Transistors
5th Computer Generation: Multicores
1.5 Key Points
1.6 Further Reading
1.7 Online Classes
1.8 References
Chapter 2: Quantum Computing
2.1 Setting the Quantum Computing Scene
2.2 The Strange World of Quantum Mechanics
2.2.1 Spooky Quantum Reality
2.2.2 How Quantum Computers Operate
2.2.3 The Fussy Search for the Perfect Qubit
Decoherence: Spin-Flip Process
Decoherence: Energy Relaxation Process
Decoherence: The Technical Solution
Types of Qubits: Trapped Ion Qubits
Types of Qubits: Electron Spin Qubits
Types of Qubits: Superconducting Qubits
2.3 Quantum Computing Today
2.3.1 Commercially Available Systems
Commercially Available Systems: Quantum Annealer
Commercially Available Systems: Quantum Simulator
Commercially Available Systems: Universal Quantum Computer
2.3.2 Current Business Applications
Current Business Applications: Simulation, Modeling, and Optimization
Current Business Applications: Cybersecurity
Current Business Applications: Quantum Cryptography
2.3.3 Next Challenges
2.4 Key Points
2.5 Quantum Computing Framework
2.6 Further Reading
2.7 References
Chapter 3: Blockchain Technology
3.1 Setting the Blockchain Scene
3.1.1 The Role of Transactions and Money in History
3.1.2 Basic Functions of Money in Society
3.2 Blockchain Fundamentals
3.2.1 Decentralization and the Arrival of Trust
3.2.2 The Immutable Data Structure
3.2.3 Digital Value Transfer
3.2.4 The Authorization of Transactions by Digital Signatures
3.2.5 Deploying Trust by Consensus and Mining
3.2.6 Smart Business Contracts
3.3 Blockchain Technology Today
3.3.1 Implementation Challenges for Enterprises
3.3.2 Current Business Applications
Current Business Applications: Cryptocurrencies and Fundraising
Current Business Applications: Trading, Payment, and Sharing Services
Current Business Applications: Supply Chain Management and Logistics
Current Business Applications: Anti-fraud of Consumer Goods
Current Business Applications: Energy Commodities Platform
Current Business Applications: Governmental Services
Current Business Applications: Blockchain Consortia
3.3.3 Further Use Cases
Potential Use Cases: Governmental Services
Further Use Cases: Law
Further Use Cases: Healthcare
3.4 Key Points
3.5 Blockchain Technology Framework
3.6 Further Reading
3.7 References
Chapter 4: Artificial Intelligence
4.1 Setting the Artificial Intelligence Scene
4.1.1 The Symbiosis of Neurobiology and Information Theory
4.1.2 The Conference That Started It All
4.1.3 IBM’s Legendary Projects Deep Blue and Watson
4.2 Central Ideas Behind Artificial Intelligence
4.2.1 The Cost Function
4.2.2 Minimization of the Cost Function
4.3 The Five Categories of Learning
4.3.1 Supervised Learning
Supervised Learning: Regression
Supervised Learning: Classification
4.3.2 Unsupervised Learning
Unsupervised Learning: Clustering
Unsupervised Learning: Association
Unsupervised Learning: Dimensionality Reduction
4.3.3 Deep Learning
Deep Learning: Artificial Neural Networks
Deep Learning: Convolutional Neural Networks
Deep Learning: Recurrent Neural Networks
Deep Learning: Generative Adversarial Neural Networks
Deep Learning: Recommender Systems
Deep Learning: Auto Encoders
4.3.4 Ensemble Methods
4.3.5 Reinforcement Learning
4.4 Top Use Cases and Business Applications
4.4.1 AI Chips
4.4.2 Computer Vision
Computer Vision: Shopping Technology
Computer Vision: Vision-Guided Robotics
Computer Vision: Autonomous Driving
4.4.3 Healthcare
4.4.4 Natural Language Processing
4.4.5 Energy Efficiency
4.4.6 Drug Discovery
4.4.7 Financial Services and Insurance
Financial Services and Insurance: Cybersecurity
Financial Services and Insurance: News Analytics and Intelligent Pricing
4.5 Key Points
4.6 Artificial Intelligence Framework
4.7 Further Reading
4.8 References
Chapter 5: Your Digital Action Plan
5.1 Envision a Digital Strategy
5.1.1 Envision a Digital Strategy: Develop a Digital Business Model
5.1.2 Envision a Digital Strategy: Derive a Digital Operating Model
5.2 Select the Right Technology Stack
5.3 Digitize the Core
5.3.1 Digitize the Core: Create a Central Database
5.3.2 Digitize the Core: Develop a Software Tools Library
5.4 Identify Pilot Projects
5.5 Empower Management and Employees
5.6 Shape the Organization and Structure
5.6.1 Shape the Organization and Structure: Format Agile Project Teams
5.6.2 Shape the Organization and Structure: Establish a Two-Speed IT
5.7 Establish an Open Innovation Culture
5.7.1 Establish an Open Innovation Culture: Adopt Agile at Scale
5.7.2 Establish an Open Innovation Culture: Implement Design Thinking
5.8 Leverage the Ecosystem
5.9 Key Points
5.10 Further Reading
5.11 References
Glossary
Index