PE firms to step up use of alt data

IntelAlley

Private equity has been lagging in the adoption of non-traditional data. But its growing acceptance is driving increased consideration of its use. Only one in four PE firms currently use alt data, but another 25% expect to use it in the near future, based on a new survey by Fox Chase Advisors. Read More

‘Businesses will not be able to hide’: spy satellites may give edge from above

New York Times

Over 2,000 cube satellites will be launched into orbit in the next decade, producing mountains of data and creating an $11 billion market. But some investment firms still think of it as a “narrow niche” and the data provided is not yet as useful as what we can find here on earth. Read More

We analyzed 16,625 papers to figure out where AI is headed next

MIT Technology Review

The MIT Tech Review’s look at 25 years of AI research suggests the era of deep learning is coming to an end. After a shift toward machine learning in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and a rise in the popularity of neural networks beginning in the early 2010s, the current growth area is reinforcement learning. Read More

Alt data nuclear arms race may be looming

CFA Institute

If alternative data is only used for alpha generation, it could lead to the investment industry equivalent of a nuclear arms race, says Ashby Monk, Director of the Stanford Global Projects Center. His suggestion: use the information to avoid capital loss, slowly and patiently. Read More

Is there really wisdom in the crowd?

Knowledge@Wharton

With predictive analytics, companies rely on aggregated data to help them with almost everything. But can firms trust the wisdom of the crowd? New research suggests that you often get better and more accurate results by going with answers that are “surprisingly popular” rather than those that are “most popular”. Read More

Realizing their data has value, consumers begin to demand a cut

Canadian Press

People are increasingly aware that their personal information has a monetary value, and they are starting want a share. But consumers often have an overinflated understanding of the value of personal data, assuming their individual info is desirable when organizations only want it in the aggregate. Read More

StarCraft is a deep, complicated, strategy game. Google’s AI crushed it

Vox

Lots of people are worried that AI is coming for their jobs — Uber and Lyft drivers, receptionists, even attorneys and software engineers. A remarkable exhibition match suggests that another group that should be worried is … pro video gamers? Read More