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This Imperial College AI expert is heading up the advisory board at ContactEngine

Professor Nick Jennings, who is Professor of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Imperial College, is joining the advisory board for a Beringea and Amadeus-backed tech firm that is using machine learning to automate corporate customer service.

London-based ContactEngine works with corporate clients to support the automation of customer journeys and interactions right across their business, including email, SMS and telephone communications.

The likes of Sky, Whirlpool and Wickes already utilise the company’s services, with the firm now embarking on an even greater AI and machine learning push to help make its automation efforts even smarter.

The appointment of Jennings is something of a coup for ContactEngine, which has been operating since 2009 and secured £2m funding last September, bringing on board a world renowned expert in artificial and human intelligence sitting on their new advisory board.

Dr Mark K. Smith, Chief Executive Officer of ContactEngine, said: “Our founding goal is to make customer communications perfect, using intelligent cross channel automation.

“In use, our service is simple; however the richness of data collected is complex, and this is why we need to consider even more advanced AI and Machine Learning solutions.

“To have attracted the support of Professor Jennings to help guide us to the next level is exciting and will enable ContactEngine to tap into new ideas underpinned by his research.

“There are multiple ways in which his AI expertise will help further refine and perhaps even revolutionise automated communication.”

Jennings pedigree spans both the public and private sector, having previously served as the government’s Chief Scientific Adviser for National Security and was appointed by the Queen as Companion of The Order of the Bath (CB) for his services to computer science.

“I’m thrilled to be leading the ContactEngine Advisory Board,” Jennings said. “Multi-agent technology, harnessing the power of both human and artificial intelligence is the next frontier of managing meaningful and sophisticated communications with customers.

“As a leader in automated customer communications, ContactEngine’s strategic goals fit effortlessly with my research goals to endow machines with the ability to power conversations between organisations and their customers.”