Bayer Launches Amazon Alexa Skill to Turn Students into Scientists
*By Michael Teich*
Bayer is turning to Amazon Alexa to find the world's next big scientists, engineers, and mathematicians.
The German pharmaceutical and science giant is launching "Science Studio," an Alexa STEM education skill designed to engage the next generation of students.
"This is now ears-on-science to do the hands-on-science. Let's go to where the kids are and let's help get them excited about science," Ray Kerins, Bayer's SVP of Corporate Affairs said Monday in an interview on Cheddar.
Bayer's efforts caught the attention of six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee. She sees STEM education as a big opportunity to build a bright future for girls.
"To get young girls to have an interest in science, and then with this Alexa Echo app, it's just amazing," she told Cheddar.
It is projected that nearly 2.5 million STEM jobs will go unfilled in 2018. By introducing science experiment instructions integrated with Amazon's ($AMZN) smart speaker, Bayer thinks investing in STEM education can minimize future vacancies in the field.
"Kids lose interest on STEM and science in the 5th and 6th grade. More importantly, unfortunately, young girls lose it and minorities even worse so," Kerins added.
Targeting smart speakers gives Bayer a foot in the door into millions of homes. In 2017, there were 45 million connected homes using virtual assistants and that number is expected to more than double in the next couple of years. It is estimated that 94.2 million households, or 75 percent of U.S. households, will own a smart speaker by 2020.
Jason Moser, analyst and adviser at the Motley Fool, shares thoughts on recent tech earnings, including what’s behind Google’s share price drop and why A.I. could be Microsoft’s ‘iPhone moment.’
CEOs of social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and more meet with lawmakers Wednesday about how they are protecting children from sexual exploitation.
San Francisco 49ers president Al Guido discusses what goes into preparing for Super Bowl LVIII, building a championship-ready team, and how Taylor Swift and streaming are both bringing new fans to the NFL.
A $1 billion loss from a six-week strike did not crash GM's net income last year, which instead rose 12% — and the automaker expects improvement in 2024, too.
Accrue CEO and founder Michael Hershfield explains why Americans' credit card delinquencies are on the rise, advice on what can help, and the key difference between Boomers and Gen Z when it comes to money.
Senior Economist at Morning Consult Kayla Bruun shares thoughts on what to expect from the Fed's January meeting and where monetary policy is headed, as well as how consumers are faring.
Former Medtronic CEO and author of 'True North' Bill George explains the steps Boeing leadership must take to regain client and consumer trust after 737 Max 9 production was stopped.
Amazon blamed "regulatory hurdles" for calling off its proposed acquisition of robot vacuum maker iRobot. Not even a Roomba could clean up the deal's antitrust scrutiny.
To celebrate Flutter Entertainment's debut on the NYSE, FanDuel CEO Amy Howe shares her thoughts on the company's plans for growth, the future of online sportsbetting, and Super Bowl Sunday.
