Artificial Intelligence or AI is a term that may be alien to some of us, but with its diverse applications and usage, the intelligence demonstrated by machines are fast becoming an inevitable part of our routine.
From offering an exceptional conversational experience to app personalization and from seamless gaming to security, the possibilities of AI are never-ending. AI is directly impacting business strategy and operations, which further assist in weaving a robust platform for mankind.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a domain of computer science that focuses on the development of intelligent machines that work and react like humans. Following are the few areas which are covered under AI:
- Speech recognition
- Learning
- Planning
- Problem-solving
If we weigh AI in a broader context, it can be split into two types, one as narrow AI and other as general AI. The narrow AI is something that we experience on a daily basis, such as computers and laptops. Systems that are designed to carry out some set tasks without requiring any intelligent response from the system’s end. On the other hand, general AI is more complicated. It is typically seen in movies, and its actual existence is debatable.
In between all this, don’t forget about the adversaries. Everything has two sides, and AI is no different. AI does pose the full range of risks and perils, which we can’t ignore.
The English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author, Stephen Hawking, told the BBC, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race….It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn't compete, and would be superseded.”
The computer genius himself testified the uncertainty over AI. Therefore, we can’t throw caution to the wind in the context of AI. We need to have a full-proof plan to tread further in exploring the AI.
Biggest AI Achievements of 2021
-
Google’s AlphaGo: Games is one forte where AI has established itself. In a recent attempt, Google’s AI research arm, DeepMind defeated the best human player in the AlphaG, Google’s game-playing AI. In the past also, AI defeated chess grandmasters in chess to muscle its dominance.
-
Facebook Chatbots: In an attempt to make AI chatbots responsive to human behavior, Facebook came up with two conversational chatbots. On observing them, the developers and engineers were baffled to know that the chatbots started creating their non-human language for negotiation, whereas they were commanded to communicate in English only.
-
Autonomous Vehicles: With companies like Samsung, Huawei, Nvidia, Volkswagen, Uber, and Google’s Waymo, the scope of autonomous driving has increased many folds. Everyone knows the functionality of AI into autonomous vehicles and to tap such immense potential, car, and tech companies are infusing billions of dollars in this domain. As per a report, since 2014, over $80 billion has been invested in the development of autonomous driving cars.
-
Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg: Tussle between the top heavyweights is not something new. Last year, Elon Musk, CEO, and lead designer of SpaceX; co-founder, CEO, and product architect of Tesla and Mark Zuckerberg, technology entrepreneur and CEO of the biggest social media platform, came face to face. Musk was of the opinion that AI should be regulated before it slips out of human influence and turns against human society. Whereas, Zuckerberg condemned Musk’s views and encouraged AI applications. Ultimately, their Twitter battle became a cake for the media houses across the globe.
Zuckerberg blasts @elonmusk warnings against artificial intelligence as 'pretty irresponsible' https://t.co/DzPjvBym7W @svbizjournal #ai — Darren Cunningham (@dcunni) July 25, 2017
-
AI Startup Funding: AI remains one of the top startup ventures for amassing financing. According to a report by Crunchbase, more than $9 billion was infused in AI companies in 2017. The number was $5 billion in 2016. There was almost 80 percent of the jump in funding from 2016 to 2017. The companies committed to various fields like deep learning, predictive analytics, intelligent systems, speech recognition, natural language processing, computer vision, general machine, and more.
The use of AI is just not limited to business houses, but even the states are actively involved in exploring the applications of AI. Nations like the US, South Korea, Japan, China, and India have already made considerable strides in the AI arena.
In 2017, China’s artificial intelligence startups ranked above the US and took about 48% of all dollars going to AI startups globally. Regarding deep learning, China’s rate of publishing patents is six times more than that of the US.
Artificial Intelligence Trends To Watch For In 2021
Robotic workforce: Presently, there a lot of robotic prototypes that have been in the testing phase and many of them are already put to extensive use. With the established companies like Fanuc and Yaskawa Motoman, the robot makers are expanding their range, and new startups are coming up with new samples that are hard to ignore.
Nowadays, artificial intelligence companies in India and other corners of the world are focusing on transforming manual labor with AI programmed robots. In this way, the worker hiring cost will sink, and there will be more efficiency and accuracy in productivity. As per a report, by 2025, Japan will be employing robots to cater to the needs of 80% of older adults, which looks achievable.
1. Voice Assistants: After gesture controls, the next buzzword is voice assistants. With the emergence of voice-enabled computing like Siri, Google Assistant, and Cortana, the scope of voice assistants has increased many folds.
The Consumer Electronics Show of this year witnessed numerous IoT devices, and many of them were found to be integrated with the Amazon Echo or Google Home, again a voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant device.
Samsung is also leaving no stone unturned to better its voice assistant, Bixby. The South Korean multinational conglomerate is aiming to internet-connect all its devices and have intelligence from Bixby by 2020.
2. Smartphones & Gadgets: There are over 2 billion smartphone users in the world, and the number is only going to snowball in the coming future, and due to this reason, it makes smartphones as one of the essential platforms for tech companies to deploy and test the reliability of AI. The AI reach is not just limited to smartphones, but the new wearable devices and smart gadgets are also included in the list.
3. Edge Computing: The next noteworthy and emerging nucleus of AI is Edge Computing. Apple rightly displayed the relevance of Edge Computing by unveiling A11 chip with a neural engine for iPhone 8 and X that could perform machine learning tasks at up to 600B operations per second. Another reference is the FaceID features embedded in iPhone X.
4. Military Applications: The wars are getting smarter and smarter day by day. From unmanned combat drones to stealth fighter planes, AI is flexing its muscles everywhere. Governments are moving beyond conventional defense and surveillance. The focus is on cybersecurity that incorporates algorithm-based AI.
AI will come handy in sift through millions of incidents to identify aberrations, risks, and signals of future threats. In a recent media report, US Army demonstrated its ability to keep track of the mechanical health of millions of machines deployed for the battle.
The credit for such a remarkable tech goes to Uptake Technology. The companies like Cybereason, CrowdStrike, Cylance, and Tanium are already in the race to tap the AI market.
Detailed Infographic
Here is a well-researched report on the trends of AI that will add more value to the existing technology.
The Closing Thoughts
What may come, the feasibility of AI is only going to leapfrog in the coming years. There are effective developments and as well as, the downside of the AI but still, you can’t ignore the existence of intelligence demonstrated by machines.
Developers are in full swing to build useful machine learning tools which will offer unprecedented opportunities to business from data swap partnerships to AI enhancements. The result will lead to the modernization of business tactics and planning. On top of that, there is a tremendous investment of funding from top tech giants, and this proves the credibility of AI in the silicon valley.
Half of this year is gone, and the next half is brimming with tech innovations. Companies are vastly adopting AI in some way or the other to bolster their business aspects. Some are using AI art tools to generate amazing visuals while others are using AI copywriting tools to generate content faster. Nevertheless, AI makes endless possibilities possible. The new applications will only further ameliorate AI and digital transformation.
So get your feet on the ground and embrace one of the best innovations of mankind.
Frequently Asked Questions
By Sakshi Kaushik
Content Writer (B2B Editorial)
A passionate writer and tech lover, she strives to share her expertise with mobile app developers and fellow tech enthusiasts. During her moments away from the keyboard, she relishes delving into thriller narratives, immersing herself in diverse realms.