Future is AI
Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing everything from manufacturing to transportation to healthcare, and as these technologies develop further, they will have wide–ranging effect on our work, our lives, society and policymaking….
AI
To mark its 24th anniversary, Denver International Airport in Colorado installed a new talking gargoyle that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to interact with passengers.
Close to us we have Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and other such devices that uses AI to keep us updated on latest news, sports, weather or any other information.
UAE becomes the first country to have an AI minister.
These are just few examples of how AI will change the way we see things in the future. Many people believe that AI is yet to come, but they’re not aware it is already present in today’s world. The new iPhones use AI for its feature ‘facial recognition’; many video games available in the market today use AI extensively; both Netflix and YouTube use AI to recommend movies and videos. In plain words, AI is already a common component in a number of technologies we use today.
So what is AI?
Today’s machines like supercomputers can see things into the future like dark matter, universe, ailments and diseases, etc. which are far beyond the imagination of human beings. Supercomputers are already powering blackhole research and working on a number of unproven theories which humans were unable to answer for so many years.
A case in study is the IBM’s Supercomputer ‘Watson’ which is able to detect cancer much better than the veteran doctors, and algorithms are helping companies to know about their products and how it is faring online. In fact these are just some of the examples how technology or AI have come into our life which we hardly paid attention to.
In short, AI refers to machines that can learn, think, and act accordingly. When faced with new situations these machines can make their own decisions, similarly to that of humans. AI revolutionizing industries
Let’s look at the advances of Artificial Intelligence in major industries:
Agriculture –
According to the latest UN report, by 2050, there will be 2 billion more people on our planet and feeding these additional mouths will definitely pose a challenge for the governments. This is where the farmers are turning to Artificial Intelligence to produce more food using less resources. This includes using the right kind of crops that will yield returns, detecting pests, applying autonomous machinery for faster sowing and harvesting, monitoring soil and crop health, forecasting weather changes and environmental impacts.
Healthcare –
Of late we have seen many digital technology companies like Apple, IBM, Google and Microsoft who have entered into the healthcare industry. Their aim is to provide better and faster health services through mining medical records, thereby transforming the industry. A simple example is the IBM ‘Watson’ which has revolutionized the way doctors can diagnose and give treatment to a patient; working just like a human doctor.
Automobile –
With the evolution of latest technological advancements like GPS, radar, hi-tech camera, AI etc. the concept of driverless cars is slowly turning into reality! Auto giant BMW is optimistic that their driverless car called ‘i-Next’ will hit the roads in the next 2 years. Toyota’s autonomous car named ‘Yui’ will have a number of features like driving habits, roads travelled and even gauge emotional experience of the driver during the ride. Interestingly, other companies like Tesla, Google, Mercedes-Benz, Ford… are also investing huge amount of money in developing autonomous cars.
Manufacturing –
AI will have the biggest impact on the manufacturing industry. Robots have already made their presence felt in manufacturing automation. A simple case is the China-based mobile phone company that earlier had over 600 human workers. But after the recent AI automation, the company now employs only 50 workers who work in tandem with 50 robot arms and this has led to cent percent increase in productivity and over 80% drop in defects – thanks to AI automation.
Limitless future
Modern society is all set for transformation – thanks to the emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, advanced robotics, supercomputers that are revolutionizing everything from manufacturing to transportation to health care. And as these technologies develop, they will have wide– ranging effect on our work, our lives, society and policymaking. And if we are ready to fully accept these technologies in our lives, then we need to be think about how to use these technologies best to our benefits, while limiting the risks to humanity as we go along.
–Noel Fernandez
