AI in the here and now:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the technology used by Siri to answer our questions, how Netflix predicts our viewing habits and how Amazon suggests things we might be interested in buying next. It’s a technology by which computers are programmed to combine masses of data with intelligent algorithms to decipher patterns and evolve over time to solve complex problems. In essence, it’s a way to make our lives that little bit easier.
AI is all around us, and with algorithms now as good as, if not better than humans, it’s a technology that is set to grow in an exponential way to impact sectors as wide ranging as healthcare, communications, politics and commerce. This technology is allowing many industries to overcome hurdles. In commerce, for example, brands are overcoming the challenge of the multi-channel buying experiences with the use of chat bots that allow a streamlined customer service experience across all touch points, from in store to online.
Shaping the future:
Looking to various sectors, AI has the capability to create great change. Websites and e-commerce will become more dynamic, personalised and exciting, with each site being able to monitor the smallest pieces of data, every followed link and every hover to be able to personalise your experience, resulting in alerts, suggestions and visuals that are interesting to you.
In the communications sector, we will see that a main feature of AI will be its ability to make all touchpoints more reactive, personalised and relevant by using a number of different inputs. Coupled with some very smart adaptive design technology, in the future billboards, digital ads and everything in between will be able to show the right product, with the right message at the right time – a marketer’s dream.
One incredibly important sector that is reaping the rewards of AI is healthcare. With its ability to scan large amounts of data and identify trends, this could be used to detect patterns in medical imaging, like x-rays, ultrasounds and MRIs, ultimately helping diagnose diseases like cancer, sooner.
Current uses of AI in the healthcare sector include the likes of Babylon, which acts as a first port of call to assess patient’s symptoms and Mindscape, a voice tool that responds to the problems of people with stress and anxiety to manage their mental health. These apps are only the beginning and start to paint a picture of the lucrative future in the healthtech industry, with an investment of £1.3bn by the NHS in the sector only serving to continue this trend.
For all the benefits of this technology, many still have their doubts that AI is negative, either by taking human jobs or by invading data privacy. The truth is that instead of spending huge swathes of time deciphering data, there is space and time for more human connection, creativity and insight.
What next?
With the AI industry expected to grow by 50% by 2021, it’s an exciting time for every sector to take hold of this technology. With public opinion on the technology yet to be solidified, we must move forward with this technology by thinking of it less as ‘AI’ and more as a form of data collection that can only improve our lives with more efficient and seamless services. At Underscore, we think future first, and this is definitely one to watch. How will you use it?