As everyone knows, the era we are living in has been defined by technological advances. The internet, smartphones, electric vehicles, and now, AI. All of these things have and will continue to change the way we live, work, and go about our daily lives.
AI must be one of the most promising new technologies at the moment. It has been in development for many, many years, but is now starting to come to the forefront of many technologies. However, many of us don’t yet understand what it is or how it is integrated into our lives. So, let’s take a look at some of the details about AI and how it will be used from now and into the future.
What is AI?
All humans and animals on this planet have a level of intelligence. AI is the machine equivalent of this, hence the name artificial intelligence. This means a level of learning and development shown by machines, allowing them to grow and evolve their ‘thinking’ over time. This technology has been tried many times throughout history, as far back as 1955 when the first AI course was formed. However, in recent years, with the massive advances in computing power, AI has begun picking up pace properly.
How Does it Work?
There are many facets and factors contributing to the technology behind artificial intelligence, some having taken many, many years to create and utilize. In general, the inner workings of AI could be viewed as machines having the ability to learn, problem-solve, and think proactively. This is done by combining huge amounts of data – languages, for example – with fast processing, well-written algorithms. The AI system can quickly view all the links in the language and effectively learn to speak the language itself.
This idea could be transposed to any other data-rich problem such as maths, maps, and even entertainment. Below, you will find some examples of how AI is currently being used or uses it is being developed for.
AI in Copywriting
Copywriting is the process of writing blog posts, product advertisements, or other internet-based content, usually for product advertisements. The AI theory of learning language applies here, as AI copywriting is being developed. In these systems, the AI bot takes in various pieces of data about the product you are selling. For example, it will take the name, price, market, and some other keywords. Then, using clever language algorithms, it can write an article, advertisement, or another post to promote your product.
In theory, AI bots could become as good as human copywriters. By analyzing millions of other copywriting posts along with their sales rates, they can learn how to write the most efficient content. Plus, most products in certain markets will have relatively similar keywords and selling points, so learning and copying should be quite “easy!”
Gaming Against AI
One of the first uses of AI was in the gaming world. An easy way to set a machine one task to learn, we have had various programmers develop AI game bots. Famously, in 1996, a computer called Deep Blue beat the reigning world champion chess player on its first attempt. This computer was developed by IBM as a test of artificial intelligence, as it could “think” 20 or more moves ahead, to try and guess what a human opponent would do. It was widely viewed as a success, and now AI is implemented in various games to some degree, to try to make the human experience better.
AI in Navigation
Believe it or not, but every time you get your phone out to ask for directions, you are actually using AI software. These clever bots don’t just point you in the right direction and send you off. No, they actually think about the best way to get you from A to B. Whether that’s a combination of multiple transport uses or a single car journey, you will get the best options. What’s more impressive is that the apps learn from you. Say you use Citymapper to get around your city, every time you choose to use the bus, the app slowly learns to recommend you use busses more often! Very clever and useful indeed.
Transportation Uses
There is constant news about the development of driverless vehicles. This is one of the most recent and potentially life-changing developments based on AI technology. Not only do the computers within driverless vehicles learn the roads, stick to speed limits and read street signs, they also can actively think about potential hazards. In theory, this means that driverless cars will soon be superior to human driving abilities, making our roads safer than ever before. It may seem scary now, but soon, your Uber driver may simply be a car on autopilot and you might get pizzas delivered from a driverless delivery vehicle of some kind!
AI For Health
Health science is becoming more and more data-led, meaning treatments can be more tailored to the individual patient than they ever have been before. AI will soon be able to assist doctors in making the best decisions for their patients, as it dives deep into the patient’s genome data and helps decide the best course of action. Artificial intelligence is set to revolutionize personal health both in and outside the hospital.
AI in Entertainment
Companies like Netflix already use a small amount of artificial intelligence in their platforms. You know those sections that say “movies we think you’ll like?” Those are based on clever algorithms based on what you’ve watched before, how long you’ve hovered over certain titles, and what trailers you watch. This could be taken to another level in the future, where AI systems know so much about your taste that they can actually tailor original content to suit each individual person. This could be a long way off yet, though!
AI is slowly being integrated with all these aspects of our lives and more. The future is going to be jam-packed with AI-led technologies that enhance our standard of living to a whole new level. It is very exciting to see what comes next!
