There is so much conversation on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) will affect our lives in the future, however there is not enough conversation around the idea of how AI has already affected our lives in recent times. Many assume that AI is relegated to large tech firms working vigorously in finding ways to impact your life, but truth be told AI is experienced by most of us on any given day from morning through the evening.
If you doubt the above observation, let us examine a few instances where AI may already be a part of your daily routine.
Authentication Enablement
FaceID, is a common use of AI. With your smartphone – the biometrics used to grant access uses artificial intelligence to allow this kind of functionality. This technology can see your face clearly in 3D, placing approximately 30,000 dots (infrared points) on your face to capture an image. This is added to a machine learning (ML) algorithm that compares a previously taken image verifying your face to determine if this is, in fact, you attempting to unlock your phone. It is interesting to note that while this technology uses AI, it is not without its challenges. The odds of fooling FaceID (according to Apple itself) is one in one million.
Banking
This may be an area you may already be familiar with as your credit cards and accounts are monitored for irregular activity every second of every day to prevent fraudulent activity. But what about questions or support requests? The chat application you use when banking online, for the most part, is an AI construct. When you begin your chat session, it is very possible you are speaking with a chatbot, an artificial intelligence algorithm that will answer the most common queries asked. If you deposit cheques by scanning them into your mobile, you are using AI to validate the cheque information and process a successful deposit.
E-Commerce and Media Streaming
If we looked at the major online retailers, you would see AI in the background following your browsing experience on the retailer’s website and offering suggestions for items you spent longer viewing time with. Over time, the algorithms will learn your shopping preferences for items you may like, and items sold in abundance by people with similar shopping profiles. This pattern of suggesting items to purchase (known as predictive analysis) includes upselling your existing cart items or suggesting package deals that include associated products that are compatible with the item you are purchasing.
While predictive analysis is one area mentioned, predictive marketing is also using AI in e-commerce. It takes great effort and is highly time-consuming to have humans write product descriptions on every item available to sell online. Predictive marketing will write SEO-friendly product or service descriptions for all items with only using humans to customize a particular feature-set or product description.
As a side note – Media streaming services also make use of both predictive analysis and predictive marketing AI in program search, playlists, recommendations, previous browsing, and selection history, to name a few.
Smart Home Devices
With the advent of artificial intelligence, homes have become one of the most popular consumer locations to find AI devices in the internet of things (IoT) age. It is expected that over 300 million smart devices will be in homes by the year 2023. Smart thermostats are able to learn your heating and cooling preferences to adjust your in-home climate experience when you are at home or out, for example. Grocery lists can now be created solely based on what has been consumed in your refrigerator. These lists may be added to your online ordering portal and automatically ordered each week. Your fridge may also offer up meal suggestions based on what is available.
Healthcare
Arguably one of the best uses of AI is in medicine and diagnosis. Major advances in AI algorithms have led laboratories and medical centers to increase the efficiency and efficacy of vaccines, for example. Diagnosis and treatment processes of a significant number of medical conditions can now be accomplished in a fraction of the time it normally would have taken. Hospitals etc., are embracing and using artificial intelligence-enabled technology on everything from research to disease detection to expedite rapid response.
Surveillance and Identification
Multi-tasking has proven itself as an inefficient method of work performance. In the case of camera surveillance, employing one human to observe hundreds of cameras for illegal activity is impossible. With AI technologies used (object and facial recognition), monitoring locations via cameras has advanced in identifying suspicious behavior by leaps and bounds. Though not yet 100% accurate, facial recognition software used in banks, hotels, airports, etc., has created a “force-multiplier” in surveillance. This means that rather than using a hundred humans to monitor 20 screens each, the software using recognition AI algorithms will scan, for example, two thousand cameras and notify the single human overseeing the operation that an incident has occurred.
Navigation and Travel
If you or someone you know has ever used a ride-share app, then you have experienced artificial intelligence at work. Whether a cab or ride-share, that booking made online will be subjected to the AI algorithms that determine the vehicle and pricing that would best match your request. AI is also prevalent in other navigation apps. Think about booking a rental car or flights (that may also include a car or accommodation). Each of these interactions uses AI to determine the appropriate solution that makes sense for the occasion.
Depending on what city you may be driving in, the train signals and traffic lights are most likely supported by AI to assist with the flow during peak traffic times or major events held in a nearby location.
Video Gaming
AI is very much a part of specific racing, strategy, or individual player games. To bring a realistic viewing and playing experience to the game, AI is used to enhance the experience for the player to spend greater time on the game and find the right balance to keep the player engaged and challenged and not discouraged. The customer experience (CX) is the primary objective of using AI in video games. If the player is consistently engaged, the purpose of AI has been met.
Agriculture
AI has made great strides in the areas of crop-specific nutrition monitoring and weed protection of agriculture. AI can use algorithms to analyze images captured by drones in farm fields to identify bacteria and pests, allowing farmers to respond to threats significantly faster. AI also assists farmers with smart robots capable of performing tasks that control weeds and harvest crops at a faster pace than normal and with increased volumes. AI is also used to alert farmers if pests have made a resurgence in a particular location. Using satellite imagery, AI will compare the images to historical data using algorithms to detect which insect it is and alert farmers via smartphones so they may take precautions or use a specific pest control solution.
Autonomous vehicles are also used in agriculture to plant, irrigate and harvest crops. Using AI algorithms and GPS location services, a tractor can plant with an accuracy of just under a half an inch for its planters in the field. These tractors drive in straight lines, planting, and positioning seeds at the proper depth.
Final Thoughts
AI is endemic in daily life for most of us. AI gives us the ability to have a humanized robot simulate functions designed initially for humans with the functionality of learning at the same time. The point is that this will not be the end of AI’s use as a support tool for everyday needs and interactions.
The world’s largest search engines, for example, are using intelligence systems, sorting a seemingly never-ending stream of data input. For all their capacity to manage tasks in micro-seconds, we remain far from any artificial intelligence system having the ability to match human’s convoluted thinking.
Disclaimer: The author of this text, Jean Chalopin, is a global business leader with a background encompassing banking, biotech and entertainment. Mr. Chalopin is Chairman of Deltec International Group, deltecbankstag.wpengine.com.
The co-author of this text, Robin Trehan, has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, a Master’s in International Business and Finance, and an MBA in Electronic Business. Mr. Trehan is a Senior VP at Deltec International Group, deltecbankstag.wpengine.com.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this text are solely the views of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of Deltec International Group, its subsidiaries, and/or its employees.
