A few years ago the Internet came to change the world. Now comes the next revolution: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Little by little we are all getting used to this new concept, a combination of techniques and algorithms that will make it possible to create machines that "think" like human beings. In this post we will talk about Artificial Intelligence: what it is and how it has come into our lives.
What is artificial intelligence?
We could define artificial intelligence as the ability of a machine to reproduce the same capabilities as a human being. These abilities would be reasoning, learning, organizational skills and creativity, among others.
Artificial intelligence systems are a step beyond the classic behavior of conventional computer systems. These are capable of handling a huge amount of data, information that exceeds human capabilities, thus developing an enormous power of calculation and analysis. However, they lack the ability to interpret the data and make decisions outside the criteria that the humans who manage them impose on them.
Instead, the AI can do all that and also interpret the data it receives with a "human" sense. It analyzes the effects of previous actions, adapts its behavior and responses to what it learns, and is ultimately able to work autonomously.
As has happened throughout history whenever a new technological advance has appeared, so too AI has been greeted with a mixture of hope and fear. The most optimistic predict a future of great progress, with a better standard of living for the world's population. Others, on the other hand, raise serious doubts about the dangers that this new technology may entail, from negative consequences in the labor market to hypotheses worthy of science fiction literature or cinema.
Without going into that debate, what we can say is that AI is already among us. And he has come to stay. We will demonstrate it with these five examples:
Five practical applications of AI
These are just five examples of how Artificial Intelligence is present in our daily lives. Sometimes obviously, other times not so much:
Digital commerce and Internet searches
We start with the most obvious. Everybody knows that the internet search engines they «learn» from us, the users and consumers. We are the ones who provide them with a large amount of data that the AI processes and analyzes to offer us suggestions and relevant search results.
For companies (the clearest example is Amazon), artificial intelligence systems are a powerful tool that facilitates the task of carrying out sales projectionsIt even “guesses” the choice of products that a potential consumer is going to purchase based on their profile.
Another aspect in which AI is very important within the field of digital commerce is in the revenue forecast, a fundamental factor to be able to design marketing strategies, take advantage of the competition or minimize risks.
"Salud"
Currently, many medical professionals rely on the use of AI technology to achieve determine diagnoses more quickly and accurately.
This has led to great advances in some fields such as early cancer detection through the blood samples of the patients: the information from the hematology analyzes is exhaustively analyzed in search of patterns and to identify the genetic factors that can condition the development of the disease.
During the pandemic of COVID-19, artificial intelligence has also been used at the service of health systems. For example, it has been used in basic data recording and interpretation to track the spread of disease.
autonomous transport
Artificial intelligence has made possible the birth of a new concept in the world of transport and mobility: the autonomous car. Although the prototypes that exist have not yet overcome the legal obstacles (and social acceptance) to be used, it is clear that it is a mere matter of time.
In the near future, mobility in cities will be based on autonomous vehicles that "drive themselves" and their technological integration with traffic lights, GPS networks, public transport lines and other systems.
And in terms of road safety, there are already many new car models that incorporate driving assistance systems, capable of detecting possible dangerous situations and avoiding accidents.
Personal assistants
Although at first they were considered little more than a toy or a simple entertainment, the personal assistants they are today a very useful tool for the lives of many people. And its importance will go further.
The most popular example is Alexa, inseparable companion of many of us: a constant resource at home to answer our questions, get recommendations and have effective help to organize our routines.
In addition to this, we must also talk about the virtual assistants of many online services. For example, those that already operate in many banking entities, helping us to carry out various procedures and operations, and even answering our doubts and questions.
Automation
Finally, we are going to see how artificial intelligence can make life better and easier for us in our own homes. Until recently, the domótica it was limited to establishing a series of automations related to security and energy consumption within a home.
Now, thanks to AI, you can enter your own home without using keys and turn on the lights with a simple voice command. New developments, such as Z wave protocol It will allow homeowners to design their own Internet of Things for their home, with all home devices integrated and permanently connected. A simple practical example: the heating and air conditioning will work by themselves, without the need to program anything, adapting to our tastes and habits. Smart homes will be even more so thanks to AI.