Artificial Intelligence Predictions for 2018


Introduction

Given the huge leaps forward that AI has made in recent years, it is logical to assume that it will continue to grow and improve into 2018, with new improvements being made every day. AI is set to become more practical for businesses and industries in the immediate future since we have managed to bring our understanding of machine learning up to a point where we can begin to integrate it into our machines.

This, combined with robotic motion systems, is what will drive most of the change in the coming year; our own ability to create AI which can exceed what it was capable of before is what has brought us to this point, where AI could become integral to our society as a whole. AI which can directly explain itself, rather than needing a programmer to decipher and translate what it is trying to do is technology which will be incredibly useful in all sorts of applications. AI which can directly interface with any part of the workforce will be useful because it means that the entire process of using it will be streamlined, and much faster.

Human-like Help

The sheer number of online inquiries and help requests is more than most people can realistically keep up with – AI is set to plug the gap, as it can be set up to handle huge numbers of customer requests at any given time.

            Many different companies already use chatbots to help them with customer service, but these bots are normally only programmed to help with the most basic requests and reviews – AI is set to become a replacement for actual human customer service in a way that hasn’t been seen before.

Voice Recognition will Improve

Everyone knows the pain of trying to send a voice text, or use voice recognition software on their computer, only to have to redo almost everything because the computer hasn’t quite understood what the user is going for. Voice technology has already improved, as seen with Siri and Alexa and the other programmes like them, but 2018 will see them get even better, with voice texts becoming more accurate, and voice technology able to utilise machine learning to learn more effectively and quickly. There are also possible discussions of using voice technology as a means of detecting troubling behavior – psychologists have been working with machine learning for this very reason.

Robots

Robots of varying type have been around for a while, but it is only recently that we have managed to really break into the various industries that exist, and that can really use help from robots.

Originally, robots were clumsy and not very well-suited to any but the most gross-motor controlled jobs ever – they were normally used as a way to carry large and heavy loads from one point to another. The addition of linear actuators, and 12 volt linear actuators in particular, is what really changed the way that robots operated. Actuators allowed robots to undertake more delicate tasks, and so facilitated their entrance into more industries, including the car industry.

AI is set to give robots another working revolution, by making them capable of learning and making decisions in the workplace. This has further opened up the world of work, by possible making robots capable of entering into a business workplace as a decision maker or a leader figure, rather than something or someone who purely does the grunt work (however much precision that may require).

Process Optimising

Businesses and companies do not always know when they are following processes which are inefficient. Inefficiency can come from a variety of places – if the business was set up before the digital world became so prominent, then the inefficiency may come from them not really being in touch with the new needs and capabilities of the modern workforce. Alternatively, the business may simply not have considered efficiency when it made up its protocols.

AI is all set to step in in 2018 and set these things to rights, taking their machine learning, and applying it to learning about the companies in question so that their processes become more efficient and useful. AI is something which can be used to keep every business running as efficiently as possible, since it is as simple as feeding it information on what the business is supposed to be, and using it to find the best way to achieve that goal.

Conclusion

AI is far from perfect, but 2018 is sure to be a great year for its continued development and use. We have found a huge variety of uses for AI while still only starting to understand machine learning and how AI is actually constructed, but we are already moving to a point where we can implement it all in various areas. Our continued efforts in AI will only allow us to move further into using it to help us in business and personal transactions.