Artificial intelligence is here. Or better yet it has been here for a while. If you have been waiting for some grandeur AI revolution to spring forth and a Skynet war to commence, the good news is that it has not started… yet. Artificial intelligence is already changing the world, shaping your daily life for the better.
AI has helped improve our entertainment, assisted doctors with diagnosing life-threatening diseases, improved our gaming experiences, and has even ushered in a new era in art. It is no wonder you probably cannot go a couple of days without hearing about the perils, benefits, and potentially existential crisis that come with a world with AI in it.
Today, rather than scare you senseless and talk about how even tech leaders Elon Musk and Bill Gates are terrified of AI and the problems it could bring. We are going to focus on how AI is already in your life and the lives of millions of people around the world, adding value. But, first, before we jump into that, let’s have a quick refresher.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
So, let’s go back to the basics, what is Artificial Intelligence? AI is an area of computer science that emphasizes the creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans. However, we generally categorize AI into 3 areas: narrow, general, and super artificial intelligence.
Artificial Narrow Intelligence or Weak AI is already in place across the world and in our daily lives; a system that uses big data and algorithms to beat you at chess, automate processes or even organize your Facebook page. Yes, this system might not be able to pass the Turing test, but our daily lives, financial systems, and even infrastructures are already very dependent on this type of AI.
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The next step of the latter is Artificial General Intelligence. Thankfully, we are not here yet. This type of AI would be systems that could think as well as us. We are about 30-40 years away from this. The key point to take away from this form of AI is that it would learn and upgrade itself; a trial and error learner.
Finally and probably the coolest (scariest), occurs when AI upgrades itself to such a level that it surpasses its human creators. This is Artificial Super Intelligence. Though some argue that we may never even reach this level on the AI scale, most would agree that it is very possible. Artificial Super Intelligence is what you may see in one of your favorite science fiction movies.
Now łet’s take a look at how we use AI in our everyday life.
Smartphones
Let’s start with a device that you use every day, your smartphone. At this point, it is safe to assume that you and everyone in your inner circle has a smartphone. And, whether you realize it or not, you are interacting with AI every day. From the apps, you download to your phone’s own integrated software, each of these tools has some layer of AI weaved into its functionality.
Built-in smart assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri, or Bixby use AI to understand you and to complete your recommended tasks. Some of the applications that you use like Spotify, Netflix, or Apple Music utilize weak AI to perfect your listening experience, even recommending the perfect song.
Even when you use your beloved portrait mode to capture the perfect photo on your single-lens iPhone XR for Instagram, you are using AI to create that effect. More exciting features like mixed reality are all also feasible because of artificial intelligence.
Smart Homes and Their Devices
Our homes are getting much smarter and you can thank artificial intelligence for that. The thing is, our homes are just going to get smarter. Smart speakers and smart appliances learn our behavior over time with the aim to make our lives a lot more comfortable. There will come a time in the near future, or perhaps it is already here when your home will know you better than yourself.
With AI as the driving force, your home will be able to predict when you want to eat, your preferred room temperature, when to turn the lights on and off on your home, when to order groceries, etc.
Transportation and Delivery
This is probably one of the more obvious examples. The rise of the autonomous vehicle can be attributed to, yup, you guessed it, AI. Companies like Tesla have brought the reality of the self-driving vehicle into the forefront of culture. However, the buck does not just stop there. The way you get to work whether it be through bus or train could become completely autonomous. In fact, a lot of companies like GE and Toyota are banking on it.
And let’s not forget that the way you receive packages is set to change too. Amazon and Walmart are already investing in drone autonomous delivery programs.
Social Media
You use social media every day, maybe a little too much. Though there has been a ton of controversy surrounding it, AI does influence what you do, click-on, see and interact with on social media. AI takes all your past experience, web searchers, interactions, and everything else that you do and tailors your social media experience just for you. In fact, this also makes your social media much more addictive.
Video Games
You probably clock in a few hours of gaming every day. Interestingly, AI is not only making games more exciting, but it is also allowing the process of creating games to be much easier and open for creators. Google and Nvidia are working on amazing developer tools solely driven by powerful AI.
Banking and Finance
From conducting stock trades in nanoseconds or making recommendations for the best long-term investment, AI is running the financial and banking industry. Even when you chat with your bank’s customer service, there is a good chance that you are talking with an AI chatbot. Nevertheless, AI is already poised to change the way we invest in financial outlets.
Navigation and Travel
So you probably have it drilled in your head at this point that AI infiltrated just about every part of your life. If you think traveling will keep you safe and free from your AI overlords, well you’re wrong. Whether you are using Google or Apple Maps, calling up an Uber for your friends, or booking a flight ticket, AI is right there helping you out all the way.
Do you see a future where AI does not influence our daily lives? In what way do you see artificial intelligence changing your life every day? Or in the near future? Leave your comments below.
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