We don’t know precisely when – and perhaps two years is too little – but what is undoubtedly true is that our world has taken a very precise direction of development, following the development of information technology and telecommunications, and that this is changing it radically, especially as far as automation is concerned.
While once automation was about machines, today it is about decision-making processes. And from the verb to compute, we’re getting to the verb to process. Something that paves the way for what we call “artificial intelligence.” Without going as far as the perhaps overly optimistic predictions of Oxford University scientists, who predict machines that can produce school texts better than humans by 2026, and novels by 2054, we realize that AI is already all around us today but will be even more so in the future.
How AI is structured
Machines are much better at analyzing large amounts of data and possible future combinations than we are and thus are much better at relating them. This explains why the current game engines used in a game like chess are virtually impossible for any human player to beat: currently the difference vs. the current best chess player, Magnus Carlsen, is estimated around 200-250 Elo in favor of the computer.
Playing a game of chance, such as online blackjack or poker, where the rules are clearly defined, and everything depends on the drawing of a card of a specific value – obviously gives the human player much more possibilities.
But let’s look at three specific areas, beyond gaming applications, where AI is radically transforming the whole industry.
1 – AI in healthcare
The use of AI systems is well-suited to healthcare: the current method used in medicine depends heavily on data analysis – and as we’ve seen, this is an area where data processing systems excel. Being able to apply predictive analytics systems to clinical cases makes it possible to get a much clearer picture of the patient and, thus, to be able to treat them appropriately. The data tells us that 86% of the time, the treatments applied to a patient are not the ideal ones to cure their disease. In addition, by studying environmental factors such as place of birth and residence, dietary habits, and other factors, we can predict the possible future diseases that the patient may face and thus prevent them.
2 – AI in commerce
Predictions from various think tanks suggest that a massive implementation of AI in retail will substantially increase revenues – Accenture talks about 38% by 2025. This concerns both the processing of orders and their shipping and delivery by automated means such as drones and self-driving vehicles: in practice, once you have selected one or more products available in stock, it will be possible to receive them at home in a matter of minutes, no longer needing the traditional retail distribution with the delivery chain of its goods.
3 – AI in the banking and services sector
According to some estimates, the impact of AI in the banking sector alone is expected to reach $300 billion by 2030. Due to the characteristics of AI systems, this technology will mainly be used in financial and investment analysis and customer service. CRM systems, in vertical development, are giving customer service much more potential for interaction and support. Acquiring and managing massive databases will be the norm of global transactions in the future.
This data integration and automation might conjure up ominous scenarios, but we prefer to think about the long-term opportunities instead of the risks. Technology isn’t good or bad: it depends on how you use it – and so, we must insist on designing it to develop a safer, more open future world for all.
