Artificial Intelligence in Our Everyday Life
Published 22nd January, 2022
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/web-network-information-technology-4861605/
Computers have come a long way from the days when a single computer with modest capabilities would take up an entire room. Nowadays, we walk around with a smartphone in our hand that is far more powerful than the computer that took Neil Armstrong to the moon and back.
But scientists are not sitting on their laurels just yet. New advances in artificial intelligence (AI) allow computer systems to perform complex and intelligent tasks such as language translation, making decisions, and recognizing speech and faces, among others. With every passing day, new industries discover the power of AI and use it to provide a better service or get an edge over the competition. Even if you don’t notice it, you’re interacting with AI on almost a daily basis, whether you’re buying something online or withdrawing money from an ATM.
Retail and E-Payments
The retail industry has been one of the first to embrace the power of AI technology and take advantage of all it has to offer. The idea is by taking the human element as much as possible out of the equation, the customer will have a better experience. One shining example of AI in retail is touchless vending machines. With the help of augmented reality, the screens of these machines will turn into mirrors to help people try on sunglasses and makeup products. AI also helps with ID verification biometrics and inventory management. In addition, AI allows such vending machines to dispense a wide variety of products, from bakery products and cosmetics to electronics, masks, and items of clothing.
And when it’s time to make payment, AI steps in to streamline the process and ensure its success. Whether you want to buy something online or transfer money, AI has got your back. Using advanced algorithms, AI lets you open a bank account, make deposits, apply for a loan, and pay for things you purchase online without the need for human interference or even supervision. This allows an online store to serve a huge number of customers at the same time without the need of a single human employee.
With the help of AI, such complex procedures as identity verification, protecting the user’s sensitive information, and enforcing advanced security protocols take place smoothly. These same algorithms are responsible for detecting fraudulent transactions and stopping them. They monitor the user’s purchasing habits and spending patterns to authenticate each transaction and prevent identity as well as money theft.
Digital Assistants and Chatbots
But you don’t have to make a transaction or buy something from a vending machine to interact with AI. These days, AI applications are just about everywhere. A digital assistant will help you make a phone call when you’ve got your hands busy preparing a meal or driving your car. Amazon Alexa at home will take care of a wide variety of tasks on your behalf from playing the type of music you like to locking the front door and making sure the security system is on.
Another popular application is chatbots. Chatbots rely on the same principles of natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) along with statistical analysis to interact with a human, understand what they’re asking, and reply accordingly. In theory, chatbots can serve an unlimited number of customers, which frees up the company’s resources and ensures that all customers’ issues and complaints are handled in a timely manner and to their satisfaction.
Behind the scenes, chatbots perform complex algorithms and advance search to understand the question the customer has posited and find the adequate answer. They have the ability to answer questions, direct calls, and track orders without giving the customer any clue that they’re dealing with a computer program, not a human being on the other end. Your question can be quite long-winded with different parts to it and the chatbot will be able to dissect it, analyze it, and give back a detailed and lengthy answer.
But perhaps AI is no more ubiquitous than in text editors and autocorrect. If you have ever typed a text message on your smartphone, chances are autocorrect has intervened and corrected a typo or a grammatical mistake for you. Linguists have taught AI the complexities of grammar and syntax so well that the program is now able to predict the next word you’re going to type. If you write a Gmail email, for example, AI is following along and helping you by finishing your sentences for you or suggesting the best possible ways to express your thoughts.
Whether we like it or not, AI has become part of our everyday life. It keeps our transactions and online shopping secure, and protects us from hackers and identity theft. AI is also the power behind some of the most complex gadgets and devices we interact with on a daily basis. On the road, it guides us through maps and navigation systems and takes us through the shortest routes to our destination. And if your hands are busy, AI can make phone calls for you while you focus on driving the car. It autocorrects our typos and grammatical errors while predicting the next word you’ll type and suggests clean and elegant endings to your sentences.
With all of these applications, it’s hard to imagine any field that AI hasn’t already invaded or a task it cannot do. There will come a day in the near future when AI will perhaps have full control over everything about our lives. Will that be a good or a bad thing? Only time will tell.