Artificial Intelligence (AI) Trends to Watch out for in 2018
The development and increased popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) ushers an irrefutable new wave of technological advancement. It boasts the potential to revolutionize the fundamental structure of nearly every industry including agriculture, finance, healthcare, cybersecurity and many others. As such, governments, startups and companies of all sizes are all vying for the control of artificial intelligence. As a testament to this situation, Alphabet recently invested almost $30 billion into developing the new technology.
Artificial intelligence focuses on the development of intelligent machines that can act and react like human beings. With foremost entities like tech companies shifting their energy, money and time into advancing this technology, the possibilities are endless. For this reason, 2018 could present innumerable developments in AI exploration. Herein are some of the trends in this field that you should watch out for this year.
Increased Demand for Data Scientists
According to IBM’s prediction, the demand for data scientists will hit 2.7 million by 2020. This situation is owed to machine learning AI. Since the technology utilizes probability to determine the ideal decision or answer for a particular problem, it can perfect its work with additional data. With this in mind, more companies will be forced to recruit experienced data scientists for data collection and analysis to help their machine-learning AI technologies make better predictions in the coming days.
The US versus China
Currently, the US prides itself on having the highest number of AI investment deals. Nevertheless, its leadership in the field is under threat from China, as the country appears to dominate in AI startups, especially in various technologies like AI chips and facial recognition. With the Chinese government presently endorsing an intelligence plan to become a global AI leader, you can anticipate a lot of progress from the country by the end of 2018.
More AI Generated Content
Currently, several top brands such as Hearst, CBS, and USA Today are already utilizing AI technology to create content. Also, thanks to companies like Wibbitz, converting written content into video can be done via AI video production. Similarly, the Associated Press is also utilizing Wordsmith, a tool made by Automated Insights, in its efforts to apply natural-language generation. This endeavor is intended to produce new stories on earnings data. Anticipate more companies to leverage such technologies throughout 2018.
DARPA will Create Advanced Robo-Warriors
DARPA is no stranger to technological innovation, especially after having participated in the development of GPS navigation and the Internet. The organization has also made a name for itself in the creation of new technologies for the American military.
Currently, DARPA has joined forces with Boston Dynamics to come up with a series of robots intended for disaster relief. The Atlas Robot, known for its perfectly executed backflips, serves as one of the AI-driven technologies that are undergoing development.
Competition for the Non-English Speaking Markets by Voice-based Assistants
Numerous companies have unveiled their voice-enabled assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana and Google Assistant. Despite their increased popularity, the technologies only support English-speaking markets. In 2018, the competition between these voice-based assistants will shift to non-English speaking markets.
Increased Launch of Self-Driving Vehicles
Tesla, one of the renowned modern automakers, made headlines by launching the first self-driving vehicle. In response to this move, traditional car manufacturers such as AUDI are expected to make a similar move this year to keep up with the competition. Other car makers such as Volvo, Toyota and Cadillac have also hinted on their plans to develop advanced self-driving automobiles that can shuttle humans without the need for a driver.
Continued Dominance of Enterprise AI by Tech Giants
According to CB Insights’ recent report, the same technology giants dominating public cloud including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon also control the AI market. This trend has made it difficult for smaller players to excel in the field and sustain themselves. In fact, companies like Amazon offer AI as a service while others like Google operate Cloud AutoML. For the case of Google’s Cloud AutoML, customers can come with their data in a bid to train the algorithms to meet their exact needs.
More Adoption of AI in Medical Diagnostics
Considering the benefits of using AI diagnostics such as better accuracy and early detection, regulators in the US are expected to approve the technology for use in clinical matters. Machine learning algorithms can compare a medical image with a million others to identify nuances that humans may miss. Several endeavors to leverage the potential of AI have already taken shape. For instance, AstraZeneca, a biopharmaceutical company, has collaborated with Alibaba’s Ali Health to create AI-powered diagnostics and screening applications.
Increased Democratization and Decentralization of AI
With increased development and adoption of AI, the technology is becoming more decentralized. Aside from sophisticated devices and supercomputers, wearable devices and smartphones can now support the technology.
Recently, Apple unveiled its A11 chip fitted with a neural engine for its newest phones including iPhone 8 and X. The company claims this technology can perform machine-learning activities at a maximum of 600B processes per second. Other cases of edge computing may be forthcoming in 2018.
The Hunt for AI Talent Continues
A recent report revealed that the number of AI-qualified researchers stands at 300,000. On the other hand, companies need more than a million AI-related specialists. For this reason, more companies have shown their willingness to attract AI talent by offering handsome remunerations. In the United States, a Glassdoor search for AI revealed more than 32,000 listed jobs with a six-digit average salary range.
The Rise of a Robotic Workforce
In the future, AI-powered robots may replace human workers, particularly in factories with labor-intensive assembly lines. The move is driven by the reduced cost of offshoring, outsourcing and hiring workers. By 2025, robots will provide over 80% of the elderly care services in Japan as opposed to caregivers. In 2018, expect to see more companies adopt and integrate AI-programmed machines/robots into their workforce.
AI technology has demonstrated its ability to simplify tasks, execute them accurately, as well as save time and labor. Also, looking at the anticipated trends, it is undeniable that artificial intelligence will impact human lives significantly not only in 2018 but also in the future.
