Not only has it created a tech frenzy, but AI has also laid the groundwork for a new era of machinery, gradually replacing humans in tasks ranging from simple to unimaginable.
In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a novelty. AI is becoming an inevitable trend across various fields of economic life, science, and education.
Although AI has been around since 1956, it wasn’t until the explosion of information technology in the Fourth Industrial Revolution that artificial intelligence truly shook the world. In 2018, AI was applied in many aspects of life, not only creating a tech boom but also laying the first brick for a machinery era, gradually replacing humans in tasks ranging from simple to unimaginable.
AI Transforming Education
Artificial Intelligence (AI) makes education more accessible to students with smart devices, especially if they cannot attend traditional classes.
According to a 2017 report by market research firm Research and Markets, the annual growth rate of the AI market in the education sector in the U.S. is projected to increase by 47.5% from 2017 to 2021.
AI holds great potential for automating and managing administrative tasks for teachers. Specifically, teachers often spend a lot of time grading homework, evaluating essays, and marking tests. AI can automate the grading process for multiple-choice tests, allowing teachers to spend more time with their students. Software developers are also creating new ways to assess written responses and essays. As AI automates paperwork processing and classification, the admissions process will become simpler and more straightforward.
AI automates administrative tasks.
AI can also help digitize textbooks or create digital interfaces for learning, applicable to students of all ages and grades. One such system is Cram101, which uses AI to condense textbook content into a more understandable study guide with chapter summaries, practice tests, and flashcards. Another platform, Netex Learning, allows teachers to design programs and digital content across multiple devices, including videos, audio, and online support. Virtual content such as digital lectures and video conferences are also facilitated by AI.
Robot teacher applying AI technology.
In addition to summarizing a lecture into flashcards and intelligent study guides, AI can provide tutoring for students based on the challenges they face with learning materials.
Moreover, while AI cannot completely replace teachers, it has created virtual tutors and support agents that can think, act, and respond to humans using natural gesture recognition technology, responding to both verbal and non-verbal cues. Creating digital learning environments has also become a reality with organizations like the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technology. They use AI, 3D games, and computer animation to create real virtual characters and social interactions.
Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
AI robots are estimated to have a value of $40 billion in the healthcare sector, capable of analyzing vast amounts of data, from medical histories to surgical tools. The application of robots can reduce patient hospital stays by 21%. Surgeries assisted by robots are considered “minimally invasive”, meaning patients do not need as much time to recover from major wounds.
Through AI, robots can utilize data from previous surgeries to inform new surgical techniques. A study involving 379 orthopedic patients showed that procedures assisted by AI robots had five times fewer complications compared to surgeries performed solely by human surgeons.
Intuitive Surgical Incorporated’s da Vinci surgical system.
From interacting with patients and guiding them to implementing effective care measures, virtual nursing assistants can save the healthcare industry $20 billion annually. Since virtual nursing assistants are available 24/7, they can answer questions, monitor patients, and provide quick responses.
Most applications of virtual nursing assistants today allow patients and healthcare staff to communicate more frequently between hospital visits, reducing the need for unnecessary hospitalizations or consultations. The virtual nursing assistant Care Angel can even conduct health checks through voice and AI.
The use of AI for patient diagnosis is still in its infancy, but there are many exciting applications. A study from Stanford University tested an AI algorithm to detect skin cancer, achieving performance levels comparable to human capabilities. A Danish AI software company experimented with deep learning programs by allowing computers to eavesdrop on human emergency calls. The algorithm analyzes speaker content, voice, background noise, and detects cardiac arrest with a 93% success rate, higher than the 73% success rate achieved by humans.
IBM’s Watson supercomputer is used for big data mining, assisting doctors in providing more personalized and effective treatment experiences.
AI is also expected to enhance the next generation of X-ray tools, without relying on mold samples. AI image analysis can support patients in remote areas where access to healthcare providers is limited. Telemedicine can also be effective as patients can use their phone cameras to send images of scratches or rashes for necessary care identification.
Additionally, virtual assistants, smart homes, self-driving cars, mobile photography, and more are all operating more smoothly thanks to the integration of artificial intelligence.
Virtual Assistants
Artificial Intelligence allows virtual assistants to be more flexible in handling requests by learning user habits and predicting emotions. In the future, virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa are expected to recognize voice and analyze characters. Furthermore, these assistants will be able to make decisions or schedule appointments for their owners based on traffic conditions, weather, and more.
Smart Homes
AI is the future of smart home technology.
AI is the future of home technology. Smart home cores have the ability to learn and remember users through voice commands, behaviors, and habits, integrating with the Internet of Things. For example, as soon as you wake up, a hot cup of coffee is prepared by the coffee maker activated by AI.
Self-Driving Cars
In 2016, Otto, a company owned by Uber, successfully transported 50,000 cans of Budweiser beer using self-driving trucks. Economically, applying artificial intelligence to long-haul transport can reduce costs and significantly minimize fatal accidents.
In 2016, Otto, a company owned by Uber, successfully transported 50,000 cans of Budweiser beer using self-driving trucks.
Leading global information technology research and consulting firm Gartner predicts that by 2020, there will be 250 million connected vehicles worldwide communicating with each other via Wi-Fi systems. They will self-“communicate” to determine the best routes.
Gaming
Applications of artificial intelligence in game programming have been around for decades, albeit in simple forms. For example, the ghosts in the game Pacman always find ways to chase the player through the maze.
After decades of development, NPCs (non-player characters) are optimized with AI, where each action and interaction fits the surrounding context and player actions. In the game GTA V, the AI system can control vehicles like cars and motorcycles based on traffic signals and maps.
Shopping
Since 2013, Amazon has nurtured the ambition to enhance the influence of AI on the customer value chain. Specifically, the company has patented the idea of selling products to users before they even intend to buy. Items that match the customer’s preferences, habits, and needs will be delivered right to their doorstep, leaving the payment as the final step.
The intelligence of machines aids business professionals in product pricing.
In addition, machine intelligence assists business professionals in determining product prices. This process is conducted in real-time, relying on collected data regarding the market, consumer behavior, and related indicators such as stock prices and capital flow.
