Emerging Artificial Intelligence Trends to Monitor in 2018
As we step into 2018, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionise our daily lives and interactions with technology. Here are some key trends to look out for:
Emotional AI
Emotional AI will begin shaping our interactions with daily technologies, predicting user emotions through voice intonations or facial expressions. This development will make our digital assistants more intuitive and responsive, offering a more personalised user experience.
Security and Cyber Threats
AI systems will play a crucial role in addressing new security breaches and cyber threats in 2018. With their ability to learn and adapt quickly, AI-powered security solutions will be instrumental in protecting our digital assets.
AI Adoption in Everyday Life
In 2018, it is expected that nearly 20% of citizens in developed countries will use AI-powered assistants for everyday tasks. Furthermore, about 40% of customer-facing employees and government workers will consult AI virtual support agents for decision/process support.
The 'Post-App' Era
Conversational AI platforms will supersede the 'cloud first and mobile first' paradigm, marking the beginning of a 'post-app' era. This shift will make machines smarter and humans more successful in novel situations.
AI Permeating Every Application and Service
AI will permeate every application and service in 2018, from retail and e-commerce to security and customer service. AI-powered product recommendation engines will personalise products for customers based on their shopping stage or channel.
Investment Priorities
AI will be among the top five investment priorities for Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in 2018. This investment will drive the development of more sophisticated AI technologies and applications.
AI in Retail and E-commerce
AI in retail and e-commerce is gaining momentum, with the market for bots, especially chatbots, gaining traction. Many channel applications are adopting self-learning chatbots as a built-in functionality in 2018.
The Intelligent Cloud
The combination of cloud computing and machine learning will lead to the development of 'the intelligent cloud', a self-learning platform. This platform will allow AI systems to learn and adapt more effectively, improving their performance and capabilities.
Hardware Revolution
Deep learning may lead to a hardware revolution, with Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) providing computational power for Deep Neural Networks being 100 to 1,000 times more powerful than current hardware. This development will accelerate the pace of AI research and development.
AI Democratization
Gartner predicts that 2018 will mark the beginning of AI democratization, affecting a broader range of companies and governments. This trend will make AI technologies more accessible and affordable, driving widespread adoption.
Understanding AI Opportunities
Technical skills such as deep learning are at a nascent stage, and technology business leaders must understand how to leverage AI opportunities effectively. This understanding will be crucial in driving the successful integration of AI into businesses and society.
Emotional Intelligence
Gartner predicts that personal devices will know more about users' emotional state than their own families in the coming years. This development will have significant implications for mental health, relationships, and personal development.
As we navigate 2018, these trends will shape the way we interact with technology and each other. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting journey!
