When everybody is talking that AI is going to take over half of all jobs, I just want to say “Ok, so show me some real-life examples of artificial intelligence”. Aren’t people exaggerating? Are there already robots strolling around cities and flying cars? Of course, not. However, there is a bunch of examples of big and small companies using AI for boosting their businesses.
AI is Everywhere
What is artificial intelligence? Is it a robot helping you clean the house? Is it a virtual assistant that reminds you about meetings or a chatbot helping you with shopping? All of these may be called artificial intelligence. The main functions of artificial intelligence include providing information, reasoning, learning, planning, communicating, and moving objects. If you analyze the statement, you’ll understand how artificial intelligence technology may take over most jobs. However, don’t panic. There is still a plenty of time till this moment. We’ve got time to get prepared. Now let’s have a look at real-life examples of artificial intelligence.
Journalism
Wordsmith, an automated Insights’ software platform, is used for writing car descriptions and Fantasy Football recaps. Forbes uses this technology for creating earnings previews. In this case, artificial intelligence is software. These programs can compose grammatically correct reports and other articles of such type. Computer intelligence is good at summarizing data. But is it good at telling stories?
Another awesome example is Quill, the writing software created by Narrative Science. Its main tasks include writing long reports on the performance of funds. Quill is used for writing for such companies as Credit Suisse, USAA, T. Rowe Price.
If you are one of those people who enjoy self-development or you just want to make your writing better, check out Opportunities by Textio, a great example of using artificial intelligence for improving the text quality. With a help of this service, you may edit job postings, recruitment emails, etc. For example, Opportunities will replace “focused on” with “passionate about”. “Expanding businesses” will be replaced with “rapidly growing”.
Though these changes don’t seem to be major, they can make a big difference when a real person reads the information written by you and edited by Opportunities. This service is already used by such companies as Microsoft, Slack, Twitter, Bloomberg, Dropbox, Spotify, CVS, and Capital One.
Examples of artificial intelligence in journalism show us high rates of AI development. I won’t be surprised if in 5 years AI technology will get a Pulitzer Prize for a literature work. And now we can use software for doing all the routine tasks we want to avoid. Like compiling reports with a lot of data and presenting it. We can focus on telling stories that change the world.
Transportation
Another great example of artificial intelligence in everyday life is a self-driving car. To be more precise, the self-driving technology that has already been granted a license for driving a vehicle on roads of California. If this company has a permission, the technology must be impressive and, what’s more important, safe.
The representatives of Drive.ai, a Silicon Valley startup that has got $12 million, claim their artificial intelligence isn’t just programmed. It can also learn on its own. The more time the machine spends driving, the better it will be at driving. The same concerns the number of scenarios it encounters.
Military
Research, Development, and Engineering Center of the US Army also work on bringing self-driving cars into the life. The last most famous experience is a bunch of semi-autonomous army trucks driving on Michigan roads. We say semi because of human drivers who were aboard as backups. While driving, trucks used cameras and LIDAR (Light Identification Detection and Ranging). These 4 trucks were moving as 1 organism due to its vehicle-to-vehicle communication.
As Army engineers claim, in 10-15 years, there will be full autonomous truck convoys in conflict zones. However, there are many things to pay attention to. Self-driving vehicles must be the examples of artificial intelligence that uses advanced computation for making decisions and spotting obstacles.
Another example of using artificial intelligence in the military sphere is the usage of self-flying helicopters. The K-MAX may be used for firefighting. Being able to carry up to 6,000 pounds of cargo, this helicopter can drop nearly 2,800 gallons water on the fire. Self-driving helicopters are useful because of their possibility to work at night. Thus, fighting wildfires is more effective.
There is an interesting example of artificial intelligence technology created for stopping hijackers. This machine combines functions of a drone, helicopter, and trained snipers. This helicopter is called Vigilante. It’s got a stabilized turret and a special control system.
Art
It’s easy to let robots do all the dirty work: help us with household chores, manage routine accounting and reports compiling, control vehicles, etc. However, we tend to think that artificial intelligence can’t make art. Poetry, literature, music, and art are for people, right? However, we may be wrong. For example, you have to see works of Aaron, a computer program painting big colorful pictures.
Aaron is written in LISP. This application may recognize simple objects and shapes. Mr. Cohen, Aaron’s author, taught it how to draw better. However, the program almost turned into an independent artist. Mr. Cohen stated it’s possible for a machine to approach art. However, the algorithms will be more difficult than those of self-driving cars. Scientists believe that this won’t happen soon. Maybe, not even during this century.
Google is another company that wants to teach artificial intelligence to be creative. AI’s neural network looks at visual elements and chooses those it wants to emphasize. The works created by this technology look a bit weird. They won’t replace artists. However, the technology may definitely provide people with images they will enjoy.
Facebook also uses neural networks for generating pictures. Here is the example of its work. One algorithm creates pictures with a vector. The second algorithm processes the images and checks the realism of these objects. It also rejects shots that look fake. Thus, the results are pretty convincing. 40% of all pictures were so realistic that they fooled human viewers. The future must be even cooler!
Another awesome example of using artificial intelligence creatively is composing music. Creativity has become computational and algorithmic. As scientists claim, computers may create music in different genres and moods. Using certain instructions, the machine can create orchestral compositions of the needed length and with the needed lexicon. Professor David Cope has been experimenting with musical intelligence since 1981. Since that time, he has created a bunch of works that made people think they had been composed by humans.
Business
Oxford University study showed that artificial intelligence can take over 50% of jobs in the USA. The future of artificial intelligence frightens many people. Not everyone knows how to get ready for this. However, entrepreneurs already use artificial intelligence to make their businesses even more effective. There are already some great examples.
One of the most important areas of focus for most businesses is marketing. Rocket Fuel is an example of AI that is a marketing pro. This platform uses predictive science for adapting and scaling marketing ROI via media and CRM channels. Looking at a bunch of different factors and data combinations, the engine bids on the needed media and optimizes campaigns. Nowadays Rocket Fuel works with more than 700 brand agencies. Here are some of them: Motorola, Ace Hardware, Kia, BMW, Volkswagen, Brooks, Marks & Spencer, General Mills.
In business, you may use all types of artificial intelligence. Try out chatbots to improve customer support, writing software for creating more engaging recruitment emails, marketing software for attracting more clients. You can even like services for finding job recruits. For example, TalentBin is an artificial intelligence service that assesses work skills of a candidate, taking into account all the possible information: personality traits, social media posts, word choice, work samples, etc.
HireVue is another service helping entrepreneurs with hiring. Analyzing video interviews, this artificial intelligence checks whether a person possesses enough motivation and engagement. The service checks everything from facial expressions to the word choice.
According to the statistics, 43% of entrepreneurs check social media when deciding whether to hire a candidate. However, they can use Fama, a service that collects information from social media, analyzes the language and photos, and makes a report. How to use it? For example, if you don’t want any racists or sexists in your team, you still won’t have enough time for reading a candidate’s Twitter posts. However, the service has enough time. Its algorithms will provide you with the needed report, saving your time and money.
Retail
Intelligent shopping is so interesting that not just shopaholics will enjoy shopping. Several American companies are already using virtual shoppers and artificial intelligence for taking shopping experience to the next level. You can try out shopping with the best examples of companies using AI: stitchfix.com or The North Face. As for the second one, it uses cognitive computing by IBM Watson. You can read more about this personal shopper in this post.
As for Stitch Fix, the representatives share that intelligent shopping technology really works. For example, more than 80% of clients come back to make the second order during the next 90 days. Personalized online shopping is a new way to buy clothes. It’s enjoyable and comfortable.
The reasons are almost obvious. Try to think how much time you spend using your phone. If not you, your target audience. Now, let’s think how many purchases are already being made online. For example, take into account these facts:
- 20-50% of the world population are introverts.
- Millennials prefer making orders chatting to calling.
- People spend an hour a day on Facebook and Messenger.
You already know the answer for why to use virtual assistants. To be competitive. To boost your business. To be successful, for example.
Customer support
Every entrepreneur must have experienced problems connected with the human factor. Thus, every entrepreneur must like using cognitive customer assistants, for example, Cognicor. Cognicor provides users with automated complaint resolution service. This may be wildly popular among call centers and customer support departments. This is a type of chatbots, virtual assistants that help customers via chatting.
The main advantages include:
- full-time support with no vacations and sick leaves;
- an innovative technology that is interesting for clients;
- possibility to control the communication, programming a chatbot according to your requirements: dialogue flow, type of language, etc;
- possibility to speak the client’s language without using the services of a translator.
There are more reasons for using chatbots in any business. You may find the best examples in this article. Or just contact us. Our company provides clients with effective chatbots people enjoy talking to. You may have a look at one of our chatbots here. At Letzgro, we can create a similar chatbot for your business.
