Six important AI technologies to look out for this year

Atheer – External Sources

If 2017 saw artificial intelligence receive mainstream attention, 2018 is surely set to be a year of solidification.

According to IT Pro Portal, artificial intelligence is expected to double the economic growth rates of the twelve largest developed countries by 2035. From machine learning to deep learning to neural networks, the following techniques are expected to push technological boundaries in 2018 and beyond.

1. Neural language

Despite the huge improvement AI has seen over the last few years, getting it to understand language has proved tricky. In the past, AI has been able to understand distinct commands, with figures of speech and tone of voice often lost on the tech. With chatbots playing a more prominent role in the customer experience, the tech needs to attain a certain level so that they can recognise the subtleties in human speech.

Giants such as Google are investing more time and resources into the tech, with 2018 looking promising. It could be the year that AI finally cracks human language and is able to adapt and understand the nuances in our conversational tones.

2. Emotion recognition

After the intricacies of the human language, AI’s other big hurdle to clear in 2018 is the ability to recognise emotion. For all the things AI can do, empathy and a clear understanding of emotions is not something it has been able to replicate to great effect. Again, mastering these techniques will play a major role in any interaction directly between AI and humans.

3. Image recognition

By the end of 2018 as much as 84 percent of communication over the internet will be visual. The importance of image recognition can’t be understated. Image tagging cuts through the noise and provides those searching for content with an easy way to get the photo they want.

4. Marketing automation

Marketing divisions have perhaps been one of the biggest benefactors of AI. Clever algorithms have given them the ability to personalise marketing campaigns and create better relationships with their audience. Up to 55 percent of marketers are convinced that AI will have a greater impact on marketing than social media.

AI engines can provide everyone with their own personal shopper, while predictive customer services will allow brands to understand how and when customers will get in touch with them about products.

5. Data-driven machines

Most companies rely on data to provide accurate information for a number of aspects, including future projections. Machine learning is becoming an increasingly popular way to get data, with businesses continuing to use it in order to provide trends and analyze information.

We could see up to 80 percent of companies relying on data insights from machine learning in 2018. AI is able to sift through information at a much faster rate than humans, which should free up the human mind for more creative tasks.

6. More AI in creativity

Creativity was seen as the one untouchable from AI. After all, how can something that is artificial match the complexities of the human mind? With the improvement in neural languages and emotion recognition, these theories are already being challenged.

We’ve already seen AI try its hand at creative concepts with Japan McCann, who tasked the tech with creating an advert. It was then put up against a human counterpart and put to public vote. Although the human won; the results were marginal. The difference was 54 to 46 percent in favour of the human.

These advancements in AI’s understanding of what it takes to be creative look set to continue in 2018. While some may feel that it could spell the end of their job, the reality is more akin to AI aiding human creativity.

2018 and beyond

As tech improves, so will the ways in which we go about our professional and personal lives. We’re already happily integrating with personal voice assistants and chatbots, while using algorithms for our internet searches.

The current year will see a continuation of such methods but with even greater precision. 2017 was the year AI emerged in the mainstream and 2018 looks likely to be when it becomes a part of our everyday furniture, as we become more comfortable with it entering our ecosystem.