The research and advisory firm Gartner recently surveyed 3,000 CIOs and discovered that one out of four
companies already have deployed Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in
their business operations or are making short-term plans to do so — a 10%
increase over 2015. In addition, Gartner predicts the number of customer
interactions based on AI-related technologies will rise from a little more than
one in 10 today to nearly three of every four by 2020.
How? Through AI technologies such as:
- Machine Learning -- Software applications that become more
accurate in predicting outcomes by using algorithms for statistical analysis.
- Chatbots – Computer programs that can respond to
texts or chat messages from people, emulating the conversational language of
humans.
- Mobile Messaging – Related to Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM), an app that applies AI such as machine learning and/or chatbots to
communicate between computers and people through mobile devices.
Gartner forecasts that in 2018 these types
of business uses will generate $200 billion in new revenue – and eliminate
nearly a million jobs while creating about three quarters of a million new
positions. By 2020, however, Gartner expects AI to create many more jobs than
it takes away -- 2.3 million gained, compared to only 1.8 million lost.
Why? Because, as researchers at the
non-profit technology trade association CompTIA explain in a recent brief, while AI can make intelligent, independent
decisions based on context rather than direct input from users, it’s “important
to understand that AI systems always behave according to rules that have been
programmed.” In other words, before computers can imitate human thinking,
humans must show computers how to think. This means the “digital economy will
feature new roles working in concert with intelligent systems.”
As the writers of CompTIA’s report put it: “Continued
economic growth will require the deep insights that come from AI, but will also
require the creativity and empathy that come from human beings connected in a
global society.”
So, in this light, we would like to make
some predictions of our own. Here are three ways AI may come to your business
in the next few years:
- The
Internet of Things (IoT)
CompTIA’s research shows more than half (53%) of 700 U.S. businesses adopting
AI use the technology to implement a network of connected devices. As more and
more everyday business machines sense and send more and more data to business
systems, business users need the help of “automation and network learning” to
keep pace with processing and analyzing the information. - Cybersecurity
CompTIA’ also reveals more
than half (53%) of early adopters use “machine learning within IT
infrastructure.” This means AI can enhance components such as firewalls and
routers, enabling cybersecurity teams to scale up measures such as intrusion
detection to unprecedented levels. - Virtual
Assistants
Virtual assistants are
well-known in the consumer realm thanks to Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. But
per CompTIA, virtual assistants are coming to the workplace in the form of new
tools like Amy Ingram, which are designed specifically to boost human productivity by sharing
information and supporting typical business functions.
Whatever form AI
takes when it comes to your company, the support of an IT
Managed Services Provider (MSP) can
help integrate this emerging tech into your everyday operations.