What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The term may also be applied to any machine that exhibits traits associated with a human mind such as learning and problem-solving. The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is its ability to rationalize and take actions that have the best chance of achieving a specific goal.

Machine Learning – the core of AI

Machine learning is an application of artificial intelligence (AI) that provides systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning focuses on the development of computer programs that can access data and use it learn for themselves.

The process of learning begins with observations or data, such as examples, direct experience, or instruction, in order to look for patterns in data and make better decisions in the future based on the examples that we provide. The primary aim is to allow the computers learn automatically without human intervention or assistance and adjust actions accordingly.

But, using the classic algorithms of machine learning, text is considered as a sequence of keywords; instead, an approach based on semantic analysis mimics the human ability to understand the meaning of a text.

Uses of AI:

• Chatbots: Chatbots are artificial intelligence software that can simulate a conversation (or a chat) with a user in natural language through messaging applications, websites and mobile apps or through the telephone. A chatbot is often described as one of the most advanced and promising expressions of interaction between humans and machines. However, from a technological point of view, a chatbot only represents the natural evolution of a Question Answering system leveraging Natural Language Processing (NLP). Formulating responses to questions in natural language is one of the most typical Examples of Natural Language Processing applied in various enterprises’ end-use applications. Together, chatbots and AI can create a very powerful experience. Artificial Intelligence serves as the learning mechanism for many chatbots. Chatbot AI teaches the bots how to respond to your inquiries and helps the bot learn about your personal preferences. AI bots are responsible for engaging in meaningful conversation with an end-user using chatbot AI as a source of intellect.

• Healthcare: Artificial intelligence in healthcare is the use of complex algorithms and software in another words artificial intelligence (AI) to emulate human cognition in the analysis, interpretation, and comprehension of complicated medical and healthcare data. Specifically, AI is the ability of computer algorithms to approximate conclusions without direct human input. What distinguishes AI technology from traditional technologies in health care is the ability to gain information, process it and give a well-defined output to the end-user. AI does this through machine learning algorithms and deep learning. The primary aim of health-related AI applications is to analyze relationships between prevention or treatment techniques and patient outcomes. AI programs have been developed and applied to practices such as diagnosis processes, treatment protocol development, drug development, personalized medicine, and patient monitoring and care. Large technology companies such as IBM and Google have also developed AI algorithms for healthcare. Additionally, hospitals are looking to AI software to support operational initiatives that increase cost saving, improve patient satisfaction, and satisfy their staffing and workforce needs. Companies are developing predictive analytics solutions that help healthcare managers improve business operations through increasing utilization, decreasing patient boarding, reducing length of stay and optimizing staffing levels.

• Cyber Security: Cybercriminals will steal an estimated 33 billion records in 2023 according to the projections mentioned in the 2018 study from Juniper Research. That’s something very grave to watch for, and this sheds light on the pressing need to fortify cybersecurity across organizations. To tackle cybersecurity proactively and accurately, infusing intelligence across the entire security ecosystem of an organization is the need of the hour”. If the recent history is any indication, the targeted cyber-attacks that happened recently and even the past attacks suggest that no one is immune to these threats unless companies are fully prepared to respond. This calls for the implementation of fortified cyber security measures. Just the stand-alone cyber security solutions would not suffice. Artificial Intelligence has a huge potential to boost the cyber security profile of a company. AI could work in harmony with the cyber security implementations, to accelerate risk reduction exponentially. Many of the Cyber Security Solutions in the market uses AI models.  For example, LogRhythm uses machine learning to profile and detect threats, compromised accounts, privilege abuse and other anomalies. The Versive Security Engine (VSE) uses artificial intelligence to separate critical risks from routine network activity.  Cybereason’s AI-powered hunting technology determines whether an organization is under attack.

Latest Developments in AI

•  Robotics is a prime area of development for the AI community so it’s no surprise that there are plenty of start-ups conducting research with the intention of taking the field further. Seattle company Olis Robotics caught the attention of GeekWire earlier this year with a solution designed to take robotics not just to the next level, but somewhere else entirely. According to CEO Don Pickering, “Olis Robotics’ innovation currently manifests in a plug-and-play controller loaded with our AI-driven software platform. The controller and our proprietary software can operate tethered robots on the ocean floor, satellite servicing robots using high-latency satellite links in space, or industrial robots cleaning up a dangerous chemical spill on land using 4G/5G networks. Our innovation will exponentially expand the role of robots to make an impact on human advancement and exploration.”
• New AI software developed by researchers at the University of Oxford can recognize and track the faces of individual chimpanzees in their natural habitats. The software will allow researchers and wildlife conservationists to significantly cut back on time and resources spent analyzing video footage, according to a new paper. In Science Daily, Dan Schofield, researcher and DPhil student at Oxford University’s Primate Models Lab, School of Anthropology explained, “For species like chimpanzees, which have complex social lives and live for many years, getting snapshots of their behavior from short-term field research can only tell us so much. By harnessing the power of machine learning to unlock large video archives, it makes it feasible to measure behavior over the long term, for example observing how the social interactions of a group change over several generations.’ The computer vision model was trained using over 10 million images from Kyoto University’s Primate Research Institute (PRI) video archive of wild chimpanzees in Guinea, West Africa. The team at Oxford hopes the new software will help improve conservation efforts in areas where chimpanzees are endangered.