When you first think of artificial intelligence, you can’t help but associate it with sci-fi movies and some of the most amazing dystopian shows like Black Mirror. What might have slipped our mind is the possibility of AI being used everywhere and being around us 24*7. 

According to research by Markets and Markets, the Artificial Intelligence market’s value is to grow to $190 billion by the year 2021 [1]. Though it feels like a great technological development, cognitive tech like AI, machine learning, robots and automation is likely to snatch 16% of jobs in the United States by 2025. However, by the same year, the same technologies will also be responsible for creating 9% new jobs in the country [2].

Though IDC has predicted that 90% of enterprise apps by 2025 will integrate artificial intelligence systems [3], there are so many apps and technologies that use this technology that we might not be consciously aware of. Let’s see are these AI technologies:

Virtual Assistants: Siri, Alexa, Cortana & Google Assistant

More than 50% of US adults prefer using voice assistants to use their devices instead of their hands [4]. In one research, over 72% business executives said that they use digital voice assistants to make their lives easier [5].

Popular virtual assistants, like Siri, Cortana and others, use technologies like AI, machine learning and speech recognition to understand users. These assistants listen to the world around you and try to understand you and your lifestyle to make your experience amazing. 

Most of the functions on your smartphones are automated and use the power of AI. Predictive text and autocorrect on your phone are also AI-based. How your phone automatically adjusts its brightness is also controlled by AI.

OTT Platforms: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+

Ever wondered how the world’s beloved and most popular streaming app, Netflix (and its rivals), make relevant, personalized watch-next and other recommendations? You guessed it right. OTT platforms explore and scrutinize user behavior and its large title database to constantly get smarter and expand its database using Big Data.

These OTT platforms, like Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+, leverage AI and other predictive technologies to gauge your likes and dislikes by analyzing your watching patterns and suggesting you titles similar to what you’ve seen before and rated positively.

The platforms also consider what day it is and time of the day to suggest better movies, TV shows and documentaries.

SEE ALSO: A guide to AI based image processing: Phases, techniques and tools

Music Streaming Apps: Spotify & Apple Music

woman listening music | iTMunch

Music streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music are some of the most trusted music platforms. These apps have redefined and are continuously stirring up how we listen to music, and now podcast.

Spotify and other online music streaming apps uses Artificial Intelligence to connect with users and create personalized playlists and daily mixes for you, based on your listening behavior.

The artist and album suggestions you get are also via AI. Since these apps generate statistical summaries of user activity, its AI systems can find out which were your favorite languages, artists, albums, genres and come up with the best suggestions for you. 

Online shopping sites: Amazon, Ebay, Alibaba & Target

AI has been redefining how we shop almost since it came into existence. The e-commerce website’s suggestions and predictions have been successful in increasing their sales exponentially. 

You’d be surprised to know that the recommendation algorithm of Amazon drives over35% of total sales, according to research by McKinsey & Company [6]. Recommendations like ‘shoppers also bought’, ‘similar items’, ‘more from XYZ brand’, ‘more blue shirts’ on Amazon are just a few examples of how Amazon’s recommendations work.

What does the algorithm learn from? The products you Like, Dislike, search for and add to your Wishlist.

With time, their algorithm’s have only gotten better, accurate, useful and sophisticated. In the future not so far from now, ecommerce websites will implement shipping systems that will anticipate your needs and deliver products before you even order them or even know you need them. Fascinating, right?

Social media: Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

How can the Facebook’s of the world stay behind when the Amazon’s, Netflix’s and Spotify aren’t shying away from harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, machine learning and other predictive technologies?

Everything from your Facebook News Feed to friend suggestions is controlled by AI. Of course, it isn’t just Facebook that’s using these technologies, but almost every social media platform that you can think of – Facebook-owned Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Algorithms of social media are continuously watching how you interact with posts on their platform. They keep a track of all your likes, dislikes, comments, saves and shares to show you similar content, and more importantly, advertisements.  The unfathomable amount of data that these platforms collect are responsible for making your social media experience great.

SEE ALSO: What is IoT & how does it work? Internet of Things Explained

Travel & ride sharing apps: Uber & Ola

Travel applications use artificial intelligence to customize and personalize their travel packages and content. Their algorithms work similarly in learning your preferences. Trivago, a hotel search engine, has an AI-based platform that customizes each and every result based on the social media behavior of users [7].

Apps for sharing rides use AI to solve the needs of both – passengers and drivers. While drivers want freedom to start and end their day when they want to, passengers want a ride almost immediately. These apps learn the pattern of users and send you rides when you need it.

Emails

man using Laptop writing email | iTMunch

Over 85% of global email traffic was found to be spam in 2007. By 2019, the numbers have significantly come down to 28.5% [8]. No matter which email service provider you use leverages AI, in order to filter your emails and help you beware of spam. In fact, Google said that only 0.1% of spam is able to make it past its AI filters [9].

Email marketing tools also use artificial intelligence to keep track of email open rates and how users respond.

Conclusion

So, if you used to believe that artificial intelligence is nothing more than just a futuristic concept, we beg you to look around! We come across AI-powered apps and technologies every day, thanks to the digital era we’re living in. It isn’t something unattainable, far from reality or extremely pricey, like it may appear to be. Artificial intelligence, machine learning and other predictive technologies help us in great ways if we learn how to use it to our advantage. The technologies already enabling us to perform repetitive, technical, and mechanical tasks and processes, so it would be nice to focus on the things that genuinely matter, in order to exploit our true potential.

SEE ALSO: Machine learning in human resources: how it works & its real-world applications

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Image Courtesy

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Sources

[1] Markets and Markets (2021) “Artificial Intelligence Market by Offering (Hardware, Software, Services), Technology (Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing), Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Business Function (Law, Security), Vertical, and Region – Global Forecast to 2026” [Online] Available from: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/artificial-intelligence-market-74851580.html [Accessed May 2021]

[2] Forrester (2016) “Robots, AI Will Replace 7% Of US Jobs By 2025” [Online] Available from: https://go.forrester.com/press-newsroom/robots-ai-will-replace-7-of-us-jobs-by-2025/#:~:text=Forrester%20forecasts%20that%20cognitive%20technologies,of%20US%20jobs%20by%202025.&text=16%25%20of%20US%20jobs%20will,of%20US%20jobs%20by%202025 [Accessed May 2021]

[3] IDC (2019) “IDC FutureScape Outlines the Impact “Digital Supremacy” Will Have on Enterprise Transformation and the IT Industry” [Online] Available from: https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS45613519 [Accessed May 2021]

[4] Pew Research Center (2017) “Nearly half of Americans use digital voice assistants, mostly on their smartphones” [Online] Available from: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/12/12/nearly-half-of-americans-use-digital-voice-assistants-mostly-on-their-smartphones/ [Accessed May 2021]

[5] PwC (2017) “Bot.me: How artificial intelligence is pushing man and machine closer together” [Online] Available from: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industry/entertainment-media/publications/consumer-intelligence-series/assets/pwc-botme-booklet.pdf [Accessed May 2021]

[6] McKinsey & Company (2013) “How retailers can keep up with consumers” [Online] Available from: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/how-retailers-can-keep-up-with-consumers [Accessed May 2021]

[7] Trivago (2017) “Hotel search trivago acquires AI platform tripl, expands travel recommendations based on Artificial Intelligence” [Online] Available from: https://company.trivago.com/press-releases/hotel-search-trivago-acquires-ai-platform-tripl-expands-travel-recommendations-based-on-artificial-intelligence/ [Accessed May 2021]

[8] J, Joseph (2021) Statista “Spam: share of global email traffic 2007-2019” [Online] Available from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/420400/spam-email-traffic-share-annual/#:~:text=Spam%3A%20share%20of%20global%20email%20traffic%202007-2019&text=The%20statistic%20shows%20the%20share,from%2059.8%20percent%20in%202016 [Accessed May 2021]

[9] Sri Harsha Somanchi (2015) Official Gmail Blog “The mail you want, not the spam you don’t” [Online] Available from: https://gmail.googleblog.com/2015/07/the-mail-you-want-not-spam-you-dont.html [Accessed May 2021]