AI, or artificial intelligence, is one of the biggest and most important developments in our society today. It refers to the simulation of human intelligence by computers and other machines, which covers everything from perception, learning, and language use to decision-making and problem-solving. Previously thought of as belonging to the realm of science fiction, AI is now very much a reality and an integral part of our everyday lives. In fact it’s much more prevalent than you might realise, in addition to which new applications for AI are being developed all the time. The possibilities for its future uses are endless, but to give you an idea of what’s been achieved so far here are some fascinating examples of the ways in which we are already using AI to make our lives more convenient, productive, and fun.

Healthcare

Artificial intelligence is being utilised across the healthcare industry to improve patient outcomes as well as save time and money. For example, its ability to analyse images can be used to accurately detect cancer at early stages during routine screenings, and even predict the development of the disease. AI can also be leveraged to analyse vast quantities of data far more quickly and accurately than humans. This enables it to help us discover patterns that could improve diagnostics and medical treatment. In fact, many of us already use AI to help us stay healthy. For example, artificial intelligence in wearable technology provides us with real-time health data and then uses that information to enable us to take better care of ourselves and achieve our fitness goals.

Finance

AI is already being used in the world of finance in a number of different ways. For example, it can help to spot unusual or suspicious banking activity and thus prevent fraud, or automate stock trading in order to optimise portfolios. Much of this is currently only utilised by professionals in the field, however, before long it will likely be available to amateur traders and other clients, too. Artificial intelligence is also being used in the pension industry to create and deliver better retirement savings plans, helping us to enjoy a more comfortable life in our old age.

Communication

This is one area in which you’ve almost certainly felt the influence of AI. For instance, when you type out an email and smart replies pop up with suggested text, use tools to check your spelling and grammar, or when your provider filters out junk mail into a separate folder, that’s done using AI. Likewise, Gmail uses artificial intelligence to nudge you to follow up on emails that it thinks you might have forgotten about and require attention. 

We also sometimes communicate directly with AI in the form of chatbots, which mimic human speech patterns to help customers with common questions or to do simple tasks such as book appointments. Search engines like Google also use artificial intelligence to help us find what we’re looking for in the first place through predictive searches and algorithms to find the best answers to our queries. Finally, AI can help us communicate with people all around the world thanks to real-time language translation tools.

Entertainment

Artificial intelligence is also employed to great effect in the entertainment industries. For instance, streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify incorporate AI as a way to make more relevant recommendations about what else we might want to watch or listen to based on our streaming history and habits. This can even be done using external factors such as what time of day it is or what the weather is like near you, to make the most appropriate suggestions for your mood. 

In a similar vein, social media platforms make use of artificial intelligence to suggest people we might like follow, choose what content we see and in what order, and decide which adverts to show us as we scroll through. More recently there has also been a drive to use AI as a means to flag ‘fake news’ and prevent the spread of misinformation.

Shopping

Retail is another sphere in which you will most likely have seen artificial intelligence at work – whether for your benefit or the shop’s advantage! For example, online retailers use AI to track your behaviour and spending habits and make recommendations of other products you might like to buy or regular purchases you might like to set up. This can even integrate with appliances you have at home such as smart fridges, which keep track of what food you have and remind you when you need to restock.

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