How Artificial Intelligence Is Solving Your Business Needs

When you hear artificial intelligence (AI), it’s easy to start thinking about Skynet or R2-D2. Or that episode of The Simpsons where the robots at Itchy and Scratchy Land run amok.

But these aren’t the droids you’re looking for.

The fact is, AI is very real and very applicable to today’s increasingly demanding business and personal world. The sky’s the limit: AI assists in everything from spam filtering to flying airplanes. Using advanced algorithms, it determines the fare for your late-night Uber ride home or allows you to tell Alexa to order that pizza you know you deserve!

So, how does AI really work? Here are a few questions answered about artificial intelligence and some examples of industries that are using the technology well today.

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

Neural networking or cognitive computing are other commonly used terms to describe AI technology. Both define what is essentially the same thing: advanced computing using algorithmic patterns for various purposes and applications.

Cognitive computing enables neural networking and expert systems through advanced learning and data mining processes. Mimicking the human brain, the system will gather data and information and adapt to accomplish a set of tasks.

What Applications Does Artificial Intelligence Have?

AI is inherently designed to solve complex problems or needs that humans may not be able to effectively address.

We are increasingly seeing cognitive computing influencing many areas of everyday life. With everything ranging from personal assistants, security analyses and adaptation to sales automation, the uses are nearly endless. Consider IBM’s Watson, a cloud-based data analysis platform, or Salesforce’s Einstein, a CRM automation tool. Both are AI platforms based in cognitive computing and designed to make your life a lot easier.

One area the technology is really transforming is healthcare. AI offers the ability to efficiently sort, analyze, catalog and apply complex data sets. This helps medical professionals and practitioners conduct further research in addition to diagnosing disease. The idea of being able to provide informative evidence-based solutions to patients has driven many to further AI development in this industry.

Other great examples of AI advancements can be found in the gaming and software industries. For more than a decade, certain games have incorporated options to play against “bots”—artificial players that contain advanced techniques and protocols. This is another example of cognitive computing being able to predict, learn and anticipate situations and problems. While the concept isn’t new, each year, we’re seeing developers advance the technology.

How You Can Use Artificial Intelligence to Manage Your Infrastructure

With the wide variety of possible AI applications, it stands to reason that artificial intelligence can also benefit your IT infrastructure. Having a program that can learn and adapt to different situations while managing and monitoring aspects of your systems would be invaluable.

Imagine the man-hours saved when it comes to managing cloud architecture, reducing OPEX or mitigating a sudden DDoS attack.

With so many potential applications, we will definitely be keeping our eyes on further innovations in artificial intelligence technology.