COVID-19 has undeniably changed our lives. And while many of us are desperately longing for our old “normal”, we know that even after the vaccination, many aspects won’t quite change. We will have to adapt to a post-COVID world. But one thing that we know for sure is that the future holds much greater technologies that will make life a lot easier. One such technology is Artificial Intelligence.
Year after year, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been cited as an emerging technology by industry experts. And why not? This technology has improved efficiency across a multitude of industries in this global crisis.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
AI is the intelligence demonstrated by machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. This term may also be used for any machine that exhibits human mind-like traits especially learning and problem-solving.
How will AI transform the post-Covid-19 world?
If the experts are to be believed, AI will have a significant impact on the technological landscape in the post-pandemic world. Here are some ways in which AI will reshape the business landscape and help it move forward.
- Automation & Surveillance
The pandemic has sent people into frenzy and fear about stepping outside. But the businesses have to be revived after this crisis. Many of them will start rebooting their operations and their workforce on the field. So they might face problems such as a shortage of workers for their supply chain. Thus, in order to automate tasks and speed up production, more and more companies will be willing to invest in artificial intelligence systems.
The number of businesses adopting artificial intelligence as of 2019, grew by 270 percent in four years. - Gartner.
In recent times, we have seen governments adopting AI for better surveillance systems. The latest coronavirus has been the biggest example of this. AI has been used for collecting location and travel data from smartphones for contact tracing. Further, instead of biometrics, facial recognition is gaining weightage. AI is also used in AR glasses to detect temperatures of people using thermal imaging. It is safe to say that AI has significantly improved current surveillance and will keep on helping in the future.
- Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
Over the years, Chatbots have become more AI-driven. Now they are much more capable of handling complex human interaction easily. In the coming years, we will witness these taking over traditional conversational services as well. Whether it’s online shopping or interaction with business people are finding these bots interesting. According to a study by Uberall, 80% of consumers have rated their experience with chatbots as positive. And now chatbots are not limited to shopping but are also a medium to update and provide information. Big organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are said to be including chatbots in their websites too.
Another important way of AI implementation is our very own virtual assistants. These work on the principle of voice recognition that is processed through the ability for automated products to understand normal speech, also known as Natural Language Processing (NLP). According to Statista, there are 4.2 billion digital voice assistants being used in devices around the world. And this number is expected to reach 8.4 billion units by 2024.
- Scientific Research and Robotics
Doctors, scientists, healthcare workers, and many others are putting their hearts and souls into finding a solution for the pandemic. And believe it or not, AI is one of the key players in terms of research and analysis of medical data, contact tracing, transmission rates, drug development, and preparing treatment plans.
Robotics and AI have a great scope in the retail and manufacturing industries to automate production. It is also being introduced in autonomous flying where computer vision technology is used for hovering in the air while avoiding obstacles and moving in a straight path.
Conclusion
AI has massive scope in the future and it’s time we get used to it as well. If there is one thing that this pandemic has taught us, it’s how we can use technology to our advantage. All these high-tech trends were there before but it’s only after COVID-19 that we could realize and try out their full potential. The post-pandemic world will be full of new wonders of technology, only if we use it wisely.
