AI in some form or another on a daily basis

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a wide-ranging tool that enables people to rethink how we integrate information, analyze data, and technology write for us use the resulting insights to improve decision-making—and already it is transforming every walk of life.

In this report, Darrell West and John Allen discuss AI’s application across a variety of sectors, address issues in its development, and offer recommendations for getting the most out of AI while still protecting important human values.

Many people still associate AI with science-fiction dystopias, but that characterization is waning as AI develops and becomes more commonplace in our daily lives. Today, artificial intelligence is a household name – and sometimes even a household presence (hi, Alexa!).

AI generally is undertaken in conjunction with machine learning and data analytics. Machine learning takes data and looks for underlying trends. If it spots something that is relevant for a practical problem, software designers can take that knowledge and use it to analyze specific issues.

All that is required are data that are sufficiently robust that algorithms can discern useful patterns. Data can come in the form of digital information, satellite imagery, visual information, text, or unstructured data.

In business, artificial intelligence has a wide range of uses. In fact, most of us interact with AI in some form or another on a daily basis.

From the mundane to the breathtaking, artificial intelligence is already disrupting virtually every business process in every industry. As AI technologies proliferate, they are becoming imperative to maintain a competitive edge.

Their advanced algorithms, sensors, and cameras incorporate experience in current operations, and use dashboards and visual displays to present information in real time so human drivers are able to make sense of ongoing traffic and vehicular conditions.