It seems that our timelines are increasingly being dominated by stories that highlight the good, the bad and the ugly side of artificial intelligence (AI). There is no escape, and many could be forgiven for thinking that AI is just another buzzword or just this years VR.
However, at a time where securing and analyzing big data is crucial, AI is rapidly becoming the tool of choice to make sense of all the white noise.
But, if you have any doubt on the future adoption of this technology, you only have to look at how tech giants are positioning themselves.News that Google has rebranded its Google Research arm as Google AI speaks volumes. The tech behemoth has been working and investing heavily into AI and machine learning capabilities for some time, but in a digital age where brand image is everything, the rebranding seems a natural step.
To better reflect this commitment, we’re unifying our efforts under “Google AI,” which encompasses all the state-of-the-art research happening across Google.
In the announcement, Google also advised that they have emphasized implementing machine learning techniques in nearly everything they do from computer vision to healthcare research and machine learning. By putting AI at the heart of their plans, the future becomes relatively easy to predict.
The stage was perfectly set for Google I/O 2018, and the new Google AI branding acted as the perfect teaser trailer. Although where we are heading is incredibly exciting, how far Google has come in a short space of time is equally as fascinating.
If we go back in time to last years event, Google Home was relatively new, and Google Assistant was beginning to appear on onto non-Pixel devices.
The transformation of Google into an AI company appears to be ramping up the pace, but what does this mean to our immediate futureAlthough, still in its experimental phase, Google gave a glimpse of the future possibilities of a new system called Duplex. The demo featured an AI voice that could phone your hairdressers and book an appointment for you or book a table at your favorite restaurant.
The Google Duplex system is capable of carrying out sophisticated conversations, and it completes the majority of its tasks fully autonomously, without human involvement.
In a CambridgeAnalytica world having an AI Assitant talk on your behalf without any input will be a little unsettling. The idea of future encounters with fellow humans finishing with the line “I will have your AI call my AI,” will equally be uncomfortable to many. But, if Google can get the balance right, we have already witnessed what a game changer it can be.
Watching AI interacting with people naturally and adjusting tone accordingly is something that we have been promoting at IPsoft for some time now with Amelia. Google’s latest demo allowed mainstream audiences technology to understand how it will impact their world and also highlights how quickly technology is progressing.
It’s not just about how the world of tech is evolving but how Google is openly stating their intention to influence its future too. For these reasons alone, many would agree that the rebranding exercise is much more about PR than anything else. But, how it will alter the digital landscape is something that businesses will have to monitor carefully.
A few months ago, there were numerous reports about companies adding the word ‘Blockchain’ to its name, and their share price rocketed 500%. Does this mean that we will begin to see the emergence of more “AI-driven” or “based on AI” claims from providers that don’t actually use the technology?
Purposely incorrectly labeling a solution to mislead businesses who want to jump on the AI bandwagon could oversaturate the marketing and confuse decision makers. If you do not perform due diligence when looking for the next business solution, you could quickly end up with just nothing more than a series of buzzwords.
However, no business can afford to ignore AI. Virtual assistants, immersive experiences, and robots are no longer science fiction; the future is now. Technology is already transforming how employees and customers interact across a global digital community. For business leaders, the allure of increased productivity and efficiency will be impossible to resist too.
It’s time to move beyond the AI killing jobs stories and understanding how AI is really about creating a business impact. How are you preparing your business for the inevitable AI future? and what were your #GoogleIO highlights?