*By Marcela Vairo
The planet is interconnected. Today, the potential for extracting new knowledge from data is enormous. But, just as we know only a small part of the mysteries of the Universe, 80% of the data in the world still remain unanalyzed, inaccessible or unreliable (1).
With the advancement of technology, we are able to collect, organize and analyze more and better data. In addition, with solutions leveraged by the cloud, we can bring new information to light for the most urgent challenges facing society and business, such as: access to education, climate change or the efficient use of resources, as well as advancement as a whole. of humanity, if we are going to consider the use for medicine, science or astronomy.
Take astronomy as an example. Since time immemorial, humans have looked to the sky for answers to fundamental questions such as whether we are alone in the Universe or what place we occupy in the cosmos. In 1998, radio telescopes captured 10 GB of data. It is estimated that in 2022, 90,000 GB of data will be captured for each night of observation (2), which is equivalent to approximately 30,000 HD movies on Nexflix (3).
To deal with this huge amount of data, scientists are applying artificial intelligence (AI) models to, for example, discovering new exoplanets and investigating possible habitable zones. But it’s not just “Rocket Science”. There are challenges that we must overcome in all sectors. According to Forrester, the biggest obstacles that companies face in accelerating their AI journey are data, confidence and talent. How can Brazil take advantage of the “launch window” and take advantage of AI?
1. Data: when scaling artificial intelligence - taking advantage of the hybrid cloud as an accelerator - organizations are able to predict operational disruptions and ensure business continuity; optimize people's time to perform high-value jobs; automate decisions, processes and experiences intelligently; innovate in products and services and strengthen the experience of customers and employees.
To support its customers, IBM created the Data Science & AI Elite Team - almost 100 data scientists worldwide have completed artificial intelligence, data science and machine learning projects in 50 countries in 6 industrial sectors, including customers in America Latin.
2. Trust: Companies should start by preparing their data for AI, in a way that provides confidence and transparency to the people who will depend on them. It is imperative that today's AI reflects the values of the populations for which it was created. If we want ethical and impartial technology, we must ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in its creation.
We recently announced the opening of an AI Center in a partnership between IBM, USP (University of São Paulo) and FAPESP (Foundation for the Support of Scientific Research in the State of São Paulo), with the aim of accelerating science and innovation in health, environment, food production networks, the future of work and the improvement of natural language processing in Portuguese. In addition, as part of our decision to ensure fair and transparent AI, the center will have three advisory committees focused on scientific progress, industry and society, and diversity and inclusion, to promote collaboration across the local innovation ecosystem.
3. Talent: organizations still face significant difficulties in finding and attracting good talent. In addition, these digital skills must be developed across the company, with a focus on conceptual understanding of data to interact with tools that enable or are driven by AI and to identify new business opportunities. Data is a tool not only for scientists and technicians, but all areas of business can benefit from its use.
IBM actively promotes the training of young people in the technologies and professional skills of tomorrow, such as data science, artificial intelligence, cloud, blockchain and cybersecurity, among others. For this, the company provided the Open P-TECH platform, with free content and in Portuguese for teachers and high school students in Brazil.
It is a fact: organizations that scale Artificial Intelligence are 7 times more likely to be those that grow faster in their sector (4). Companies in key sectors such as food, banking, telecommunications, health and energy are taking the lead in Latin America and transforming their businesses through data and the potential of the hybrid cloud.
AI no longer exists just as an aspiration, it is inevitable. The world of our predecessors was driven by railways and electricity, ours by Artificial Intelligence and data.
(1) View https://www.ibm.com/cloud/uk-en/yourcloud/data
(2) Kremer, Jan, et al. “Big universe, big data: machine learning and image analysis for astronomy”. IEEE Intelligent systems 32.3 (2017): 16-22.
(3) Own calculation considering an average of 3GB per film.
(4) Forrester Consulting, Overcome Obstacles To Get AI At Scale. Visit.
* Marcela Vairo, Director of Data and AI at IBM Latin America
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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