Artificial Intelligence is just getting started

By Kriti Sharma, Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at Sage Group

2017 was a year of great prominence for Artificial Intelligence (AI). Despite repeated attempts to skew the technology over the past year, we have been able to witness unprecedented gains in the general understanding of AI-driven technologies. People began to understand the impact of AI-based applications on their daily lives. Building on this progress, artificial intelligence is poised to remain the top topic throughout 2018. But there is still a lot of work to be done. For many, the mechanics and decision-making processes behind these innovative technologies remain a mystery. My expectation is that AI will evolve and stand out throughout the year:

 
1) Human-looking AI will slowly disappear
 
Fortunately, in 2018, the artificial intelligence industry will start to move away from the development of technologies similar to human physical structures. I believe this is one of the most promising trends for the future of Artificial Intelligence. As we saw in the case of the ultra-realistic robot Sophia – who was granted citizenship of Saudi Arabia and, in a statement to a local newspaper, said she wanted to have a child – making the AI appear more human and trying to make it behave as such, ends up, in actually hampering your progress. We will see a significant shift in the industry as AI becomes increasingly integrated into the platforms and technologies used to, for example, locate public records, assess customer experiences, manage their finances and learn.
 
2) The AI industry will prioritize solving the world's biggest problems
 
We are still not using artificial intelligence to solve the biggest problems facing the world. Instead, most of today's technology-based applications for businesses and consumers focus on small-scale, niche problems. Of course, a search algorithm can direct you to the best dentist in Paris. A smart assistant can help you book a meeting room. A voice assistant can help you discover a genre of music you never knew existed. But is this really the most effective use of AI? Current technologies in the area already have the potential to tackle much more complex problems, such as managing an entire workforce and solving the problem of climate change. My estimate is that throughout 2018, companies across all industries will begin deploying AI technologies to solve the world's most complex and significant problems.
 
 
3) AI and humans will realize that working together produces better results
Reports about artificial intelligence and its impact on the job market often cause unnecessary panic. Many fear how advances in AI could impact future opportunities and workplaces, in addition to talent. While some functions will inevitably be replaced by AI technologies, the reality is that most will evolve to incorporate – and co-exist with – AI to maximize the benefits to businesses. As a result, we will see companies begin to establish retention programs aimed at educating their non-technical employees on how to effectively work with AI.
 
4) There will be greater emphasis on consumer adoption of AI
 
The artificial intelligence industry will strive to establish consumer trust and work to ensure that consumers are comfortable with technology-based products and services. All this contact with the consumer will be in simple language, so that ordinary people can understand. If we can make consumers more comfortable with AI, we can contribute to resolving widespread ethical and technical concerns, as well as maximizing its adoption.
 
5) Cybersecurity will utilize AI to tackle sophisticated threats
 
While Hollywood would love for us to believe that hackable technology could result in robots taking over the planet, engineers will start to actually address these problems at the data and algorithm levels with AI. To date, hackers' skills have surpassed the cybersecurity industry's ability to protect vulnerable technologies. To address this discrepancy, tech giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon will seek partnerships with startups and academic researchers from leading institutions to create AI-powered security. Ultimately, these collaborations will help produce systems capable of monitoring, identifying, and preventing hackers.
 
Conversations around AI will turn into action
 
This year, I believe the artificial intelligence industry will continue to evolve and take significant steps to become dominant. More people will become familiar with the nuances and complexities of the technology and the number of applications powered by it will continue to increase in companies and expand into new industries. In the meantime, the AI industry will be forced to take on the task of increasing transparency and accountability around these applications. We will see stronger partnerships forming in this area, as well as between the private, public and academic sectors.
 
Last year, the AI industry sparked a global conversation around the importance of developing ethical, impartial and responsible AI. Now is the time to convert these discussions into tangible actions. Industry leaders will now prioritize deploying technologies in the field to address the most pressing business and societal issues, democratizing AI development tools, leading self-regulatory strategies, and effectively communicating AI's unparalleled potential to the average consumer. 2018 is sure to be a great year for AI.