All the Benefits Of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming an essential part of everyday life. If you’ve used a self-service kiosk to check in before a flight, typed into a search bar and been given suggested keywords, or even switched the cruise control on during a long road trip, you’ve benefited from AI. Even more so, businesses are finding ways to optimize daily operations, stay connected with customers, and gain a competitive edge to accelerate growth through AI. The presence of AI is reshaping our world, and every day more job opportunities—from data scientists to information managers to software developers—are opening to new employees.

Here are seven ways artificial intelligence is impacting and improving our lives:

Companies are using AI technology to streamline their daily processes, analyze upcoming trends, forecast growth, and predict outcomes. For instance, anytime a customer places an item into their shopping cart on the websites of some major retailers, they are immediately given an additional suggested item to purchase based on an advanced algorithm. This algorithm has been programmed to compare thousands of other customers who have purchased similar items and make an informed suggestion. Additionally, social media platforms use a form of applied AI, known as machine learning, to display specific content to their users, and the more an individual uses the platform, the more the AI learns about them. By utilizing extensive neural networking, machine learning becomes superior in smart-decision making.

Automation is a major benefit of artificial intelligence in the business world. Businesses use automation to stay connected with new and returning customers through auto-reply emails, appointment reminders, and feedback surveys. If you’ve ever purchased a coffee and received an instantaneous text receipt, that’s just one example of how AI is improving business practices. Furthermore, many online retailers rely on automation through drop shipment suppliers to streamline their processes, reduce the need for large storage facilities, and increase their efficacy. Through limiting human input by way of automation, businesses can make better use of their employees’ skills and time.

Modern medicine has also embraced AI in helping doctors and nurses diagnose and treat patients without requiring  an expensive or time-consuming hospital visit. For example, doctors can track a diabetic patient’s glucose levels with the assistance of a glucose monitoring app, and that same patient can get real-time data about their health from the comfort of their home. Patient records and medical history can be shared within seconds from hospital to hospital through online portals, and crucial information can be gathered for community health outcomes, as seen with recent at-home tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Essentially, medical professionals can focus more on the needs of the patient and community while AI does the busy work.

The days of calling for customer service and waiting on hold to speak with someone are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Many companies now use online chatbots to make responding to and problem-solving for customer concerns a simpler process. Through programmed natural language processing (NLP), chatbots can learn and mimic natural human language. Chatbots also use prediction software to learn and adapt to each customer’s inquiry, providing fast and customer-centered solutions.

Not only does AI improve customer experience but it also allows for heightened security measures. Using deep learning, an advanced level of machine learning, companies can employ encryption software and deep neural networks to protect sensitive information. And as more and more personal information is online, the demand for cybersecurity professionals will only increase. 

With the assistance of AI, research and data scientists are able to better analyze patterns, predict outcomes, and make adjustments in half the time. Information that would have taken months to collect now can be done in minutes, if not seconds. For example, a language learning app, like Duolingo or Babbel, might discover that half of their users plateau in fluency after three months of learning and incorporate more supportive lessons to fill that gap.  Or a meal delivery service might use an algorithm to learn that stay-at-home moms more regularly check their emails and meal plan in the mornings and pivot their email marketing to gain the best results. The wealth of knowledge that’s gained from artificial intelligence research and data analysis is indispensable.

More and more, businesses are looking for ways to increase productivity, and AI helps eliminate monotonous, repetitive tasks that often take time away from an efficient workday. It’s estimated that workers spend two and a half hours every day reading and responding to emails, making “inbox zero” (the email management strategy that aims to keep one’s inbox empty) truly a myth. Browser extensions, such as Grammarly or Hemingway, use an AI program to automatically correct spelling and writing errors, reducing the time needed for proofreading, and email plug-ins, like Boomerang, perform repetitive tasks by automatically scheduling email responses.

Additionally, companies are now using robotic process automation (RPA) that can be programmed to interact with a system in the same way human intelligence would. RPA takes on repetitive tasks, like cross-checking invoices with purchase orders or ordering products when stock levels hit a limit, enabling workers to focus on value-added work versus repetition. 

Minimizing human error is another essential benefit of AI. Learning algorithms help determine potential scenarios for error and make real-time corrections. When applied, manufacturing companies can closely monitor output, increase employee safety, and reduce the chances of production errors. Shipping industries can account for potential input inaccuracies, shipping delays, or lost goods, therefore limiting revenue loss. And even healthcare providers can increase patient care and outcomes by ensuring a patient’s test result does not go overlooked. Through using AI as a tool to help minimize human error, every industry increases its potential for success. 

Are you interested in joining the cutting-edge field of AI? Then earning a degree to set you up for success is essential. WGU’s bachelor’s degree in computer science provides students with all the knowledge and tools needed to jump into an exciting career in artificial intelligence. Graduates will have the mobility to become data scientists, computer engineers, software designers, and so much more. Additionally, the master’s degree in data analytics provides further mastery in the field of data knowledge and development.

Artificial intelligence is the use of computer programs to complete tasks and solve problems previously required by human intelligence and time.

Artificial intelligence works by processing data through pre-determined algorithms, looking at patterns, and predicting usable measurables and outcomes. 

Most importantly, AI will give individuals and industries the ability to strengthen their customer care, increase their job performance, and reimagine new possibilities for the future.