Sci-fi movies have mostly defined how we perceive artificial intelligence and its applications in real life. Through its depiction in the media, AI often seems like a thing of the far future when cities have flying cars and elevators to space. These portrayals are exciting but often give the idea that they currently don’t exist in our time.
AI is more accessible than one may think. You may not be aware of it, but you most likely already use a form of artificial intelligence in your everyday life.
AI is reshaping life as we know it, and it has been doing so for years. As the prospect of flying vehicles slowly but surely turns into reality, let’s first get to know the many ways that AI is making our lives better today.
Your Security and Surveillance Systems
When put to proper use, AI has amazing applications that contribute to the security of individuals. Security cameras have become so accessible that you can easily purchase one from the store today and link it with your phone and other smart devices.
AI enables smart cameras to process each frame and send alerts to homeowners should unfamiliar patterns are detected. This prevents break-ins and protects homes from damage.
AI is not only adept at securing belongings. Companies offering cybersecurity solutions rely on AI processes for some of their practices. These include blocking threats that can corrupt or steal data stored online, keeping digital files safe.
Your Daily Commute
Navigation apps, such as Waze and Google Maps, gather relevant data to provide drivers with accurate information about traffic situations and open or closed roads. AI makes these real-time updates possible.
If you use Uber and other ride-hailing apps, the prices at the time of your booking and the vehicle assigned to you are also determined with the help of AI. Your travel to and from work and running your errands are made more convenient every day through the help of artificial intelligence.
Your Smartphone’s Functions
If you have, at any point of owning your smartphone, spoken to Siri or Bixby, then you have already interacted with an AI-powered feature on your phone. Smart assistants get knowledge from the data on your phone and online to answer questions you may have. They even have the ability to tell jokes and give clever comebacks.
AI is also responsible for how you are able to unlock your phone through facial recognition or fingerprint scanning. However, facial recognition capabilities on phones still have a long way to go before becoming more secure, as they do not yet easily adapt to changes that could affect the visibility of your whole face, such as glasses and face masks.
Phone cameras today have also become quite advanced in how they detect scenery and enhance photos. Camera features can now blur backgrounds, touch up the face, and even translate foreign text in real time.
Your Online Shopping Experience
Even your online shopping habits are helped by artificial intelligence. Have you ever messaged a vendor to get an immediate response asking how they may help you? These are usually AI-enabled chatbots that can respond to simple questions while a customer representative is unavailable.
Your online shopping apps also keep track of your search and purchase history to provide you with better suggestions for future purchases. This is why it often feels like your home shopping apps know you so well.
Your Social Media Browsing
You may have heard a friend say or you yourself may have at least once said that Facebook seems like it is listening to you through your microphone. These theories were denied by Facebook, but the idea remains. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, “listen” to you through your interests and account profile so they can personalize the content you see.
Your activity, search history, and what you follow on these social media channels give them insight into what you might like to see on your feed. They respond by giving you personalized ads and suggested content that coincide with what you do online. This must be why these platforms suspiciously seem to have a solid idea of what you like to see without you explicitly saying it.
Use Artificial Intelligence Wisely
Artificial intelligence has opened up vast opportunities for improving the lives of people everywhere. At the same time, it is also raising ethical and privacy concerns about the extent of AI involvement in human activity. Keeping these issues in mind, AI remains a promising tool that can truly revolutionize how people live, given that it is used wisely.