Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Real World
??In the Green Marketing
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Beyond the Buzzwords
Companies should evolve. We all know that; we say it frequently and it’s common to see webinars, TED Talks, books and articles all about the new ways companies are innovating and changing the world. Marketing and associated technology strategies require rapid and agile change and it can be hard to keep up or even identify what changes should be made to an existing organization.
On the horizon now? Artificial intelligence or AI.
AI has long been a trope in science fiction and we’re used to now hearing it bandied about in marketing and digital circles. But a lot of people aren’t aware it’s being used in subtle, close-to-home ways that are changing business and education.
Some benefits of AI include:
With all these potential uses, how is AI working close to home? How does AI benefit us directly in our daily lives? What are some organizations making use of AI and how does it help you when you go to the grocery store or a university?
Hy-Vee, Inc. Uses AI Robots to Monitor Stock
Hy-Vee, one of the biggest Midwest grocery brands, began rolling out?autonomous robots that automatically scan thousands and thousands of products. These mobile robots move up and down the aisles, scanning the shelves for items in the grocery and health and wellness aisles several times a day. They use the scanned information to determine that products are in stock, in the right locations and priced accordingly.
Simbe Robotics, the company behind the robots, says these more frequent automated scans can provide up-to-date information that reduces?out-of-stocks by up to 30%. This helps save the company money, which means lower prices for consumers and more time for workers and associates to engage with customers or do other work. These robots have been deployed in stores in Iowa and Nebraska. Schnucks Markets, another Midwest grocer, has also signed on to use the technology in their own stores.
For many people, the largest adjustment is getting used to these human-sized vertical robots scanning up and down aisles autonomously, self-guided and going about their business like a human stock checker would. But if this technology works the way it’s predicted to, we’ll soon start seeing much more of this type of thing in varied brands and stores across the entire country.
Love it or hate it, self-checkout was just the beginning!
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Bass Pro Shops Uses Location Analysis for Enhanced Supply Chains
Most businesses were caught unaware when the COVID-19 pandemic began. The country, and the entire world, couldn’t fully grasp the economic and business implications of lockdowns, supply chain issues and health problems that would occur and keep occurring during the next few years. While there were many technical proposals for dealing with it, some companies developed entirely new methods that revolutionized industries.
Bass Pro Shops utilized GIS and data analysis?to navigate a geographic patchwork of their services areas correlated with areas hit hard by the pandemic. Bass Pro Shops was in a tough position: sales of items like camping equipment, freeze-dried foods and survival supplies all rose significantly across their stores. Many companies struggled to meet demand for items that were previously stably stocked (think toilet paper) and Bass Pro Shops knew they would lose market share and customers if they ran out of crucial items in places hardest hit.
Their use of location intelligence and massive automated data culling?made it possible to visualize service areas in ways never been considered. Communication of real-time data became urgent; the ability to monitor information across the country precisely indicated where and how to restock or keep levels stable. These techniques will serve the company well not only on the tail-end of the COVID-19 pandemic, but during any possible downturns that may arise and affect the company’s prospects.
Other companies are likely to follow suit.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Powers STEM Students with AI
If colleges are where the future of technology and big ideas emerge, then the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is helping pioneer ways forward to diversify AI’s uses in education and the humanities.?Husker researchers were recently granted $600,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation?for their app, Messages from a Future You, that’s aimed at STEM students looking to enhance their career track.
Here’s how it works: students can create an avatar of their “future self” that sends them messages from “the future” to help them stay on track with their career goals in STEM courses. Many STEM classes are notoriously difficult; for students currently undergoing rigorous academic paths, it can be hard to keep up motivation or know when you’re doing it right. The app uses AI to specifically tailor messages in a realistic way to provide motivation, guidance and assistance?free from the usual academic-performance-only approach.
The design of the app is to be portable, cost-effective and reduce attrition rates for STEM majors, which can be?nearly 50%. STEM majors are some of the most needed fields in the world. For those who complete these academic disciplines and go into careers, the personal and economic benefits are potentially immense. An app powered by AI to help guide students and reduce attrition and dropout can help ensure a better world for everyone.
A Changing World, a Bright Future
These examples prove that many of our prior ideas or judgments about artificial intelligence should be adjusted. We’re only beginning to understand the capabilities of these technologies fully and their enhancements and uses are coming as surprises even to the brands that are relying on them. Gone are the days when we could only see robot maids from The Jetsons or killer machines from the?Terminator?films.
AI has the potential to change the world and to change us with it. For pandemics and human-scale challenges, it can help us find each other. For universities, it can help us tailor messages and motivation to the students who need it most. And for your local grocery store, it can mean a little robot going up and down aisles carefully scanning shelves to make sure the milk or the bread we want to buy is in stock and priced correctly.