Artificial Intelligence: Revolutionizing Strategy
Artificial Intelligence (AI). You've heard of it. You may know it is profoundly re-shaping the U.S. and global economy. However, are you aware of the tremendous power of AI algorithms and their implications for business across the world?
As companies continue to evolve and invest heavily into AI, it is important the differentiate between AI and Machine Learning. Two very hot buzzwords, yet not quite the same thing. Merriam-Webster defines AI as "a branch of computer science dealing with the simulation of intelligent behavior in computers" (1). What does that actually mean? Increasingly, machines are capable of imitating human behavior. On the other hand, Machine Learning is a current application of AI based around the idea that we should really just be able to give machines access to data and let them learn for themselves. The term gives marketers something new, shiny and, importantly, firmly grounded in the here-and-now, to offer (2). However, in this article I am going to focus on AI.
AI sounds crazy, especially in part because humans developed all that there is to computer science, but human jobs are being eaten by AI. These algorithms are able to ingest and analyze massive volumes of data to inform and remotely control better process management decisions, more efficient outcomes. Take the Google search app. If you ask it, “What is the fastest bird on Earth?," you'll get the following answer:
“Peregrine falcon. According to YouTube, the peregrine falcon has a maximum recorded airspeed of 389 kilometers per hour.”
Awesome, so Google answered your question correctly. Contrary to popular belief, that answer didn't come from some master database inside Google. When you ask the question, Google’s search engine pinpoints a YouTube video describing the five fastest birds on the planet and then extracts just the information you’re looking for. So you may be wondering why it did not include the other four birds in its response? The answer is found in the deep neural networks. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook all use neural nets as pattern recognition systems to learn to perform specific tasks by analyzing vast amounts of big data (3). Now that is nothing short of remarkable.
We may not all be curious about the fastest bird on Earth, but all of us need food to survive. As a college student, I am always on the go. With work, multiple classes everyday, and organizational functions at night, time is scarce. Several times I have thought about running to the grocery store in hope of preparing meals for that week to save money. Often though, I am inconvenienced by traffic to and from the store, long lines, and the overwhelming size of the store itself. Could AI solve my problem? It appears to be so.
The service is called Amazon Go, and will open to the public in 2017. It uses machine learning, sensors, and artificial intelligence to track items customers pick up. Any item selected will be added to a virtual cart on their app. If they pick up an item they later decide they don't want, putting it back on the shelf removes it from their cart. The best part about all of this, when the customer leaves, the app adds up everything the customer has taken and charges their Amazon account. Amazon coins it as "walk-out technology" (4). I knew Amazon as the E-Commerce King. Never in a million years did I think they would be launching a brick-and-mortar concept with AI as its backbone.
Google and Amazon aren't the only companies betting on AI. The company that has dramatically improved my collegiate experience, Uber, just recently appointed Gary Marcus and Zoubin Ghahramani as co-directors of Uber’s new in-house research arm on artificial intelligence. Uber envisions a future in which a fleet of vehicles can make the most complex maneuvers while carting passengers around without a driver. Ten years ago that idea would have never been ludicrous, but also ten years ago Uber was non-existent. The research arm’s aim is to apply A.I. in areas like self-driving vehicles, along with solving other technological challenges through machine learning.
“Every major company realizes how essential A.I. is to what they’re doing,” Dr. Marcus said in an interview. “Because of the scale of data people are operating on, even the smallest gains in efficiency can turn out enormous changes at these companies, especially in terms of profit.” (5).
I realize that it may take a while for a self-driving car with AI to make all the trips an Uber driver currently makes. Uber can think big, start small, and scale fast. I envision a Saturday in the near future where I can be picked up from my house off-campus within minutes from a self-driving car, get driven to Sun Devil Stadium to tailgate for a football game, and also give the Uber details on when to pick me up and where after the game by tracking my every move.
Can AI turn us into superhumans? Is AI the answer to global warming? Does AI have the potential to save the world? I am not sure, but I do know that AI is revolutionizing strategy. It is not only changing how we connect with other people, but it has made it easier for us to maintain contact with information and keep track of what is happening in the world. It's hard to think of a job that a computer ultimately won't be able to do as well if not better than we can do.
References:
(1) Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
(2) Marr, Bernard. "What Is The Difference Between Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
(3) Metz, Cade. "Google’s Hand-Fed AI Now Gives Answers, Not Just Search Results." Wired. Conde Nast, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
(4) Kelleher, Kevin. "How Amazon Plans to Totally Reinvent Grocery Shopping." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
(5) Isaac, Mike. "Uber Bets on Artificial Intelligence With Acquisition and New Lab." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Dec. 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.