Merging big data and AI is the next step

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic in the field of technology today. So what exactly happens when AI is combined with another extremely promising technology? How big data will be more powerful when combined with AI is being researched, which will result in a huge disruption industry-wide.

AI and big data – What are the expectations

Big data and artificial intelligence applied together is a major breakthrough in modern technology. It completely changes the way businesses can create value by applying data. Big data availability has created breakthroughs in the field of machine learning, which was not possible before. Businesses now have access to huge sets of data with which they are able to gather ways of meaningful learning, producing amazing results. Hypothetical researches are no longer an approach undertaken by businesses, instead they have moved on to focus on data based strategies.

With AI’s influence, businesses can process data in massive volumes which was technically not possible earlier due to certain limitations. Earlier, expensive and powerful software and hardware had to be bought. Now with massive datasets being available, remarkable breakthroughs are being accomplished in the field of machine learning. The main reason behind this being emergence of higher level AI algorithms.

Virtual agents which are also called chat bots, is an example of such breakthroughs. They have gained popularity over time. Earlier Chabot’s could be stumped with simple words or expressions. With AI and big data merging together, virtual agents can now self-learn and create further breakthroughs.

IPSoft’s Amelia

IPSoft developed Amelia recently, which is a self learning chat bot. It can learn very fast, understanding everyday language and gets smarter over time. It has received overwhelmingly positive feedback after being used by the Nordic bank, SEB along with several public sector businesses.

Google’s DeepMind

Google’s AI company DeepMind developed an artificial intelligence which teaches itself to run, walk, climb and jump without prior guidance. The meaning of running or walking was never taught to the AI which it came to learn on its own.

Although such breakthroughs in the field of AI are astounding, resulting in further innovations, the repercussions  of such cannot be ignored as well. There have been dire consequences caused by self-learning algorithms which have been observed over time.

Microsoft’s Tay

Microsoft developed its own AI chatbot called Tay not so long ago. The plug was pulled on the chatbot only after one day it had been introduced on twitter and made public. Tay, learning mainly through interacting with humans, turned into an evil robot in just one day. It started promoting love for Hitler, incest, sex and promoted theories of how Bush was the reason behind 9/11.

AI evolution – a concern for us?

Science fiction movie fans after watching movies such as Terminator will voice concerns after watching movies where artificial intelligence becomes self aware and creates a huge path of destruction when it takes over the whole world on its own. The most realistic concern is the fact that artificial intelligence may replace humans in the job sector in the future. The access AI has to big data can be a concern for people all over the world, specially its self learning characteristic. The prospects of AI are both terrifying and intriguing at the same time. Nothing in this world is perfect. Everything comes with its own pros and cons. How the world is going to react to amalgamation of artificial intelligence and big data cannot be predicted.

Conclusion

Perhaps there will be a time when artificial intelligence bots will be there on the help desks of banks, greeting us as we step in. Bots will have all the information through self-learning and be able to answer every single query of humans which would never have been possible by a human assistant. Bots may one day become an integral part of our daily life. A life without AI will become unimaginable.

Whatever the future holds for AI bots and us, one thing is for sure. Combination of artificial intelligence and big data will usher in an era of completely new possibilities, innovations in the field of technology, and new breakthroughs. We can only hope that the pros of such combination outweigh the cons massively.