What To Expect With The Future Of AI Technology

There are many new technological innovations that are changing how we live our lives, but artificial intelligence, or AI, may present the most exciting changes. While AI has been around for a while now, recent improvements have made the technology much more adaptable. Looking into the future, it’s easy to predict a world in which artificial intelligence plays a more significant role in our daily lives.

The Most Promising AI Innovations on the Horizon

In general, artificial intelligence is going to change almost every aspect of daily life. While we will look for ways to make use of it in the home, AI will also be adopted by local and state governments, as well as by the business sector. Before long, there will be few things unaffected by AI technology.

Getting Around with AI

Self-driving cars are already beginning to make their way on the roadways, but we can expect this technology to advance considerably in the coming years. The U.S. Department of Transportation has started making regulations about the use of AI-driven vehicles and, as a result, they have designated three levels of self-driving vehicles. Currently, we’re at the lowest level with Google’s version of the vehicle, which still requires a human driver to be at the wheel. Ultimately, the goal is to create an entirely automated self-driving car, which is expected to be much safer. Logistics companies and public transportation services are also looking at incorporating AI technology to create self-driving trucks, buses, taxis, and planes.

AI and Robotics Will Come Together

The field of cybernetics has already begun to meld with artificial intelligence and that trend is expected to continue. By incorporating AI technology into robotics, we’ll soon be able to enhance our own bodies, giving us greater strength, longevity, and endurance. While cybernetics may help us enhance our healthy bodies, the application of this technology is really aimed at helping the disabled. Those individuals, who have amputated limbs or permanent paralysis, can be given a much higher quality of life. Cybernetic limbs that can communicate with the brain can become almost as useful as natural limbs. In the future, artificial limbs may even become stronger, faster, and more efficient.

AI Will Help Create Fully Functional Robots

In addition to helping us enhance our bodies, AI technology is also expected to help us create artificial lifeforms. Science fiction has long suggested the concept of human-like robots that are capable of complex interactions. That future may not be very far off at this point. As the field of robotics advances and incorporates AI technology, robots will become useful in a variety of ways. They can take on dangerous jobs and do work that poses health risks to people. Even today, drones and less sophisticated robots are performing welding and other hazardous tasks, though they’re typically controlled by an operator via a remote.

How Will AI Technology Change Our Lives on a Personal Level?

Artificial intelligence has already made its way into many homes, but it will soon be indispensable in most households. As we move closer toward becoming a technologically driven society, AI applications will fulfill the promise that computers would make our lives easier. AI technology will help us live happier and healthier lives, while also helping us conserve time, energy, and money.

You’ll Have a Virtual Assistant

Many people already make use of AI-driven personal assistants. Amazon’s Echo and Alexa currently dominate the market, but the competition is beginning to offer more virtual assistants to choose from. What can they do for you? Currently, they can provide information, such as a weather report, and order services, such as place your weekly pizza delivery order. They’re also used to control smart home devices from the stereo to the thermostat. In the future, AI-driven virtual assistants will anticipate your needs and fulfill them without the need to give them instructions. For instance, if you grill steaks every Friday, your virtual assistant can have fresh steaks delivered to the home every Thursday.

Your Face Will Become Your ID

We’re already seeing biometric incorporated into our daily lives and that technology is expected to evolve. Eventually, many in the tech industry anticipate AI-driven applications allowing machines to recognize your face to complete transactions. Your credit cards and driver’s license may be linked to your face, allowing pattern recognition devices to know you instantly. This can make everyday transactions far more efficient, saving us from having to wait in line at the store, bank, or movie theater.

Receive Better Medical Care

Research is already underway to develop new software applications that use AI to help doctors diagnose and treat patients. It won’t be long before wearable devices can measure blood sugar levels for diabetics and transmit that data to the patient’s doctor. Already, devices are in use that measure heart rate, respiration, and other vital functions. Artificial intelligence may also help patients better understand their care options and communicate more effectively with their caregivers.

AI Responses Will Be More Empathetic

Internet users have already seen the effect artificial intelligence has had when they visit a website with a chatbot. In the past, chatbots were pre-programmed to give specific answers to specific inquiries. Today, artificial intelligence software allows chatbots and virtual personal assistants to research any question and provide an accurate response. While that is impressive, there’s still room for advancement. Ultimately, AI-driven devices will analyze our speech or actions to interpret our needs, so they can offer more insightful information. This type of programming might best be described as “digital empathy” and it may provide the best human-device interactions possible.

Caring for Children and the Elderly Will Be Easier

Both virtual assistants and robots may advance to a level nearing human efficiency, which means these devices will be able to care for those needing supervision. Down the line, robots may be able to care for your child or elder parent. This can free up your time and, in cases of the elderly, prevent them from needing to move into an assisted living facility. Elders can stay at home, where they feel more comfortable, while the robot performs functions to keep the individual healthy and safe from harm. The rising concern over elder abuse and neglect may make this one of the most anticipated applications for artificial intelligence.

Hollywood May Become Obsolete

Currently, streaming sites, like moviesjoy.net, use a form of AI to offer suggestions, based on your previous television and film viewing patterns. Similarly, sites like Spotify and Pandora use AI to help you create stations that exclusively play your favorite music. This is just the beginning, as far as how AI will cater to our entertainment interests. In the future, AI applications may analyze our interests and draw upon them to create music and shows that use digital performers. Since everything will be based on personal preferences, we’ll rarely have to sit through a “flop” or a bad song.

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, these innovations will likely be overshadowed by even greater advancements. While there’s no way to know for sure how far AI technology will advance, it does seem obvious that it will become an integral part of our lives. Already, we often use AI-driven technology without even realizing it.

What To Expect With The Future Of AI Technology was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.