Trends 2019: Artificial intelligence goes mainstream Posted on : Feb 13 - 2019

The rise of AI will see an era of coexistence and augmentation, as robots work with humans to make us better at what we do.

This year, artificial intelligence (AI) will be everywhere, whether you like it or not.

From next-level recommendation marketing and virtual agents, to self-learning data analytics, there's no escaping the touch of the machine in our everyday lives. AI is going from a next-gen technology used by Google and Apple to something we encounter regularly: from chatbots to advanced analytics voice-activated assistants.

If you're feeling a little uncomfortable about the idea, take solace from the past. During the original industrial revolution, not everyone bought into the idea of steam power. A group known as the Luddites went around smashing textile machinery because they were afraid workers would be replaced. Of course, as industrialisation took hold and improved society as a whole, the Luddites became synonymous with backwards thinking.

We're still in the early phases of our own industrial revolution. Many of us understandably fear that our jobs are at risk, especially when we read that half our jobs may go to AI. But we're already seeing the same patterns take place as the first industrial revolution, where AI isn't replacing us at all, but instead allowing us to tap into our more human strengths.

Creativity, social intelligence and innovative thinking are just some of the skills technology can't replicate. What it can do is give us more time and space to use them, by taking over repetitive tasks and sifting through large amounts of information.

Just look at how AI is being rolled out in the medical world, not replacing doctors but giving them the power to make faster and more accurate diagnoses, help more patients and offer more personal care.

The future of AI is one of coexistence and augmentation, where robots work with us to make us better at what we do.

There's no downplaying how much of a game-changer all of this is.

If you're looking for a yardstick on how much of a foothold AI is getting in South Africa, you need look no further than Michael Jordaan staking his retirement on NMRQL Research, an investment management company powered by machine learning.

Compared to Bitcoin, which seems perennially stuck in the hype phase, AI is attracting credible investment from major players.

Despite this, there are too many people and organisations that don't have the first clue of how to prepare for AI. According to Gartner, businesses rate AI as one of the hardest technologies to implement.

Business simply can't afford to wait to figure it out; AI has gone mainstream. View More