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10 Artificial Intelligence-Driven Technology Trends for 2018 Posted on : Dec 09 - 2017

With 2018 almost here, vendors are wondering where and in what technologies budgets will be spent in the coming months. What once were cutting edge technologies only two years ago are now reaching the mainstream.

We turned to a number of executives to find out what technologies they thought would shape the coming 12 months. Unsurprisingly, while they named many different types of technologies, one common denominator connected them all — artificial intelligence (AI).

1. AI Spreads From Customer Experiences to the Workplace

According to Moritz Zimmermann, CTO of SAP Hybris, 2017 was the year companies tapped AI and machine learning to transform the customer experience, making stories from sci-fi a reality through the presence of robots in stores and the use of virtual reality that allowed shoppers to test drive cars, design houses and more.

Next year, organizations will begin applying the lessons learned from these customer-facing AI capabilities into back-end processes, using the technologies to streamline and automate. Those organizations will also explore the power of coupling AI and machine learning with other tools, such as the internet of things, augmented reality and more, to further enhance front- and back-end functions.

2. AI Tackles Big Data

Wilson Raj, global director of customer intelligence for SAS, also sees AI playing a major role in the coming year, necessitated by the growth of data size and diversity of sources. The growth in data has fueled more algorithmic and real-time approaches to addressing various business issues, with customer experience topping the list for most marketers.

The nexus of big data analytics and the various forms of AI, including predictive analytics, machine learning and deep learning should be the catalyst for organizations to exponentially improve customer experience. Raj believes the marriage of data and technology helps to create well-informed and efficient customer interactions that benefit both customers and businesses. View More