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AI Innovation: What to Expect in 2021

AI Innovation: What to Expect in 2021

Easier and more convenient ways to navigate our busy lifestyles are increasingly pushing artificial intelligence (AI) to the forefront of future innovation. AI technology is something that is being adopted by a multitude of industries as growth becomes the forefront of brand popularity.

The more AI innovation makes its way into our homes, like with Google Home, Siri, and Alexa, the more we have a need and dependency on this kind of technology. This past year has caused a major shift in our everyday lives and AI will continue to progress to suit our new normal.

Where AI Fits in Today’s Current Landscape

In the current global climate, there has been a massive shift from in-person to online presence. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet are but a few of the ways we have learnt to navigate our current working and learning environments.

Being homebound is still a reality for most of the worlds’ population. Many industries are looking for ways to keep up with what might be the 2021 economic surge. They’re looking towards AI to aid e-commerce, marketing and personalised services when this happens.

Being health conscious is more prevalent now than before the pandemic began. Google Trends estimated that there was just over a 4,500% increase in searches on how to live a more healthy lifestyle. As such, people are beginning to monitor their health by using AI innovation like Apple watches.

The health and pharmaceutical industries are investing in AI Innovation to better diagnose and treat patients. The aim is to improve many of the shortcomings seen in the health sector during the worst of Covid-19.

Nurses and doctors will work with technology that fills in and monitors patient charts. This will help with the early detection of diseases and also lessen the workload of overworked staff. Not to mention how AI has aided in vaccine development this past year by analysing a vast amount of virus-related data.

Why AI Will See Rising Demand for 2021

Many countries are in the process of rebuilding their economies domestically and internationally. 2021 is the year where a plethora of sectors, like travel and retail industries, are in great need of resuscitation.

Marketing will likely be at the forefront of this rebirth into the economy and people’s lives. High-performing marketing teams are interested in adopting AI and machine learning (ML) to improve their current and future clients’ segmentation. Not only will it come as a competitive advantage but it will also help to personalise consumer experiences.

From 2018 to 2020, AI used by marketing experts had increased by 55%.

Much of the world is still dealing with the ongoing effects of the Coronavirus. Many individuals, however, require non-virus related medical attention.

A global trend in 2020 saw a steep decline in hospital admissions that weren’t directly related to the virus. Many millions of people weren’t able to invest in their health care and annual screening tests as they avoided overcrowded hospitals.

In the US, in December 2020, the number of non-Covid-19 hospital admissions was 25% more than in April of the same year. This trend may continue to rise as Covid-19 decreases.

As a result, health care facilities are going to look at AI innovation to keep up with new patients. It’ll also need technology that is ready to combat the effects of medical neglect due to the pandemic.

Key AI Trends to Note

Many industries have taken this time to work on their AI growth and how to use it during a pandemic and for what comes after. Here are some of the latest AI innovations to watch out for this year.

Health Sector

Health Sector

Vaccine innovation has largely been a success due to the use of AI technologies. Baidu launched its LinearFold AI algorithm, which was used to sequence the RNA of the virus. The AI algorithm identified the secondary structure of the virus in mere seconds.

This has led to the development of mRNA vaccines, like the BioNtECH Pfizer vaccine. It causes the body to create a protein that prompts an immune response that is different from conventional methods of vaccination.

Along with a sister algorithm, called LinearDesign, Baidu has also created PaddleHelix. It is a machine learning-based bio-computing framework that aims to help with the development of vaccines, medicine and drug discovery.

E-Commerce

Some of the most popular digital shopping platforms now use AI innovation to offer more personalised customer experiences. There are cyber chatbots, for one, that can communicate with consumers using human-like dialogue.

Some AI innovations in e-commerce include:

  • voice-enabled shopping assistants
  • facial recognition payments options
  • and video/image advertisement recognition

AI and ML in e-commerce make it more attractive to use platforms like Amazon and Taobao. Their shoppers are getting user-centred experiences with convenient methods of payment and delivery.

Language Processing

Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GTP-3) is a predictive language model that learns the context between words. It is part of NPL and has endless possibilities for multi-language communication between people and robots.

GTP-3 is an OpenAI creation that will be able to do a multitude of language-based tasks. These include things like writing essays, translating languages and creating computer codes.

It is going to revolutionise the way apps and software are established giving a world of possibilities for future business development.

There are also other language processing developments such as ERNIE. This AI technology performs a range of tasks including engaging in dialogue, generating questions and abstractive summarisation

Final Thoughts

The internet is a part of a life that is now widely affected by the rise of AI technology. Almost every household has internet, and everybody owns a smartphone. We are always ‘plugged-in,’ and AI has come in to revolutionize the internet as we know it.

We’re also more acutely aware of the need for conveniences and assistance in areas where AI could serve humanity better. AI trends across all digital frontiers show that past technology is slowly integrating itself with new AI algorithms and ML. The advanced technology we hear about today may well be the way forward in giving us healthier and happier lives.

2021 will come with its own innovations as the world continues to stablise itself through the pandemic. This worldwide crisis has highlighted the sectors that currently benefit from artificial intelligence and those that can in the future. The need for personalised experiences over digital channels is certainly a key reason why we see growth in AI innovation. As industries and consumers alike grow increasingly dependent on AI, demand for quality connectivity will grow in tandem. After all, a stable and reliable network is necessary to ensure a proper ‘Business as Usual’ model for these innovations.