Tech Talk: A.I. in Our Daily Lives

Artificial intelligence (A.I.) isn’t a new technology, but it is an evolving one. Over the past 20 years, computing technology and available data have combined to allow computer scientists to make tremendous advances in the use of A.I. The tech world continues to invest in new ways to integrate it into our everyday lives, and most people don’t even realize it.

So what is artificial intelligence? Computer scientists define it as any device that perceives its environment and takes actions to maximize success toward a certain goal. Devices that understand human speech (Siri), autonomous cars (Tesla), mapping software (Waze) and chatbots (Operator and Facebook Messenger) are all considered A.I. While we have not reached the level where computers become smarter based on experiences or make independent decisions, there are some great advancements in this arena.

➧ influencing your purchase
Node.io is a new software platform that helps companies find the right buyers for their products or services. This platform contains data from more than half a billion profiles of people and companies, which are combined with a company’s data to identify potential new markets and customers. This is the technology that causes you to see certain ads online or receive emails and phone calls about products and services you are likely to buy. Many tech-based companies like Facebook, Google and LinkedIn already use this underlying technology to influence what you view online.

➧ better communication
Recently our team found out about crystalknows.com. We encouraged everyone to sign up and complete a free DISC assessment. DISC (Dominant, Influential, Steady, Calculating) is a tool that identifies your primary personality type to predict behavior. This software was developed by a team at the Harvard Innovation Lab and leverages natural language processing, psychology models and statistical analysis to help you communicate with different personality types. The tool integrates with Google (Gmail, calendar) and prompts you to write a friendly email or suggests how to present your ideas at a meeting based on team dynamics. As this technology evolves, it will learn nuances about your communication patterns and head off any miscommunications.

➧ intelligent chatbots
A chatbot is a computer program that has a conversation with you, usually online. Chatbots are new and continue to get better over time. The technology is currently integrated with Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Cnn has
a chatbot that allows you to tell the network what stories you want to read.

h&M and Victoria’s Secret use chatbots to help customers pick the right outfits.

➧ the future of a.i.
As A.I. technologies evolve, computers will begin to make decisions for you. Technology leaders like elon Musk and Bill Gates are expressing concerns about the future of A.I. and how it will impact society. So, as you talk to Alexa and she becomes part of your everyday life, remember, she is storing data and trying to learn from it.