5 AI use cases that you are not aware of
Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that creates intelligent machines that work and react like human beings. The world’s data scientists are busy testing the limits of AI thinking it will allow society to become more productive, efficient and ultimately smarter.
However, due to AI’s malleable nature, it has produced some uses that have raised eyebrows. Earlier this year, it was discovered that AI was being used to distort reality in what was called Deep Fake videos. But at the same time, AI has also been used to make breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s treatment.
We wanted to share with you five surprising use cases of AI that showcase its broad potential:
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Predicting the future of fashion
The fashion industry is ultra-competitive and so brands will try everything they can to gain an advantage. One way is to try and guess what the next big trend will be, so they only produce what is likely to sell. But up until now, this has had to be based on past trends, market research and senior expertise.
Now though, it appears that AI could have a solution. The technology can be used to detect the color, pattern, size and combination of clothes in social media images and on websites and so help to predict the next global trends. This will help to reduce waste and increase industry sales.
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Your new TV presenter
China has always been at the forefront of AI developments, pioneering its use in the development of autonomous vehicles, chatbots and in smart cities. But now, it has become the first state to unveil a virtual newsreader. China’s state news agency Xinhua News claims the presenter is almost indistinguishable from a human and could be used to disseminate breaking news in a timely manner.
The presenter has its features modelled upon a human anchor and will be available for the 24 hour news cycle, reducing production costs.
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Recognizing how you walk
Chinese security firm Watrix has developed a technology that can verify an individual’s identity from as far as 50 meters away, simply by analyzing how they walk and carry themselves. Authorities in Beijing and Shanghai are already using the software that could very soon replace facial recognition as a reliable form of ID verification. The technology closes monitors and records how individuals stand, walk and lean and is the latest development in the behavioral biometrics space.
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Creating your next perfume
German fragrance house Symrise and technology giant IBM have partnered to create a new method of developing perfumes. By researching and breaking down the formulas of top perfumes and comparing these to historic sales data, they have been able to understand which type of people were buying each scent. From here, they can use the data to create new concoctions that target specific demographics.
Symrise plans to sell two AI-inspired perfumes by the end of 2019.
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Finding Waldo
A UK marketing agency has built a robot with the ability to find Waldo on a map. Researchers trained Google’s AutoML Vision to identify the elusive illustrated character by feeding it images of the elusive character. A robotic arm equipped with a camera then takes a photo of the pages of the puzzle book and compares it to the model. When it finds a match, it slams a plastic hand on Waldo.
It might ruin the game for other players, but it is a necessary step on the AI journey to help the technology improve.
Are there any other AI projects you’ve seen that have wowed you? Let us know in the comments below. And if you have a question you’d like answered? Let us know in the comments section below.
