What are the most significant AI advances we'll see over the next few decades? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
Answer by Sudheesh Nair, CEO, ThoughtSpot, on Quora:
The AI revolution - and yes, I do think it’s safe to call it a revolution - is only in its infancy. We’ve seen some exciting applications of artificial intelligence in the last few years in areas like natural language processing, image recognition, and process automation. In fact, these advances have helped our own company, ThoughtSpot, bring artificial intelligence to the domain of analytics.
While these advances have been exciting for those of us in the industry, there remains a disconnect between our enthusiasm and the impact society at large is experiencing as a result of AI. In the next few decades, the technology industry will continue to make substantial advances in how AI can be applied, but the greater impact will come not from future nascent applications but by the widespread adoption of AI by other industries today we interact with on a daily basis.
No industry will be safe from this change, but here are some of the industries that will change most significantly with the adoption of AI.
- Transportation: Nearly everyone has heard of a self-driving vehicle whether Maven from General Motors or advances from Tesla. While self-driving cars is still seen by many as part of some Jetsonian future, these vehicles will be on the roads sooner than we think, and bring substantial changes with them. Over 1.3 million people died last year in the US from car accidents; most of these were caused by human error. Self driving vehicles will dramatically limit these deaths, to say nothing of the productivity.
- Logistics: The ability for vehicles to operate autonomously won’t just impact our daily commute or our trip to the story. The entire logistics industry, from how supply chains operate to how trucks, freight, and shipping interact are already being disrupted by IoT. With AI, this disruption will get supercharged, helping businesses be more flexible and efficient. And consumers stand to benefit.
- Workforce & Hiring: Much has been made of how AI will change the nature of work in the coming decades. I think one of the most pronounced ways we’ll experience this new relationship will manifest in the people part of work. AI will help businesses screen candidates to find the right potential hire, with the right experience. Simultaneously, AI will give people leaders more time with the critical last mile - in-depth interviews and actually hiring an individual - to ensure they make the right decision.
- Healthcare: Nothing is more personal and universal than healthcare. Everyone interacts with the healthcare system in some capacity during their life. AI will change this system entirely. For providers, AI will help them improve outcomes, expand access, and ensure healthier patients across the board. For clinicians and researchers, AI will enable them to unearth life saving insights buried in mountains of clinical data, bringing new therapies and treatments to market faster than ever. For insurers, AI will improve operations, drive efficiency, and cut costs, which can be passed on as savings to consumers.
As society at large accepts AI and begins widespread adoption in the coming years, it’s clear no industry will be able to abide by the status quo. It will be an uneven adoption, to be sure, but one that stands to bring significant benefit for people around the world.
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