AI Revolution
Everyone's talking about AI—but there are a million ways AI is being used right now that people don't even realize. And this is only the beginning...
Farming
No, you're not going to see robots walking around farms like in The Creator any time soon, but AI is still hard at work in the fields today, completely revolutionizing the agriculture industry.
Uncle AI's Almanac
People have been refining their farming methods for thousands of years—and then AI comes along and does it better than we ever could.
By analyzing soil conditions and weather data, AI is greatly improving soil yields and sustainability.
Image Upscaling
We've all seen TV characters ask the computer whiz to "enhance" a blurry image on a video screen. For decades, the smarty-pantses of the world laughed, because "enhancing" an image did not exist. Until now.
Enhance For Real
Even if your image is blurry, AI-enhanced tools can actually extrapolate from the data and create a high-res, 4k image without the pixelation that normally happens when you try to expand an picture that's too small.
Detecting AI-Generated Content
It's the wild west of AI right now, and a lot of people are trying to pass off AI-generated content as their own work. As AI gets better, it gets harder and harder to spot the difference. If only there was something that could help us tell the difference...
It Takes One To Know One
Even high-quality AI productions leave fingerprints (algorithm-prints?), but they're often way too subtle for mere mortals like us to notice. But you know what can find those telltale signs easily? You guessed it: AI.
Wildlife Conservation
A lot of people are worried that AI is going to lead to a Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines situation, but believe it or not, AI is actually helping conservationists preserve the little bit of natural world we have left.
Keeping An Eye
AI-powered drones are obviously useful for tracking animal movements, but their machine learning networks can actually be used to predict animal behavior to better protect vulnerable species from poachers and other threats.
Text-To-Speech
Text-to-speech is everywhere nowadays, but it wasn't always so easy. Spoken language is a lot more complicated than written language, so while it may seem simple, it took decades of research to get something that even resembled a human voice.
Then AI came along.
Hey Siri
Machine learning helped make text-to-speech sound better, and there were programs in use for the visually impaired on computers as far back as the 90s. But modern AI technology is the reason programs like Siri can sound so realistic.
Making The World More Accessible
AI is already helping people with physical disabilities live more normal lives. Text-to-speech for visually impaired people is one thing, but it goes far, far deeper than that.
Make Your Life Easier
AI can help people who can't use keyboards with speech recognition. It can help control advanced prosthetic limbs more naturally. It can even drive a wheelchair, helping people who otherwise couldn't go anywhere on their own gain independence.
Space Exploration
A great man once said: "Space. It's humangus big, man". And he was right. Exploring space is hard enough with telescopes, and it's only going to get more complicated. You guess right: AI to the rescue.
Where No One Has Gone Before
AI already helps us analyze the massive amounts of data we receive from telescopes like JWST, but in the future it will help spacecraft navigate the solar system—and beyond?
Predicting Earthquakes
Scientists have had ways to predict earthquakes for years, but unfortunately, even our best methods didn't give much notice. But you know what's good at predicting earthquakes? AI.
Read The Earth
By training AI algorithms with the detailed seismic data that we gather, we're able to predict earthquakes much more accurately AND earlier, which could be the difference between life and death.
Medical Research
The human body is a very complicated machine, and that makes developing pharmaceuticals a very slow and difficult process. There are countless ways that chemicals can interact in the body and it can be hard to predict exactly what a drug will do. But it's getting easier.
Do The Research
Today, the pharmaceutical industry is using AI to make creating new drugs faster and more effective. By feeding massive amounts of biomedical data to AI algorithms, scientists can identify the way that different substances interact in a fraction of the time it once took.
Therapy
Not every kind of therapy works for everyone, but AI is giving people better tools than ever to work on their mental health.
Extra Tools
AI can help identify the roots of mental health issues by analyzing a person's speech, writing, and internet activity. AI chatbots can also be ready at all times of the day provide immediate support in a pinch.
Still a long way before computers start replacing actual therapists though.
Coloring Black And White Photos
Colorizing black and white photos has been around since the beginning of photography, but it's always been a very slow, laborious process. Nowadays? Takes about 2 seconds.
It's Faster Than You
AI can quickly scan an image and interpolate a likely coloration pattern. While today a human will still likely need to tweak things, it's still much, much faster than the old method. And who knows how good it's going to get?
Reducing Food Waste
Ever wonder how restaurants make sure they have the right amount of food? Well, the answer is: They weren't always that good at it, and a lot of food got thrown out.
AI Can Tell You!
AI can help restaurants and grocery stores better predict consumer demand, reducing overstock and food waste. The same goes for you at home!
Faster Disaster Response Times
When a natural disaster hits, it's good to have AI on your side. Algorithms are doing a better job than ever of predicting wildfires, floods, and other disasters—but that's not the only way they're helping us.
Search For Survivors
Identifying people in need of aid during the chaos of a natural disaster can be hard for even the most eagle-eyed rescue workers, but not for AI-assisted drones, which can track down survivors and direct aid towards them.
Learning New Languages
Apps like Duolingo have revolutionized the way people learn a new language, but that's just the beginning. AI is going to make it easier than ever before.
An Apple For Your AI Teacher
With AI-integrated apps, you can quickly find a program that's suited to your specific style of learning. AI can also quickly analyze your progress and identify specific areas to work on.
Archaeology
Archaeology isn't quite like Indiana Jones. Most of the time, archaeological sites are not well preserved and identifying much of anything can be a monumental task. For human eyes, at least...
It Has Everything But The Hat And The Whip
Archaeologists can feed satellite images, seismic data, and historical context into AI algorithms to not only help them understand archaeological sites, but to predict where future sites are most likely.
Fixing Your Old Photos
My wife and I took a nice photobooth photo on our honeymoon—and our dog chewed it to shreds. Normally, when that happens, you're just out of luck. Maybe not anymore.
AI To The Rescue
You'll never get your exact photo back, but now at least AI can restore it to its former glory, helping you preserve the memories.
Combating Climate Change
Climate change is a daunting problem for a lot of reasons, but part of it is just that it's super hard to understand and predict something as complicated as the Earth's atmosphere. I bet you see where this is going.
The AI Man Can
AI is helping climate scientists better understand and predict atmospheric events, while also optimizing global energy usage, an essential resource if we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Fashion Design
You've probably made some AI art, but have you ever worn AI clothes? That might change quicker than you think.
As Long As The Shirt's Not Too Boxy
AI can help designers identify and predict trends, but it can also help anyone with an interest in fashion create their own designs and build a portfolio.
Spice It Up In The Kitchen
If you're a chef with hungry customers or just someone looking to mix things up for dinner, you can use AI right now to help you create new and exciting combinations based on the ingredients you already have. But it's going to do a lot more very soon...
It Can Do It All
The technology already exists today to do it, so don't be surprised if you see an entirely autonomous, AI-run diner sometime in the near future. Come in, get a fresh-cooked meal, pay, and leave, all without a single other human involved.
Hiring The Right People
Recruitment has been an issue for companies as long as there have been...companies. The internet was the first revolution in recruitment—but AI is going to change the game yet again.
Finding Mr. Right
AI can quickly analyze thousands of resumes against your company's specific needs and requirements, creating a list of the highest-quality candidates before anyone has even done an interview. It also helps reduce bias in the hiring process, something humans have proved to find...difficult.
Rise Of The Machines
AI is already used in countless things—and the craziest part is, we still probably haven't even scratched the surface of what it can do. Is it going to replace us? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.