We know, we know: you’re probably tired of hearing about artificial intelligence constantly. After all, it’s all over the place today, infiltrating practically every area of our lives. At work, people are worried about losing their jobs to this new technology and at home people are discovering new ways to make their lives easier. And while it may seem like this has been our reality for a while, it’s not quite the truth: artificial intelligence has experienced rapid growth in the past few years, transforming the way we handle lots of different aspects of our lives.
Just a year ago in late 2022, ChatGPT was introduced and took the world by storm for one reason in particular. It’s true that it was a cool tool to play around with, ask for jokes, and answer questions; the true change that came from it, however, was the introduction of artificial intelligence technology to the fingertips of your average person.
That’s right: one of artificial intelligence’s biggest transformations, if not the biggest, has been the ability for the average person to use it and take advantage of what it offers. Gone are the days of this technology being limited to tech professionals with fancy computers; anyone and everyone can use AI technology to improve their daily lives.
Lots of people (including us!) tend to focus on the technical and professional applications of artificial intelligence, but this article will highlight the beauty of artificial intelligence in everyday life, discussing how it slowly became a normal part of what we do on a daily basis.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Before we dive right in, however, let’s review some of the basics of artificial intelligence–an essential part of understanding its evolution in recent years and impact on our daily lives. As you probably know by now, artificial intelligence is the science of training machines to think and act like humans, mimicking typical behavior to perform tasks that previously, only humans could perform.
It’s not all robots taking over the world, however. The benefits of artificial intelligence are quite significant:
AI doesn’t suffer from the risk of human error: as long as the machine is correctly programmed, there’s no risk of the AI skipping a value, adding numbers incorrectly, or any other typical mistake that humans can easily make.
AI can automate repetitive tasks: time-consuming and repetitive tasks such as customer service, data entry, and software testing occupy lots of human resources, but AI is now able to take on these responsibilities--faster and with no risk of error.
AI can handle large amounts of data: there’s no limit to how much data artificial intelligence programs can handle, making it easy for you to collect and analyze incredibly large quantities of data.
AI can take on tasks that are dangerous for humans: through the use of robots or small machines, artificial intelligence can perform tasks that are dangerous for humans, such as coal mining or sea exploration, with less risk involved.
AI doesn’t need to rest: whether it’s an automated customer service chatbot that you use at work or a smart camera for your home security, AI tools are available 24/7, perform equally at all times, and don’t need to take breaks, eat, or sleep.
There are so many more examples out there and we’re lucky to live in a time where AI has become such a transformative technology that has influenced so many areas of our lives. Now that you’re familiar with what AI is and why it’s so beneficial, let’s discover how AI has evolved over time, becoming an integral part of our daily lives.
The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Our Daily Lives
When the idea of artificial intelligence was first coined by Alan Turing in the 1950s, artificial intelligence was still just an idea and one that many people ridiculed--after all, computers were giant machines that were owned only by major corporations and the idea that they could function like humans in their early days was a bit comical.
The rush towards AI slowed down a bit in the following decades and only picked back up again in the 1980s as computers gained both importance and popularity, becoming something that more and more people knew how to use. Personal computers, although not quite the norm yet, would soon become a regular fixture in practically every house. However, the artificial intelligence that we know today was still quite far away.
At the turn of the century, however, more and more scientists started seeing a future where artificial intelligence could actually mimic humans as a reality and it slowly started to infiltrate our everyday lives in subtle ways that you maybe wouldn’t recognize, such as:
Recommendations on streaming platforms: Netflix or Amazon Prime’s ability to recommend your next favorite show isn’t coincidence–it’s artificial intelligence analyzing your preferences to make a suggestion that aligns with what you’d probably like.
Your phone’s maps directions: your phone isn’t just programmed with directions to each place; using real-time updates through, of course, artificial intelligence, your phone can give you directions to your destination, adjusting for traffic, accidents, weather and more.
Talking to Siri or Alexa: the ability of Siri or Alexa to answer your questions, tell a joke, or place orders for you isn’t just magic or great programming, it’s artificial intelligence at work.
One of the most significant transformations regarding artificial intelligence has been the switch that businesses have seen with the introduction of AI tools in the workspace. Like we listed above, artificial intelligence’s ability to reduce the workload on humans, process more data, and work 24/7 has absolutely changed the way companies work, allowing them to provide increasingly personalized experiences for their clients.
We’re not here to talk about artificial intelligence in business, however–we want to show you how artificial intelligence has become a staple in our everyday lives, not just those of tech companies. But the widespread adoption of AI in companies has led to two major things: one, more and more people are familiar with artificial intelligence and able to use it outside of the workplace and two, a realization that AI can be used in practically any aspect of life, not just in professional settings.
Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Life
Some uses of artificial intelligence in everyday life are so normal these days that we might not even realize how transformative and innovative they really are–and how new they are to our daily lives.
AI in banking and finance
We’re so used to making transfers and checking balances from our phones that we can’t imagine a world where that didn’t exist; in the case of losing a card or having your wallet stolen, you can also immediately freeze your card or take out cash without the physical card. This is all powered by artificial intelligence technology that uses machine learning tools to detect fraud, using large amounts of data to detect suspicious activity and alert you.
AI in healthcare
Data processing has possibly had its most significant impact in healthcare, where the ability to compare, search for, and identify trends in patient reports or scans has transformed doctors’ capacities for finding the right treatment plan. From both research to diagnosis, artificial intelligence has expanded the knowledge that healthcare professionals have and allowed more and more people to find the correct treatment.
AI in facial recognition
As we mentioned earlier, one of the most powerful abilities of artificial intelligence is that of recognizing patterns, but this isn’t limited just to data. Facial recognition reads the physical characteristics of a person’s face, securely identifying a person so that they can unlock a device, access their bank account, or even board a flight.
AI in social media
Artificial intelligence technology works hard on social media, working to identify your likes and dislikes to match you with the right ads and content, while simultaneously remembering your user preferences to guarantee a personalized experience that reflects your likes and dislikes. It also looks for trends and tries to connect with you with other users who you might know or simply have similar tastes.
AI in online shopping
Does it ever seem like a website you’re visiting just knows exactly what you’re looking for? Or has some incredible suggestions of items that fit your taste perfectly? That’s the beauty of artificial intelligence; it cultivates suggestions perfectly, adding items that you might like, based on your previous clicks and searches, in addition to what other users with similar interests like.
Artificial intelligence has infiltrated basically every area of our lives and it’s not going to stop any time soon; it’s an incredible technology that has the power to make our lives easier and easier as it develops further, letting us get our hands dirty in the things that we really like.
At Ironhack, we know how important artificial intelligence is and that’s why we’ve incorporated it into our bootcamps, ensuring our students enter the tech workforce ready to take on whatever challenge that arises and be competitive candidates in the ever-evolving field of tech.
Ready to begin your artificial intelligence journey? We can’t wait to learn with you.
