Artificial intelligence (AI) is all around us – and yet, it can sometimes be hard to see the impact it has on our everyday lives. There are many things that would not be the same without AI, but sometimes it’s not even obvious that it’s the main driving force behind them. And this will likely keep getting more and more pronounced in the near future too. It’s clear that AI is the next big thing in technology, and there are many reasons to believe that things will continue to move in this direction as well.

The Rise of AI

It might seem like AI just arrived on the scene a decade or so ago, but the technology is actually not that new. There has been at least half a century of serious research in this field, and the reason we’re seeing so much talk about it only now, is because it’s finally reached the stage where it’s widely accessible and easy to integrate in many areas of life. Many people can work with AI now too, not just specialists with advanced degrees. That’s actually one of the main areas of focus in the research in this area – making the technology more accessible.

Your Computer and Smartphone

One of the areas of application of AI that will perhaps be most relevant to a majority of people are computers and smartphones. Modern electronic devices use a lot of advanced analytical technology to make the user experience smoother and more predictable. And it’s working – you might not even realize how much your computer’s operating system is doing behind the scenes to make it respond to your input more reliably and predictably. We’re likely just seeing the tip of the iceberg, too – various signs are pointing towards this trend becoming even more prominent.

Traffic and Transportation

Traffic is another area that can benefit a lot from advanced analytics, especially when it comes to long-range navigation and optimization. Public transport is already “driven” by AI to a large extent. However, passengers don’t really get to see that in action. It happens behind the scenes, behind multiple layers of technology. What you do likely see is a constant increase in the reliability of public transportation services, as well as logistics such as courier services. Many companies like Amazon are already using AI on very deep levels to optimize their delivery routes.

Gaming

Gaming and AI have gone hand in hand for a long time now – and we don’t just mean the behavior of enemies on the screen. The industry has benefited a lot from the rise of this technology, especially when it comes to things like content production, testing, and iteration. Virtual reality is a field of gaming that has seen some especially noticeable results thanks to the rise of AI and its deep integration into the sector. According to WiredShopper, we’re likely going to see even more interesting designs in the headsets coming to the market in the next years.

Smart Homes

There’s been a lot of talk about smart homes lately, and it’s indeed an interesting concept. A home that automates itself to a large extent used to sound like something out of a sci-fi movie not long ago, but it’s very real at this point. And we’re likely going to see much more in this regard. It’s not just about coming home to a warm house and your TV running. A good smart home can adapt itself to your lifestyle to a great extent, and can help you optimize many parts of your daily routine.

Finance

Finance is another field that has traditionally always had a very deep link with technology, and it’s not surprising at all that AI has played a major role in its recent growth. It’s interesting to observe the effects of AI in this field in particular, because it ties a lot of separate fields together. From analytics, to security, all the way to marketing and customer relations. All of those have to be handled in detail, and AI can help with many of them to a great extent. Keep in mind that much of the progress in this sector remains unseen, because fintech companies don’t really like to share their secrets. But we’re still seeing an obvious impact on the quality of the services they provide.

These are just some examples – the truth is that AI is pretty much everywhere around us at this point, and it’s probably easier to point out things that are not based on this technology one way or another. And as we said earlier, one doesn’t have to be a scientist with a degree to take advantage of what modern AI tech has to offer. It’s perfectly within the reach of the average person at this point, and it will likely keep getting better in this regard as well.