3 applications of Artificial Intelligence in your day-to-day life that you didn't know about

AI is revolutionizing the way many businesses operate. From car manufacturing to managing warehouses, AI is powering automated processes that make workers' lives easier.

The global AI market value is expected to reach $267 billion by 2027, and artificial intelligence is projected to contribute over 15 trillion US Dollars to the global economy by 2030. As the market grows, the value it can offer people grows with it as revenue gets pumped back into research efforts. 

What may surprise you is that AI is already improving your day-to-day life. In this world of smartphones, smart watches, Alexa, Siri, and Google Home, AI is weaved throughout our daily lives without us realizing it. 

Have you ever unlocked your phone just by looking at it? How many times do you use spelling and grammar checkers in a day? Even your Netflix recommendations are powered by AI. But AI can also do a lot more. 

3 day-to-day applications for artificial intelligence you might not know about

AI social workers are keeping school kids safe

Back in 2011, UNICEF launched its flagship digital platform, U-Report. They intended to engage young people in program priorities, emergency response, and advocacy actions. The platform acts as a tool to share information, raise awareness, and collect quantifiable data on specific areas that impact children.

In Liberia, U-Report was used to report incidents of abuse and injustice via SMS. Users were asked if their teachers had ever requested inappropriate acts in return for better grades. The program quickly expanded as more users came forward, and others around the country started to feel safe enough to share their experiences through U-Report. This resulted in action from local authorities — all made possible by AI. The AI within U-Report gathered key insights from users and ensured that they could safely report their experiences.

U-Report has also been an essential service during COVID. In 2020, U-Report launched a COVID-19 Chatbot that would offer critical information to communities and receive feedback that would help guide UNICEF’s response efforts. As of October 2021, it had been deployed in 50 countries with over 6 million interactions. 

The COVID-19 chatbot, alongside Alana AI, helped identify and track rumors and misinformation surrounding the virus. It also served to combat misinformation by providing those in less privileged areas a way to receive accurate information that would help manage the spread of the virus. 

Robotic bees are helping farmers

Bees are one of the most useful insects we have on this earth. They are fantastic pollinators and can contribute to better crop yields. Unfortunately, in the US alone, the number of bee colonies per hectare has declined by 90% since 1962. 

To help maintain crops, farmers can’t rely entirely on nature anymore. Until we can restore the natural balance we once had, we need to think outside of the box. And apparently, outside of the box are robot bees. 

Scientists have developed artificial bees powered by an AI that mimics the flight patterns of bees. These “bees” are actually small drones packed with GPS and a high-resolution camera that works like a honeybee’s eyes. They help farmers cross-pollinate their crops and help mitigate the effects of a lower bee population.

The first bee drones were created by researchers at Harvard in 2013. These first attempts at RoboBees could fly and keep their balance even in heavy breezes. The latest iterations can achieve vertical takeoff, hovering, and steering. Each wing can be independently controlled in real-time and flap just like a real bee, thanks to piezoelectric actuators. Most recently, the RoboBee has managed to pivot direction on a dime, getting ever closer to the way its organic counterpart moves. 

Underwriting and claims management

Regulars to the Bdeo blog will already know how AI is transforming the insurance industry. Let’s quickly look at how AI is already improving the underwriting and claims management processes for anyone new.

Underwriting is one of the least enjoyed roles an insurance agent has to perform. It’s a tedious process that often involves sifting through endless data. This is an even bigger task in this hyper-digital world, where we collect more data than ever through smart devices like cell phones and wearable tech. That’s why many insurers are switching to AI-powered underwriting processes that collect and sort the mountains of data we produce every day. This helps insurers underwrite policies personalized to policyholders' needs and speed up lengthy processes.

Visual Intelligence and AI are already making claims management easier for insurers and policyholders. Customers can trigger FNOL as soon as an incident occurs via their smartphone. The AI will automate all the little processes involved in opening a claim, eliminating long phone calls and manual processing. They can then gather accurate evidence through their smartphone with visual intelligence guiding the entire process. All of this combines to give policyholders a fast, reliable experience that leaves little room for fraudsters to operate.

3 unique AI honorable mentions

We’re only just scratching the surface of how AI is improving our lives daily. There are so many ways AI is changing our lives, even in bizarre and unexpected ways, including:

• AI as a lyricist - There are a surprising number of AI platforms that can write lyrics for you based on genre, topic, and style. Will they have the same emotional qualities as John Lennon or Diana Ross? That remains to be seen, but Bob Dylan fans thought it did a great job!

• Chef AI - While AI like IBM’s Chef, Watson, gave us unique recipes, even releasing a recipe book before it was retired, one restaurant took AI cooking to the next level. San Francisco-based Creator uses a combination of AI and robotics to create a burger that is “perfectly aligned to your bite.” 

• AI for beer - To avoid leaving a bad taste in anyone’s mouth, London-based IntelligentX launched unique beers and used AI-powered chatbots to gather and organize customer feedback. They intend to gather feedback as if customers and the brewer were in the same room while gaining better insights through AI.