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8 Helpful Everyday Examples of Artificial Intelligence

You may have been hearing a lot about artificial intelligence with the recent release of ChatGPT and the ensuing discussions about the risks of misusing the AI tool. However, even if you are not using ChatGPT right now, we bet that you have engaged with artificial intelligence at least once within the last 5 minutes. That’s because artificial intelligence has become so pervasive that the examples of it we encounter every day are seemingly infinite. Here are 8 of the most common examples of artificial intelligence.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Before we can identify how applications of artificial intelligence in our lives, it’s helpful to know exactly what it is (and what it is not). The Oxford Dictionary defines artificial intelligence as:

Essentially, artificial intelligence is the method by which a computer is able to act on data through statistical analysis, enabling it to understand, analyze, and learn from data through specifically designed algorithms. This is an automated process. Artificially intelligent machines can remember behavior patterns and adapt their responses to conform to those behaviors or encourage changes to them. This is a brief definition and there is certainly a lot more that could be said about what AI is.

The most important technologies that make up AI are machine learning (ML), deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP).

Machine Learning is the process by which machines learn how better to respond based on structured big data sets and ongoing feedback from humans and algorithms.

Deep Learning is often thought to be a more advanced kind of ML because it learns through representation, but the data does not need to be structured.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a linguistic tool in computer science. It enables machines to read and interpret human language. NLP allows computers to translate human language into computer inputs.

8 Examples of Artificial Intelligence

Here is a list of eight examples of artificial intelligence that you’re likely to come across daily.

1. Maps and Navigation

AI has drastically improved traveling. Instead of having to rely on printed maps or directions, you can now use Google or Apple Maps on your phone and type in your destination.

So how does the application know where to go? And what’s more, the optimal route, road barriers, and traffic congestions? Not too long ago, only satellite-based GPS was available, but now, artificial intelligence is being incorporated in navigation applications to give users a much more enhanced experience.

Using machine learning, the algorithms remember the edges of the buildings that it has learned, which allows for better visuals on the map, and recognition and understanding of house and building numbers. The application has also been taught to understand and identify changes in traffic flow so that it can recommend a route that avoids roadblocks and congestion.

2. Facial Detection and Recognition

Using virtual filters on our faces when taking pictures and using face ID for unlocking our phones are two examples of artificial intelligence that are now part of our daily lives. The former incorporates face detection, meaning any human face is identified. The latter uses face recognition through which a specific face is recognized. Facial recognition is also used for surveillance and security by government facilities and airports.

3. Text Editors or Autocorrect

You may have used tools such as Grammarly as a student to check your final paper before submitting it to your teacher or may use it even now to check spelling in an email to your boss. This is another example of artificial intelligence. AI algorithms use machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing to identify incorrect usage of language and suggest corrections in word processors, texting apps, and every other written medium, it seems.

Linguists and computer scientists work together to teach machines grammar, just like you were taught at school. The algorithms are taught through high-quality language data so when you use a comma incorrectly, the editor will catch it.

4. Search and Recommendation Algorithms

When you want to watch a movie or shop online, have you noticed that the items suggested to you are often aligned with your interests or recent searches? These smart recommendation systems have learned your behavior and interests over time by following your online activity. The data is collected at the front end (from the user) and stored and analyzed through machine learning and deep learning. It is then able to predict your preferences, usually, and offer recommendations for things you might want to buy or listen to next.

5. Chatbots

As a customer, interacting with customer service can be time-consuming and stressful. For companies, it’s an inefficient department that is typically expensive and hard to manage. One increasingly popular artificially intelligent solution to this is the use of AI chatbots. The programmed algorithms enable machines to answer frequently asked questions, take and track orders, and direct calls.