DIGITAL TRENDS: Algorithms in age of intelligent machines

Innocent Swai

It’s really disturbing and interesting that the real definition of artificial intelligence (AI) has been constantly evolving, and the AI terminology often gets spoilt.

In a way despite the best of intentions in the digital economy era; AI, Machine Learning and the Data Mining trends keep continuously. Few brands are thriving; others are surviving while the remaining brands get stuck. Why not?

Let us think about intelligent machines first. What is exactly AI? This is an interesting simple question to Experts. However, the answers from the very same experts are kind of very ambiguous. Clarity is lacking from all their responses. Common sense is not always common as we all know it. However, by using common sense which has been shared by few professionals; AI in a way is referred to machines that can learn, reason, adapt and act on what they have mastered by themselves. In other words, they are expected to make their own decisions based on the provided AI algorithms. Human beings and animals have always used their inborn as well as learnt abilities to make decisions.

With emerging technologies, AI algorithms has been categorised as machine learning. In reality, such AI algorithms are being used to search for known patterns in big data as well as mining massive amounts of data so as to provide all the information needed to make various predictions required for various purposes. Machine learning, in the age of digital economy is incredibly becoming powerful each and every day.

Actually, machine learning has become the basis of many major breakthroughs happening today like voice recognition among others.

Emerging technologies are forcing brands to keep redesigning their products and services in such a way that new AI algorithms can always be adopted laterally or else their consumers might change the way they are evangalised in this digital economy era. In a way such mechanisms harnesses creativity. At the core AI algorithms, everything is structured in systematic ways of solving consumers’ problems by developing what resembles human intelligence, which is often referred to as artificial general intelligence (AGI). Some AI Experts are convinced that machine learning will eventually get us to AGI with the help of big data. However, there is a long way to get there as of now; we are in a toddler stage. No wonder that in some cases what used to be considered AI in few years ago, may be considered something else today. Why do we have so many confusions when it comes to AI, machine learning and data mining?

The reason has to do with how often emerging technologies are mangled to accommodate all sort of AI algorithms just like what happened with the evolution and revolution of open source technologies. Silicon Valley has played a key role by constantly inflating the capabilities of AI for its own convenience. The secret found in Silicon Valley (which is not so secret) is that a brand can lead a transformation from the top.

However, not all brands can do a transformation from the top. For a brand to thrive it must find ways to make its people to feel personal ownership in their transformations. Brand owners must figure out how to keep their strategic decisions alive and moving forward.