Artificial Intelligence: Good for People, the Planet, and Much More

The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) can, at face value, be intimidating. Technology that thinks for itself and learns as it gains experience sounds like science fiction, doesn’t it? But the foundation of AI is to support and enhance human activities, and not just fulfill sci-fi fans’ dreams. It may surprise you just how prevalent AI is in your daily life already. And how diverse (and beneficial) its applications are. In fact, according to a HubSpot survey, 63% of people aren’t aware that they already use AI technologies. Are you among them?

Let’s look at some amazing applications of artificial intelligence that are making our world a better place right now.

Smiley Boxes Galore On Your Doorstep

Who hasn’t bought something that arrives on their doorstep in the telltale bubble envelope or cardboard box emblazoned with a smile? Amazon’s app is the second most popular shopping app in the U.S., used by 98 million people every month. As of 2021, 92% of buyers agree they are more likely to buy products from Amazon than from other e-commerce sites.

Among Amazon’s strengths is that its machine learning makes you feel like Amazon knows you. It uses an algorithm that selects recommended products for each user based on previous purchases, interactions, and ratings. It combines those with related items viewed by users with similar preferences.

All this happens “behind the curtain,” thanks to artificial intelligence. Then, you receive a curated dashboard of items custom-picked for you. And it works: more than a third of Amazon’s sales are from recommended products.

But this is only the beginning of AI’s abilities, some of which are life-altering.

Artificial Intelligence for Human Health

What bigger undertaking could exist than diagnosing, managing, and even preventing disease? Yet that’s exactly what researchers are doing with AI technology.

Artificial intelligence drives smart medical devices that can address some of society’s most persistent and expensive health problems. These include heart arrhythmias, diabetes, celiac disease, IBS, intestinal cancer, and more. AI flips the script from crisis to stabilization and management.

One example is pairing AI with capsule endoscopy. This involves a tiny, swallowable device to take pictures during its trip through the digestive system. Doctors use this to learn if there are ulcers, cancer, polyps, or other issues that X-rays can’t find. Each device collects tens of thousands of images, far too many for a gastroenterologist to sort through. That’s where AI comes in. Algorithms are “trained” to spot those frames and pull them aside for review. Similarly, at Tulane University, researchers found AI can detect colorectal cancer in tissue scans as well as, or better than, human pathologists.

Also, at the esteemed Mayo Clinic, artificial intelligence analyzes CT data. When a new patient’s scan is entered, AI reduces the time to diagnose a stroke, limiting brain damage. AI can detect also atrial fibrillation sooner, even before symptoms present.

AI can even play a role in deciding the best treatment. At the Georgia Institute of Technology and Ovarian Cancer Institute, researchers used machine learning to predict how patients might respond to cancer-fighting drugs. AI can not only find a more effective medication but also make the patient more comfortable by reducing the likelihood of harmful side effects.

The applications of AI for healthcare are almost limitless.

AI Technology Preserves Our Wild Friends

AI is one of the top three emerging technologies in wildlife conservation.

Using AI has dramatically changed wildlife conservation. It allows researchers to locate animals, date observations, and learn their migration patterns and even social groups. AI-enabled gadgets, apps, and monitoring systems help researchers understand animal behavior and make accurate predictions. Examples:

• The World Wildlife Fund and Intel are on a mission to use AI to preserve Siberian tigers.
• Environmentalists use AI with predictive statistical modeling to monitor Antarctic penguins.
• Scientists are evaluating data linked to the number and well-being of whales using marine robots, remote-sensing, and machine learning models.

Much like human use cases, AI can “connect the dots” on information and find anomalies, such as an image of a rare species in hours of field recordings. This significantly reduces the manual labor required to collect data and allows scientists, researchers, and rangers to focus on more vital tasks. For example, as AI systems learn about an animal’s migration, they enable researchers to protect the animals and their habitats if disaster strikes. Forest rangers can safeguard animals against natural disasters like wildfires and floods and illegal actions like poaching.

Artificial Intelligence for Home Safety

Smart technology has its place in creating peace of mind, starting at home. That mindset inspired Deep Sentinel’s home security camera systems, which use a powerful combination of artificial intelligence and at-the-ready professional guards to ensure your home is a safe space.

AI is “on” at all times, learning what is and isn’t the norm at your home. (That way, your cat or your kids don’t cause a blip.) The system promptly flags live guards for anything that appears to be a threat. Then, live surveillance guards review the issue at hand and even interact with the suspect through two-way audio communication. If that doesn’t halt a criminal, the guards contact the police within 30 seconds.

Deep Sentinel’s AI-powered video surveillance is the perfect combination of technology and humans, bringing together the best of both worlds to ensure a secure home for you and your family.

After all, AI is most effective when it’s paired with human intelligence. Together, these two forces do a lot of good in the world.