AI & DATA ANALYTICS
“ AI always needs to be able to explain how and why a decision has been made , allowing humans to refine , challenge or alter said decision . ‘ Smart AI ’ simplifies this explanation process and is therefore a critical element for any organisation making decisions with moral implications ,” says Rajasekar Sukumar , VP Europe at Persistent Systems .
“ When you are deep into data processing , it ’ s vital that you factor in and address ethics and any potential bias from the offset . AI has to be scalable . On an operational level , businesses simply can ’ t afford to have their models slow down with growth . The point of automation using AI is to elevate efficiency , but this is not possible long term without scalability . Consumers demand to see results in real-time and if not businesses will experience ‘ drop off ’. Tesla is an example .
As their cars process more and more data , any machine learning models that are not scalable could consequently be slower at making decisions – which can have both drastic and dangerous consequences .”
Retail is one industry where the level of AI being used has grown and are beginning to recognise what it takes to appraise , develop and generate systems as solutions for the future .
“ Improving retail operations either online , in store , or in the warehouse are exponential ”, says Alex MacPherson , director of solution consultancy and account management at Manhattan Associates .
“ Research estimates that retailers will spend $ 15.3 billion on AI by 2025 , which is $ 8 billion more than initially projected by the end of next year . However , before it can be truly powerful in the sector , data quality and quantity must be addressed and take full advantage of historical data that is factual , complete and textual . One good example of a solution are stores which gather information about a customer – hair colour , skin tone , size and style – to recommend new products which would be enticing to shoppers . And with the future of various high streets remaining questionable , getting the customer experience right and encouraging and resulting in repeated visits is critical .”
Machine Learning This is a subset and application of AI whereby computers are programmed to learn automatically and improve their learning as they continue to encounter more data . Much of the focus is creating programmes and software that can learn to make predictions and decisions without being directly programmed to do so . The technology is also used widely across many industries , from simply powering search
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