i3 - January/February 2017 - 21

D I G I TA L
BRAINPOWER
A N T I C I PAT I N G
W H AT YO U
WA N T

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Behind the buzzwords "artificial intelligence" (AI)
and "machine learning" are even more buzzwords: cognitive
computing, neural networks, deep learning, relationship
intelligence, augmented intelligence, voice/image recognition,
data science, Bayesian optimization, predictive analysis and
a growing lexicon of techno-verbiage to describe the fastemerging tools of the smart ecosystem. Even the term "Jetson"
is officially in the rhetoric. (It's the name of an NVIDIA Corp.
embedded hardware developers' kit).
Beyond this vocabulary are business altering systems
quickly creeping into the retail, automotive, entertainment,
medical, education and agribusiness world. International
Data Corp. foresees a $40 billion market for AI by 2020.
IBM calls cognitive computing a "$2 trillion opportunity."
TechSci Research expects the U.S. AI market will grow at
a 75 percent compound annual growth rate during the next
five years, fueled by consumer technology devices, drones,
self-driving cars and health care research. McKinsey Global
Institute estimates that by 2025, AI will generate $6.8 trillion
in "knowledge work," $4.5 trillion in advanced robotics and
$1.9 trillion in smart vehicles.
Accenture expects that in less than 20 years, AI will impact
the U.S. economy by two percent and will boost labor productivity by up to 37 percent. A General Electric study envisions
that machine learning will boost production capacity by 20
percent while lowering material consumption rates by four
C TA . t e c h / i 3

percent. NVIDIA says deep learning creators are flocking to
AI, with the number of graphic processing unit (GPU) developers growing 25-fold in the past two years. It tallies at least
1,500 AI startups now underway.
A Gartner analysis in October focused on "intelligence
everywhere," putting AI and advanced machine learning
at the top of its list of technologies that "will be embedded
in everything in the digital business of the future." Gartner
emphasized that these capabilities are crucial for the anticipated boom in Internet of Things and digital security.

GIVING INTELLIGENT MACHINES COMMON SENSE

he vast number of AI projects aim to help machines
think and respond in human-like ways, with
countless levels of instant deliberation. Whether it's
a truly comprehensive virtual personal assistant, an
intelligent camera that can alert you to pictures you should
shoot, drones and robots for warehouse navigation/product
picking or portable medical instruments that can diagnose
blood samples instantly, AI devices need to behave sensibly -
not just crunch big data.
"Machine learning technology amplifies and extends the reach
of big data analytics and can help create an exceptional shopping
experience," explained John O'Rourke, vice president of marketing at Indix, a Seattle Data as a Service provider that focuses
on retailing. "Innovative retailers can tap into the power of
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

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i3 - January/February 2017

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