Latest Innovations in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Are Set to Transform the World

From self-driving cars to Siri and Alexa, the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has been progressing at a rapid rate. Since decades, television and movies have been portraying artificial intelligence as antagonistic robots with human-like features and characteristics. But artificial intelligence can encompass anything from autonomous weapons to IBM’s Watson to Google’s search algorithms.

In today’s technologically-driven world, artificial intelligence is known as weak AI. This is because artificial intelligence is developed to perform only trivial tasks, namely, driving a car, Internet searches, or facial recognition on one’s smartphone. But, several researchers across the world have begun focusing on one goal- to create strong artificial intelligence or general AI.

Weak or narrow artificial intelligence is capable of outperforming human beings in specific tasks, such as solving tough equations and playing the strategic game of chess. However, strong artificial intelligence would be able to outperform humans in every possible task. Therefore, numerous organizations specializing in the field of artificial intelligence industry have begun developing AI infused with the latest technologies. Below are few of the innovations that have recently taken place in this field.

IBM and McCormick Partner Up to Use Artificial Intelligence for Creating the Next Iconic Food Flavor  

The food industry has begun embracing artificial intelligence in order to gain competitive edge by making food production successful. Crafting a taste sensation is one of the most difficult tasks. No one is capable of hopping out of bed early in the morning and thinking, “Alright, I’ll invent a new flavor of ice cream today!” and actually doing it. Even trained food product developers are unable to test and create new flavors within a few weeks or even months. It takes years to do so. But, IBM Research AI for Product Composition has made that work easier than ever.

IBM has collaborated with McCormick, a manufacturer of flavoring products, condiments, seasonal mixes, and spices, to explore flavor efficiently and at a fast pace with the help of artificial intelligence. AI would further aid in learning and predicting new combinations of flavors by using data points. The platform would account for alternative raw material complements if the original ingredients are unavailable. It would then substitute them into formulae and adjust them according to reactions, namely, gender appropriateness and pleasantness. It is also capable of transforming the instructed dosage levels based on usage patterns.  

Surtrac, the Latest Artificial Intelligence Enabled Traffic Light is Your Next Travel Guide

There are approximately 30,000 traffic light in the U.S. alone. Imagine the total number of traffic lights across the globe! Sometimes you thank them, sometimes you curse them. If you think about the mechanism, you will find out that it is a voluntary system. But have you ever come across artificial intelligence infused traffic lights in and around your town? If you are in Pittsburgh, Surtrac is the one you need to look at. It is an artificial intelligence system that lets traffic lights to adapt to traffic conditions instead of relying on pre-programmed sequence.

Surtrac functions by creating predictive models with the help of traffic detection mode. A radar device, camera or computer is installed at the intersection. This way, Surtrac can figure out the number of cars heading towards the intersection from every direction. The computer generates a predictive model and generates an appropriate signal timing plan. Surtrac is created by Rapid Flow Technologies LLC, based in Pennsylvania. The team stated that the travel time in Pittsburg has reduced by 25%, idling by 40%, and braking by 30%.

Amazon Go Proves that Artificial Intelligence Can Make Grocery Shopping Hassle-free

A visit to the nearest grocery store may seem like a tedious job. Walk in, grab your stuff, face the cashier, face the person more if the system crashes, and wait up till your bill comes out. But Amazon Go has made everything easy. Amazon has established 2 Go outlets in Seattle and one in Chicago. These stores rely upon artificial intelligence and sophisticated image recognition software to provide the customers with enhanced grocery shopping experience. You don’t have to wait in a queue or take out money from your wallet. Just install the app, grab the items that you require, and leave. Your account will be automatically charged with the total amount of what you take.