Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently in the hands of all sides. If one had talked about this issue ten years ago and listed examples, most of them would have been thinking about self-driving cars and robots. However, the potential for everyday use is almost unlimited. We even say that you have already used 5 AI technologies this week, perhaps even without notice. How many points of this checklist do you know from your daily life?

 

AI as a mobile phone monitor: The face as a password

A short view of the camera and the mobile phone is unlocked. Smart facial recognition makes it possible to unblock the latest smartphones without pin or fingerprinting. And even in poor light conditions, with altered fracture or new glasses. This function is based on AI, as when facial recognition is set up, the front camera collects a detailed image of the face and analyses and stores it using complex algorithms. The stored analytical data are cross-checked with each unlocking process and further training data is collected. Some mobile phone models, for example, also assign the images in your gallery to specific individuals or animals, so you have paraledged all the photos of your favourite Labrador-Mischling Polly with one click. This feature is also based on AI.

 

AI as a personal assistant: Devices queuing on the word

A short command and light is switched off, a call is made or the next route is selected in the navigation system. AI voice recognition makes it possible to control smart speakers, mobile phones or cars by voice command. The processing of natural language, known as Natural Language Processing (NLP), plays an essential role here, since it is necessary to recognise what the person has said (Automatic Speech Recognition) and what they want to use their statement (Natural Language Understanding). If these building blocks are successfully identified and merged, the request is processed and the command executed.

 

AI as the best adviser: Recommendations, for you only

A small click and you will already receive tailored recommendations from online shopping, podcast app or your favourite streaming service. AI is increasingly used for personalised recommendations and advertising. Based on data collection and analysis, machine learning is used to create user profiles, on the basis of which recommendations are best suited to the user’s individual preferences and interests. The benefits for suppliers and consumers are diverse: Businesses can offer a customised consumer experience that can differentiate them from the quantity and can lead to an increase in turnover. At the same time, potential customers are more satisfied as they find the right product faster – and sometimes you even find things they didn’t know that you need it.

 

AI as mediator: Language talent, thanks to AI

A small click and you speak Chinese. There are around 7000 languages worldwide – and just 2% Germans have 5 languages or more.[1] We often find themselves in situations where language barriers can lead to limited access to information or misunderstandings – and sometimes we are simply proud of being able to order our food in the local language on holiday. Machine translation (MÜ) is no longer an integral part of the everyday lives of many people, as it not only enables efficient communication across borders, but also multiply the availability of information and thus access to knowledge and resources. In the MT, text is automatically transferred from one language to another. Neural machine translation marked a real breakthrough, as the systems are trained using self-learning algorithms, large amounts of data and immense computing capabilities. The word is no longer translated for word, but all text elements are analysed and how the words interact and how they relate to each other. Nevertheless, it must be said: Although entire manuals or product evaluations are now fully machine-translated and some texts do not appear at first sight: Not every text is equally suitable for MT.

 

AI as a bodyguard: No opportunity for spammails in the mailbox

Your spam folder is full, although you have not filled it? It is likely that AI has done so for you. This is because by using AI-based methods, email providers can filter spam more effectively and reduce the amount of unwanted emails. By means of machine learning, incoming emails are scanned and checked for warning signals such as harmful IP addresses and links, mistrustful attachments or suspicious keywords. If sufficient criteria are met, the message is marked as spam and moved accordingly. If the label is incorrect or if a spam email is missing from the AI-Bodyguard, this error can be manually corrected by marking the message accordingly. This will help the system learn and adapt its parameters, thus further training and improving it.

 

These are just a few examples of many that show: AI is there for everyone! If you want to get further exciting insights about innovation, AI and Virtual Reality and to see how they can boost competitiveness, please visit us on 15-16 June Saarland EDIH at the Make-it.saarland 2024 at the Saarbrücken e-works.

 

[1] https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/1267264/umfrage/umfrage-zur-anzahl-gesprochener-sprachen-in-deutschland/#:~:text=Umfrage%20zur%20Anzahl%20gesprochener%20Sprachen%20pro%20Person%20in%20Deutschland%202021&text=Im%20Juli%202021%20gaben%20rund,Sprachen%20oder%20mehr%20zu%20besitzen.