Ever wonder what SIRI actually looks like?
This week, The Hustle introduced us to the woman behind the voice of Siri. She’s an accomplished voice actor by the name of Susan Bennett. In 2005, she sat in a studio for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, for an entire month…recording nonsense sentences for a top secret project.
She had no idea she would end up telling millions of people what to do and where to go.
Now, SIRI and Alexa are more like digital assistants who use voice interaction, but they are both a part of the Artificial Intelligence explosion we have seen emerge in this decade.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area of computer science that emphasizes the creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans.
The idea of AI thought-capable 
beings has been around since ancient times. Long before robots were even a feature of science fiction, scientist and philosopher Rene Descartes pondered the possibility that machines would one day think and make decisions. The actual field of research on AI was born at a workshop in 1956 at Dartmouth College. Since then, there have been incredible advances in what AI can do in data processing…and making our day to day lives a little easier.
From SIRI to robot vacuums to self-driving cars, AI has been progressing rapidly since 2011, when IBM’s question answering system, Watson, defeated the two greatest champions in an exhibition match on Jeopardy!
So, what are the benefits and dangers of using Artificial Intelligence?
Dangers?!
In 2017, Facebook shut down it’s highly developed AI because it got a little too smart for comfort. The chatbots had actually created an entirely new language without any human input.
Scientists and tech luminaries, including Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Steve Wozniak have warned that AI could lead to tragic unforeseen consequences. Eminent physicist Stephen Hawking cautioned in 2014 that AI could mean the end of the human race. “It would take off on its own and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.” (Forbes)
Don’t freak out, the robots and cyborgs aren’t taking over the world just yet…
There ARE some great benefits to artificial intelligence that we all love. The potential of AI to make our lives simpler and improve the quality of our lives has most major companies scrambling to get AI products to market as soon as humanly possible. Apple has made artificial intelligence and machine learning ‘critical area’ this year.
At the 2017 Traffic and Conversion Summit presented in part by DigitalMarketer, DM’s CEO Ryan Deiss talked about Facebook messenger being THE fastest and most effective way to reach and communicate with people. Email marketing remains the top way to convert sales, but messenger is the quickest and has the highest open rate. So, it’s no wonder that messenger bots are used so frequently these days. Everyone likes a quick response, and bots give them that instant gratification.
One of the lastest, most interesting uses of AI is in the construction industry. New York City-based startup Pillar is one of a number of companies trying to apply artificial intelligence to construction and engineering, using predictive analytics to do everything from preventive maintenance to work schedule optimization. “AI is being added to everything,” says Matt Joyal, Pillar’s chief technology officer. “This is where technology is going. We have so much data. Why don’t we use it to make job sites efficient and safe?” (Forbes)
Forbes asked the Top 14 members of Forbes Technology Council for their thoughts on AI and it’s not-so-distant relative, VR (Virtual Reality). The general consensus is that these technologies are here to stay…and grow. We’ll soon see AI and VR advances in:
- Health care and physical therapy
- Custom home building
- Education
- Customer Service
- Data correlation
- And even more “smart” applications
Do you have plans to use artificial intelligence in your business?
Don’t get left behind as your competition begins implementing “smart” features, AI and even VR in their products, offers, and sales tactics.
Check out some of the artificially intelligent products JVZoo currently offers:
Or perhaps it’s time to build a product of your own that solves a problem for people using AI? If you need some inspiration, check out a sneak peek of the exclusive Rise of the JVZoo Superheroes HERE, and learn some of the secrets of successfully launching products on JVZoo.
