Artificial intelligence: transforming healthcare, cybersecurity, and communications

News By Daniel Michan Published on September 5, 2023

A new era of advancing and interconnected technologies is unfolding globally. These technologies, which combine engineering, computer algorithms, and culture, will fundamentally transform the way we live, work, and connect in the coming years.

What's more exciting is the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-based computers on our self-perception. As these digital advancements continue to evolve, our relationship with technology will likely undergo changes.

The integration of AI and machine learning into the ecosystem has far-reaching implications across various sectors of the economy. These advanced computing capabilities have the potential to open up frontiers in fields such as genetic engineering, augmented reality, robotics, renewable energy, big data analysis, and more.

Three key areas already experiencing the effects of this transformation are healthcare, cybersecurity, and communications.

According to Gartner's definition, AI is a technology that can mimic performance by learning from data, making informed decisions, comprehending complex information, or engaging in natural conversations with people. It also has the potential to enhance cognitive abilities or replace humans in executing non-routine tasks.

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems aim to replicate characteristics and processing capabilities in machines that surpass human speed and limitations. Machine learning and natural language processing, which are already widely used in our lives, are integral components of AI's emergence. Present-day AI can comprehend, identify, and solve problems using both structured and unstructured data—sometimes even without explicit training.

The potential impact of AI is significant, altering processes and driving economic growth. According to McKinsey & Company, software systems that automate knowledge-based tasks from unstructured commands could potentially contribute $5 to $7 trillion to the global economy by 2025. These technologies hold promise. Dave Choplin, the Chief Envisioning Officer at Microsoft UK, believes that artificial intelligence is currently the crucial technology being pursued worldwide. Research and development spending as well as investments serve as reliable indicators of forthcoming technological advancements. Goldman Sachs, a financial services company, predicts that global investments in intelligence will reach $200 billion by 2025.

Computers enabled with AI possess the ability to automate tasks such as speech recognition, learning, planning, and problem solving.

By giving importance to data and taking action based on it, these technologies can enhance decision-making processes, especially when dealing with networks and multiple users and factors. AI-powered computers are now being developed to perform tasks such as speech recognition, learning, planning, and problem solving.

AI's impact on the healthcare industry is already evident in medication discovery. It is used to evaluate combinations of substances and procedures that can enhance health and prevent pandemics. During the COVID outbreak, AI played a role in assisting medical professionals and in developing vaccines for COVID 19.

One fascinating application of AI in healthcare is analytics. By analyzing data on a patient's diseases and treatments, predictive analytics can forecast future outcomes based on their current health or symptoms. This helps doctors make decisions about the best course of treatment for individuals with chronic illnesses or other health issues. In a development by Google's DeepMind AI team, computers were able to predict multiple protein configurations, which holds great promise for scientific research in medicine.

As AI continues to evolve, it will further advance in predicting health outcomes, providing care plans, and even contributing to the treatment of diseases.

Healthcare professionals can enhance their effectiveness in treating patients by providing care at home, in religious settings, and in traditional medical offices.

Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a role in cybersecurity by enabling faster detection and identification of online threats. Cybersecurity companies have developed AI-powered software and platforms to detect malicious credentials, brute-force login attempts, unusual data movement, and data exfiltration in real time. By scanning data and files, these technologies enable companies to make judgments and proactively protect against anomalies before they cause harm.

AI also improves network monitoring and threat detection for cybersecurity professionals. It minimizes noise, delivers priority warnings, leverages data with supporting evidence, and performs automated analysis based on correlation indices from cyber threat intelligence reports.

Automation is essential in the world of cybersecurity. According to Art Coviello, a partner at Rally Ventures and former chairman of RSA, the multitude of events, such as large amounts of data, numerous attackers, and a wide attack surface, make it impossible to defend without the automated capabilities provided by artificial intelligence and machine learning.

While AI and ML can be beneficial in the field of cybersecurity, they also come with their own set of drawbacks. Unfortunately, threat actors have found ways to exploit these technologies to their advantage. They are using AI and ML to identify vulnerabilities in threat detection models, enabling them to launch attacks. These attackers employ techniques such as automated phishing attempts that mimic human behavior and malware that can modify itself to evade cyberdefense systems.

Small businesses, organizations, and especially healthcare facilities are particularly vulnerable as they often lack the resources to invest in cybersecurity technologies like AI. Cybercriminals are already leveraging AI and ML capabilities to infiltrate networks. Carry out malicious activities. In particular, ransomware attacks that demand payment in cryptocurrency pose an evolving threat.

AI is also revolutionizing communication methods in our society. Many businesses are embracing processing automation (RPA), a form of artificial intelligence, to automate repetitive tasks and reduce manual efforts. By implementing RPA for operations, businesses can enhance service efficiency while allowing human employees to focus on more complex challenges. RPA is flexible and scalable according to performance requirements.

In industries such as contact centers, insurance enrollment and billing, claims processing, and medical coding, RPA is commonly employed in the private sector.

Conversational AI tools like chatbots, voice assistants, and messaging apps have greatly enhanced customer service by automating support functions and ensuring round-the-clock assistance. These technologies have even evolved to incorporate expressions and contextual awareness for more natural, human-like communication. Their adoption has been significant in the healthcare, retail, and travel sectors.

AI has found applications across a range of business sectors where it is used to generate news stories, social media posts, legal filings, and banking reports, both in traditional media and on online platforms. Recent advancements in AI-powered language models like ChatGPT have shed light on the potential of AI to mimic expression in textual analysis. Another program called DALL E has showcased its ability to create visuals based on instructions. These AI systems synthesize data by emulating human speech and language.

As we look towards the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), it becomes crucial to address any ethical concerns that may arise. We must carefully consider the implications of the adoption of this technology and establish appropriate oversight mechanisms.

Algorithmic bias poses a concern, as multiple instances have shown. A recent project conducted by MIT investigated computer programming methods aimed at uncovering different perspectives. It was discovered that many of these programs exhibited biases. Therefore, when working with variables in programming, it is crucial to take biases into account. Since technology is created by humans, it inevitably reflects their prejudices.

This highlights the negative aspects of technology. Having oversight throughout the development and implementation of technology is essential. It is imperative to ensure that those responsible for writing the code and designing algorithms encompass a variety of perspectives. By having supervision over input data and responses, technology can be shaped to achieve a more balanced approach.

Another aspect to consider is understanding the nature of AI. Currently, algorithms are programmed to display information without capturing interactions or behaviors between individuals. Although there may come a time when software can incorporate interactivity and behavior, we have not reached that point yet.

The genuine hope lies in our ability to guide these technologies towards positive outcomes. Each technological advancement has applications that could benefit our society if used correctly. This responsibility falls on the community as a whole.

To ensure that AI stays on track, it is crucial to have collaborative research efforts, ethical considerations, transparent strategies, and appropriate industry incentives in place.