Have you asked yourself this question too?
“what is artificial intelligence?” We’ll begin with a brief overview based on examples from everyday life. To see AI solutions already in place, follow us over a typical day!
6:00 a.m.: Wake up Time
It is 6:00 in the morning. You woke up from bed . You take out your smartphone, click on your favorite social media application, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter, and start scrolling through your newsfeed to see what’s happening in the world and what’s being posted by fellow members.
All social media platforms use artificial intelligence to ensure that your newsfeed is most relevant to you!
Articles, videos, posts by people in your social network, and even ads are compiled and displayed based on numerous parameters such as your location, who you follow, and previously liked posts, to name a few. Meaning that you don’t see fixed content when you scroll through your newsfeed; it’s been curated for you.
7:45 a.m.: Off to Work
Heading to work using your usual mode of transport, you open a music app, perhaps Spotify or Apple Music. With one click, you see dozens of recommendations for songs and podcasts!
These recommendations are made possible by AI, which is used to present content selection based on your profile.
For example, you might see “Discover Weekly,” a selection of new titles brought to you each Monday by Spotify. In developing this playlist, Spotify uses an AI program to analyze what you, and others with similar tastes, have been listening to lately.
9:30 a.m.: Answer your emails
You open your email inbox and deal with your messages one by one. You’ve just started replying to your manager, Rose , when your email software suggests the next part of your text in pale gray. “Hi, Rose, I hope you’re doing well.”
AI is extremely good at choosing words to follow some text, as we’ll see towards the end of this course. AI uses previous textual data to predict what you want to say.
Feeling a little uninspired, you can tell the chatbot: “Write a reply to Rose in a friendly tone—tell her I’ll finish the work she’s mentioning by this evening.” The chatbot instantly suggests a reply in your desired tone, so you send it off.
12:30 p.m.: Lunch Time
You break for lunch with a few co-workers, one of whom suggests that you try a little restaurant that’s just opened down the street. Your main dish arrives, and it looks mouthwatering! You take a photo to show your colleagues back at work.
When you take a photo, your camera automatically calibrates to the scene in the frame. An AI application is working to optimize your camera’s settings for you.
You also take a group photo at the restaurant and post it on social media. When you publish it, the platform suggests tags for those in the photo.
If the snapshot contains people in your inner circle, they will be identified automatically. AI also facilitates this facial recognition feature.
1:45 p.m.: LinkedIn Account Check-In
Each day, you take a few moments to check your LinkedIn account. This handy application keeps you up to date on the activities of your professional network. Are you job-hunting? Your LinkedIn network can recommend specific job listings.
An AI program analyzes your professional profile in detail and identifies the most relevant offers.
6:00 p.m.: Heading Home
Time to head home! If you drive home, you no doubt rely on applications such as Google Maps etc. These tools provide real-time traffic updates. Even better, they now forecast delays for public transportation users (train or bus times, for example).
These applications use artificial intelligence with available data (real-time location of buses, weather changes, etc.).
7:00 p.m.: A Bit of Shopping
You decide to treat yourself with some shopping on your favorite e-commerce website such as Amazon, Jumia, or Jiji . All of these use AI to improve your shopping experience.
In concrete terms, the sites use AI to recommend the most relevant items.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
“Artificial intelligence is any information technology capable of solving complex problems that would normally be attributed to humans and animals.” – Yann LeCunn, Chief AI Scientist at Meta
Artificial intelligence is not a single technology. Instead, think of it as an umbrella term that encompasses many different technologies.