Artificial intelligence. The future is already here. Opportunity for tomorrow.

Artificial intelligence is already a reality

Birds twittering on the surround sound system and the scent of freshly brewed coffee signal the start of the morning, while the curtains open automatically and the shower heats the water to the preset temperature. A pleasant voice announces the temperature outside as well as the day's forecast and asks whether the car should be warmed in advance because of the icy temperatures. On the way to work, the self-driving car's voice assistant mentions that the driver's favorite wine is currently on special offer and asks if they would like to order a bottle. This scenario may seem like it's right out of the future, but as futuristic as it may sound, it is a reality that is now possible – enabled by artificial intelligence (AI).

AI is changing day-to-day business and everyday life

Artificial intelligence is already being used in areas such as health care, agriculture, and retail. It helps companies to identify customer needs and reduce costs, and it plays an important role in day-to-day business as well as in everyday life. Two examples:

• Streaming provider and producer Netflix collects million of pieces of data about its customers in order to understand what people want to watch. Based on its analysis of the data, Netflix makes knowledgeable and customized decisions about what to recommend to each customer. The data is also used to produce new shows and films. In this way, Netflix knows before offering a series or a film that it will be successful, giving it a success rate that is twice as high as traditional TV producers.
• PET scans combined with artificial intelligence allow doctors to diagnose Alzheimer's six years earlier than is possible with traditional methods. And it can even do so before the first symptoms occur. It is now also possible to analyze cardiac arrhythmia more quickly and more precisely using AI than when this was done by hand.

The role of artificial intelligence now and in the future

AI is already a reality, but it also offers new prospects for the future. This is because the role of artificial intelligence will grow and become more important in many sectors. “AI will make manufacturing more efficient, houses more secure, and health care more efficient," says Olivier Fräfel. AI is, as numerous experts agree, the next industrial revolution. Artificial intelligence will likely become part of many other sectors, enhancing fields such as energy, education, and the law. This is revealed by Accenture's growth forecast for corporate earnings as a result of using AI in the following sectors through 2035:

For example, artificial intelligence could accelerate the processing of legal cases. In the future, it will be possible to search through legal documents automatically, saving personnel and time resources. In the field of education, it will be possible to reduce costs by using intelligent tutoring systems. In addition, a large number of students will benefit from personalized training and targeted feedback. Satellite images in connection with, for example, meteorological data will provide wine growers with direct information about ripeness down to the cellular level of the vines. This will improve not only the harvest, but also the quality. As a result, the customer's favorite wine that Siri or Alexa orders automatically will be delivered to their smart home, and will be of the best quality.

Early investments in AI pay off

Artificial intelligence opens a number of doors, making it possible for companies to tap into new sectors. And this happens quickly. This is because AI develops at a rapid pace, with corresponding effects on companies in this field as well as their stock prices. The quick development and almost unlimited possibilities of AI present very attractive investment opportunities from an investor perspective.