Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic, not only in tech, but also in business because of what AI technologies can do to help business improve productivity and efficiency, and ultimately to gain or maintain a competitive edge.

AI has the potential to help with business transformation, with applications including automation, resource management, predictive maintenance, management of industrial facilities, and even enabling smart cities and buildings.

While we are still a long way from AI machines being able to react to situations in an intelligent, human way, recent improvements in computing capabilities mean that machines or systems are now able to complete tasks they have been trained to do in a semi-autonomous way.

AI can handle huge volumes of data to produce insights, recommendations, and forecasts; it can save time through automation to complete tasks quickly and accurately; it has the potential to create new revenue streams; and it can be applied in a variety of ways across a range of industries.

AI-based systems are also able to “learn” or self-correct to get better at the task they have been trained to do. This ability to improve is commonly known as “machine learning” and is often what technology vendors call AI, but it is really just one form or element of AI.

In addition to machine learning, current AI technologies including natural language processing (NLP), machine reasoning, robotics, and computer vision, which are used in different combinations to make up AI systems such as recommendation engines found on many websites, and systems used for anomaly detection, image classification, speech recognition, text summarization, business intelligence, predictive maintenance, identity verification, and chatbots or other support systems.

Another important area of AI application is in dealing with cyber threats. In cybersecurity, AI is being applied to detect abnormal patterns, filter out false positives, organize security data, and provide proactive protection. However, AI-based systems often lack transparency and could be compromised by attackers, and are a therefore a potential security risk.

While AI systems are not likely to replace humans any time soon, they will and already are changing the way people work by automating some tasks and enabling people to make better decisions. But this is a change that will have an effect on people, and this needs to be recognized, managed, and supported with assurances around job security and any necessary training.

At the same time, it is important that organizations deploying or planning to deploy AI technologies keep an eye on national, regional, and industry frameworks and regulations designed to govern the development and use of AI to ensure that is ethical, accountable, and without bias.

With the huge potential of AI technologies, it is important for businesses to understand not only what is possible and how best to use AI, but also when not to use AI, how not to use AI, and how to avoid pitfalls associated with change management, job security, AI bias, and security risks.

Among AI’s benefits in the enterprise are cost saving, the ability to redesign and automate processes, and the ability to generate data-driven insights quickly without specialized knowledge in data science, and of course the wide range of AI-supported products and services.

— Anne Bailey Senior Analyst KuppingerCole

Because we understand how important it is to understand how to get the most out of AI technologies, and because we are committed to helping your business succeed, KuppingerCole has a great deal of content in a variety of formats available.

This includes events such as our hybrid Cybersecurity Leadership Summit 2021 in Berlin, Germany and online from 9 – 11 November. Register today to attend sessions and panel discussions on AI in cybersecurity in general, in transforming data security, in redefining endpoint security, and in defending against ransomware, plus many more topics designed especially for cybersecurity leaders.

Research

No matter where you are in your journey to implementing AI technologies or AI-supported systems, our AI insight provides an overview of the topic, with a particular focus on The Impact of AI on Businesses.

A good follow up to that would be these Leadership Briefs on Explainable AI, AI and Machine Learning, and What AI can do for you today – and what not.

To find out more about the maturity of AI capabilities such as Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Machine Reasoning, and others for enterprise use, have a look at this Leadership Brief on Assessing the Maturity of Core AI Disciplines.

If you would like to know more about how to identify the characteristics of successful AI use cases and how to distinguish AI solutions that can deliver value, have a look at this Leadership Brief entitled: Hype vs. Reality in AI & ML: Where are the Concrete Business Benefits?

Audio/video

AI governance is another important topic. Listen to what our analysts have to say on the topic in these analyst chats on What’s AI Governance and Why Do We Need It and Applying AI Governance, as well as this vlog on AI Governance: What to Consider.

Also in the vlog format, to find out what AI is and what it is not, find out what Principal Analyst Martin Kuppinger has to say on the topic of AI in a Nutshell.

To cut a wider cultural perspective on AI, have a look at these presentations entitled: Disruption or just Progress? Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Business and Society, Operationalizing AI Ethics, The Ethical Part of AI Governance, and Implementing AI Ethics @ Bosch.

For a perspective on what we can expect in coming years in terms of AI, what regulations indicate about AI’s future, and how enterprises are getting AI into their business, have a look at this video by Senior Analyst Annie Bailey on the Future of Artificial Intelligence. For a more detailed exploration of the topic, have a look at this presentation: Exploring the Future of AI.

AI has the potential to enable competitive advantage, but without a proper framework for generating growth and innovation, implementing AI-supported automation alone is not enough. To find out why, have a look at this presentation entitled: Integrated Intelligence – Combining Human and Artificial Intelligence for Competitive Advantage.

Blogs

Our analysts have blogged around various aspects relating to AI. Here is a selection of general topics to choose from to help inform your journey to AI implementation and use:

Webinars

If you would like to know how machine learning can add value to your organization, have a look at this webinar entitled: Never mind the robots, here’s the real AI, or for insights into the main use cases for AI today, have a look at this webinar entitled: Artificial Intelligence: Disruption Ahead?

If, however, you would like to know about the governance of AI, have a look at these webinars on AI Governance From a Practical Perspective and Getting a Grip on Your AI: Know What It Does. Understand the Risks and Rewards. Be Compliant.

Tech Investment

Organizations investing in AI-supporting and AI-supported systems can have a look at some of the related technology solutions that we have evaluated: