In recent years, as our clients know, cloud computing has become a key component of modern office work. The cloud is a tremendous boon for storing information, enabling collaboration, and backing up critical stores of knowledge.
Enter artificial intelligence.
How is AI changing the cloud? Several big ways.
What We Learn When Machines Learn
Machine learning, or ML, is a kind of artificial intelligence that keeps systems honing the way they work, without any human supervision.
After processing masses of data, they simulate learning; in a sense, they keep reprogramming themselves as new information comes in. What’s happening in the background? Huge amounts of information are processed by way of statistical algorithms. Patterns form.
The more data a model has, the stronger its ability to make predictions and carry out tasks.
Smarter Machines Will Make Smarter Companies
Expect industries to apply intelligent systems across the board. Hospitals will use existing healthcare data to better diagnose disease and accurately predict outcomes. Manufacturers will use past ordering patterns to predict future orders.
Smart business software will alert managers to risks. It will point out where opportunities, maintenance issues, or serious loss prevention needs arise. Retailers can apply AI to understand and improve customer relations and heighten satisfaction.
Daniel Newman, the CEO of Broadsuite Media Group, says, "AI can turn a negative experience into a positive one — on its own, in real time — if we let it."
Improving File Sharing, Searching, and Organizing
Behind the scenes, the process of handling everyday office tasks will benefit as well. Expect file sharing and searching to be greatly improved, allowing for searches with intuitive rather than regimented criteria.
We’ll be able to find the “sponsorship request we received from a charity in New York” — either by typing or speaking into a mic. The intelligent file sharing software will discern what we are trying to recall, and retrieve it.
Imagine leaving a file saved on a desktop as you take a phone call. The “smart” software will suggest the right file and the right participants. Indeed, the very concept of files might be replaced by new concepts that work better for us.
And we can expect the organization of work and shared projects to be transformed.
Security Can Benefit, Too
Machine learning has the potential to keep constant track of network traffic patterns, and pinpoint unusual inputs that signal possible hacker activity or malware.
The importance of prevention in the security arena is obvious to any manager who has ever dealt with hacking or phishing ploys after key data has already been leaked. With Artificial Intelligence, networks will be equipped to find problems and warn of potential security breaches before they occur.
AI can also serve as a sentry, watching for any private financial or health data in documents to be shared. This will prevent legal compliance breaches as well as security breaches.
A pioneer in this area is Amazon Macie, which can automatically locate, organize, and shield sensitive data, as well as warn of potential risks involved with the stored information.
Next Up: Artificial Intelligence as a Service
In the future, we’ll see businesses leading their fields by tapping into the intelligent cloud. The enhanced decision-making faculties available through machine learning will give smaller businesses the power to punch well above their weight in competitive markets.
The cloud can accumulate data necessary for ML, and the intelligence generated this way can, in turn, come up with predictions and insights that further enrich the cloud. It’s a fantastic feedback loop, and a wide range of small to medium-sized businesses already have the data to make it work for them.
At the same time, outsourcing artificial intelligence to cloud providers — purchasing AI as a Service — will enable small and medium-sized companies to develop the actual applications.
At A&A, we’re preparing for the future of your business, while meeting your cloud computing needs today.
