TECH THAT AND PARTY!
Focus on the technology
trends for the year ahead
A
s you’ve probably noticed, technology
is changing on an almost daily basis,
making it tough to keep up-to-date
with the latest advances and trends.
AI – or artificial intelligence – is something
I’ve written about in the past and continues
to dominate, with four out of five people
in the Western world now using it in
one form or another – whether it’s the
latest smartphone personal assistant, an
impressive smart home device, streaming
service or even a navigation app.
As we move into 2019, it’s a good time
to look ahead to consider what the next 12
months might bring in terms of technology
trends. AI remains something we should look
out for but there’s so much else to push our
tech buttons in the year ahead.
AI
AI refers to computer systems built to mimic
human intelligence and perform tasks such
as recognition of images, speech or patterns
and decision making. AI can do these tasks
faster and more accurately than humans.
Machine
Learning
This is true
Terminator
territory.
Machines (that’s
computers to
most of us) are
now actually
teaching
themselves. World domination awaits…
Machine learning is a subset of AI.
With machine learning, computers are
programmed to learn to do something they
are not programmed to do. They literally learn
by discovering patterns and insights from
data. They are now basically learning to do
things themselves. Scary, huh?
Robotic Process Automation
Like AI and machine learning, Robotic
Process Automation - or RPA - is a
technology that’s automating jobs. RPA is
the use of software to automate business
processes such as interpreting applications,
processing transactions, dealing with data
and even replying to emails. RPA basically
automates repetitive tasks, giving us more
free time.
An example of how AI, machine learning
and RPA working together is nicely illustrated
by a customer service situation in which
the customer first communicates with
an AI customer service representative
through a chat function or simply by talking.
During the process, the customer is given
recommendations and suggestions on
products with the help of machine learning
algorithms. Finally, a software robot handles
the customer’s order automatically and sends
an order confirmation which accounts for the
customer’s profile and the service situation in
a natural way.
Cyber Security
It’s not necessarily new but many people are
talking about cyber security and yet don’t
really understand why we need it.
Cyber security consists of technologies,
processes and measures that are designed
to reduce the risk of a cyber-attack (which is
conducted through the deliberate exploitation
of systems, networks and technologies).
CORNERSTONE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS LTD
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A strong cyber security stance is a key
defence against cyber-related failures
and errors, and malicious cyber-attacks.
Most cyber-attacks are automated
and indiscriminate, exploiting known
vulnerabilities rather than targeting
specific organisations, so it’s vital to have
the right cyber security measures in place
to protect your organisation.
Internet of Things
This is the future. Many “things” are
now being built with WiFi connectivity,
meaning they can be connected to the
internet and to each other. Hence, the
Internet of Things enables devices, home
appliances, cars and much more to be
connected to and exchange data over the
internet.
And we’re only at the early stages of
IOT. The number of IOT devices reached
8.4 BILLION in 2018 and is expected to
reach 30 billion by 2020.
These technologies will certainly
improve how we work, live and play - and
they are exciting and cool. But is there
a scary part to all of this? Is Terminator
becoming a reality or - maybe even more
frightening - will we be needed for future
jobs? Discuss!
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