Most enterprises will be making massive investments in AI and IoT in the coming years. But though tremendous growth is forecast for both AI and IoT separately, the truth is that both are inherently interlinked. AI and IoT enhance and strengthen each other; they supercharge each other for use cases involving massive amounts of high-velocity data.
Not long ago, artificial intelligence (AI) was the stuff of science fiction. At least in the minds of the general public, AI was relegated to fantastically fantastical sci-fi characters such as Star Treks talking computer, C-3PO from Star Wars or The Terminator.
Similarly, the notion of an internet of things (IoT) is also rooted in Sci-Fi fantasy. From Dick Tracys smart watch to The Jetsons autonomous and interconnected household devices, the IoT concept was fantasized long before the term was even coined by Kevin Ashton in 1999Opens a new window .
The Future Is Now
Though AI and IoT arent likely to be abandoned by sci-fi yarn-spinners anytime soon, they no longer exist only within the flickering frames of a movie, or between the covers of a fiction book. AI and IoT have already become integral components of our everyday lives. From mission-critical applications such as completely autonomous airliner autopilots to the slightly-more-whimsical, such as personal assistants like Alexa and Cortana, AI and IoT impact our lives on a daily basis.
Worldwide, investments in IoT technology are expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2022. The consumer industry is expected to lead the way in IoT spending, followed by the insurance and healthcare industry verticals.
Similarly, were just at the beginning of a massive growth in the implementation of AI technology. Gartner recently reportedOpens a new window that the number of companies implementing some form of AI tripled in just the past year. Worldwide spending on AI is predicted to more than quadruple from the period starting in 2017 to 2021. The same report forecasts that three-fourths of all business enterprises will deploy AI technology by 2021.
AI and IoT: Two Legs of a Tripod
Most enterprises will be making massive investments in AI and IoT in the coming years. But though tremendous growth is forecast for both AI and IoT separately, the truth is that both are inherently interlinked. AI and IoT enhance and strengthen each other; they supercharge each other for use cases involving massive amounts of high-velocity data.
Put simply, AI cannot reach its full potential to duplicate human-like decision-making capabilities without the massive amounts of data that can be gathered through IoTs edge devices. And, correspondingly, the full potential of the IoT is made possible through AIs decision-making capabilities.
Together, AI and IoT form two legs of the tripod upon which the future of information technology rests. But a tripod cant stand on just two legs.
Theres No Fiction to This Science
What is the common fuel that powers both AI and IoT? Data. Without access to massive amounts of data, the teaming of AI and IoT is of little value. But the simple availability of a huge quantum of data isnt enough. Of equal importance is the speed, reliability, and security with which that data can be accessed.
And that brings us to the third leg of this tripod that supports IT: a hybrid cloud database. A database accessed and managed through a single private or public cloud unfortunately cannot unfailingly and consistently provide the speed, reliability, and security that are all essential to AI and IoT. A hybrid cloud database ensures worldwide access to highly responsive data across many geographies, providing the capability that is essential to AI and IoT.
That being said, its amazing how quickly science fiction can turn into reality. It wasnt so long ago that concepts such as talking computers and self-driving vehicles seemed like they belonged to the distant future. And now theyre part of everyday life.
AI and the IoT have enabled a wealth of here-and-now technologies that, seemingly only yesterday, would have seemed far off. These examples just scratch the surface of whats available, and, perhaps more importantly, hint at the astounding technological advancements to come.