When most people wake up in the morning, the first thing they do is check their phones. Whether or not they’re aware of it from that moment forward, they begin consuming and producing data. ResearchOpens a new window has estimated that by 2025, humans will create 463 exabytes of data (that’s 18 zeros) each day globally. But one of the greatest problems with data is that not a lot of it is relevant, and given the sheer amount of data, the major challenge is distinguishing the signal from the noise. Yet when organized well, the power of data has been game-changing. For example:Â
The power of the collective human capacity to organize the world’s data in projects like Wikipedia, the power of page rank algorithms to make the internet searchable, or the power of AI to recommend the right product, friends, or content.
However, there’s now an opportunity for data to be harnessed to make our interactions with machines even more relevant and meaningful. As the relationship between humans and machines grows and becomes more symbiotic, we expect more of how data is presented to us. Data will need to do more than effectively present itself in a timely and contextual manner. We will expect it to speak our language.Â
Today when we make a search query, we get pages and pages of mostly text-based links, which lay flat and passive on the page – and such results miss out on the ability to communicate their relevance in a more standout and engaging way.
Why Do We Need Data to Talk to Us?
Think of a person attempting to learn a new language – say, some basic phrases in French for their upcoming trip to Paris. Figuring out where to start can be quite difficult and overwhelming – due to data’s inability to communicate dynamically. That person could type in a basic query like “learning French basics†into Google, and the search engine could turn out reams of results in a matter of seconds. Without any standout content, the experience can feel frustrating. That inability to feel a connection with the information before their eyes may cause many would-be Francophiles to abandon the search altogether at this point.Â
Now imagine if the results included a video of a French tutorOpens a new window speaking directly to you in French or with a French accent, giving you a taste of how fun and dynamic it would be like to learn a language with them – a result that invites you in – and speaks to you. That would capture their attention and deliver dynamic value based on the basic search query.Â
At first glance, you might look at this and think – how could you create a video for every search result? Video is typically an expensive and time-consuming process. Producing and editing that much video content would be a full-time job, leaving no time for the language tutoring school to teach people to parlez francais.
And video production is not known for being flexible or adaptable – and certainly not real-time – which would be essential to keep up with search results, which are personalized even for individuals searching the same query.Â
But what most people don’t realize is that all the data required to create this video result is already there, waiting to be uncovered from the moment we begin typing our text query into the search box. The missing link is something called “dimensionality expansion.†This is the process of taking simple data from a lower dimension – in this case, text – and expanding it to a higher dimension – such as video.
See More: Gaining Data Governance Flexibility in the CloudÂ
How Can We Bring Data to a Higher Dimension?
The advancements we’ve experienced in artificial intelligence over the last decade have changed how humans can look at and interact with data. The next wave of AI, the “generative†wave, is knocking on our doors. Machines are learning to write essays, pieces of music, paint pictures, create photoreal virtual humans, and seamless immersive experiences. The relationship between humans and artificial intelligence has – so far – evolved in a way that significantly enhances the connection between humans and machines, enabling us to accomplish and understand so much more.Â
By leveraging these advancements in artificial intelligence, deep learning, and generative adversarial networks, any company or organization – language tutoring companies being just one – could instantly turn text-based data and content into an entertaining and engaging video experience.Â
Photoreal virtual humans are making data accessible and approachable by getting closer and closer to the most natural way humans have grown accustomed to communicating for generations. Face-to-face storytelling has become as scalable and accessible.Â
Video content can help introduce thousands, if not millions, of curious minds to a new language like French or even brush up on their German before hopping on a plane to Berlin. All that needs to be done is to heighten the ability to connect the dots and expand the dimensionality of existing data. .Â
This doesn’t stop at learning a new language. The same dimensionality expansion can be said for other industry verticals such as real estate and e-commerce.Â
A first-time home buyer could search for the type of property they are looking for and instantly be greeted by an AI-generated character, acting as a real estate agent, who could give them a full guided tour of prospective properties available for rent or purchase. Similarly, say someone is looking to purchase a new car – a user could type in the make and model, and a virtual car salesperson could highlight its newest features and compare it with other models, so the buyer can make the most informed decision possible without sifting through pages of data or text. There are so many industries out there that would benefit from making data talk to their customers in a more human and familiar way.Â
As society continues to generate massive amounts of data, there is an opportunity to give that data a voice by giving data the power to “speak up†and communicate with us. As humans are constantly overwhelmed by options, there will be a greater need for customization and personalization to grab and sustain our attention – and with data that can communicate – businesses can do just that. As the relationship between humans and machines continues to grow and become more symbiotic, data can be harnessed to make our interactions with machines more human and meaningful. And the industries and businesses that take advantage can expect to see their messages rising to the top.Â
Do you think translating data into real-world applications is better for business? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window . We’re always eager to hear from you!