Mixing AI and Machine Learning Into Business Processes

Artificial intelligence has been the domain of science fiction for decades -- think HAL, the computer in "2001: A Space Odyssey" -- but as many people know, it's actually established well-developed and growing roots in modern-day life. Amazon's Echo, Netflix's recommendation engines, Facebook's facial recognition technology, auto-braking on cars, it's all based on the ability to analyze massive amounts of data in near real-time and being able to mimic human behavior based on the results. AI and its various subsegments -- like machine learning and deep learning -- are also reaching deep into the enterprise, helping to automate many of the tasks that now are done manually, creating greater efficiencies, reducing errors and offering valuable new insights into the massive amounts of data being generated. In a dynamic and fast-changing market like manufacturing, systems that can learn and adapt on their own will be crucial in driving the next-generation flexible environments. According to Accenture, 85 percent of executives plan to invest in AI technologies over the next three years.