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Governance Insights Center Technology series Emerging technologies December 2017 The Essential Eight technologies Board byte: artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence is changing how companies do business. What should boards know? Companies across industries are using, investing in or planning to invest in artificial intelligence (AI). AI is improving industry processes and making machines “smart.” It is expected to be one of the most disruptive technologies impacting industry and business. As the market for AI grows, boards should understand how this technology will affect their company’s strategy. pwc.com/us/governanceinsightscenter PwC Governance Insights Center Technology series AI is wide-ranging We’ve all heard of artificial intelligence (AI). It’s in the movies and is now in our everyday lives at home and work. AI is AI is an umbrella term for “smart” more than just a single independent technology. It’s making technologies that are aware of and smart devices smarter, data more valuable and cloud-based can learn from their environments. Robotic process automation (RPA), tools more efficient. It’s turning autonomous vehicles into machine learning, natural language reality. It will disrupt business models, create new ways processing and neural networks all of working and facilitate digital transformation. In the incorporate AI into their operations. What are they? not-so-distant future, most technology applications will RPA software automates likely incorporate or harness the output of some form repetitive business, industrial of artificial intelligence. and other tasks. RPA can help users in the back office optimize their processes. So what is it, exactly? In a nutshell, AI enables computers Machine learning allows computer and other devices to perceive, analyze and adapt to systems to learn from data and their environments. Using software algorithms, these recognize patterns, predict devices can perform tasks that would normally require outcomes, assist humans with human intelligence. AI enables machines to sense their understanding or suggest actions environments, think, learn and respond on their own, (becoming “smart”) without being explicitly programmed. Among becoming increasingly autonomous. In effect, AI allows other things, machine learning can machines to contribute more intelligently to business inform decision-making and make 1 activities. They do this by recognizing and interpreting process automation more flexible. digitized text, sound and images, making it possible to Natural language processing answer questions, suggest solutions and diagnose problems (NLP) interprets aspects of natural spoken language or text or take actions. As a result, AI can reduce the amount of rote in order to provide insights or work humans are faced with everyday. enable functions. NLP allows computer systems to analyze and understand the human language. Neural networks are interconnected networks of artificial neurons, or nodes, that simulate human brain cells. They’re designed to learn from labeled patterns in data that flow through the network layer by layer. They record what they learn “Just as electricity is fundamental to the way we live, by weighting or unweighting an input – to determine how correct in the not-so-distant future, it is not hard to see how or incorrect it is – with the ultimate AI will become the new electricity – embedded and/or goal of using probability to solve the task being performed. Deep supporting just about every aspect of our life.” learning is machine learning using several hidden layers of neural networks. – Daniel Eckert, PwC's Emerging Tech Leader Board byte: artificial intelligence 2 PwC Governance Insights Center Technology series AI: the future of everything? 72% of business After analyzing more than 150 emerging technologies, PwC categorized AI as one of its Essential Eight leaders believe AI will be technologies. AI is transforming all industries. In fact, the business advantage CEOs agree that AI will impact every facet of business, offering unprecedented ways to innovate and grow of the future. companies in nearly every industry. And the market for AI is growing – fast. In 2016, the AI market attracted more than 2 – PwC, 20th Global CEO Survey, 2017 $3 billion in venture funding. The total projected market is 3 expected to reach $70 billion by 2020. According to PwC’s 2017 Global Digital IQ Survey, the number of companies that are investing or have plans to invest in AI is second only to those investing in the internet of things (IoT). So why are companies investing in this technology? Companies are looking at AI as a means to foster innovation, optimize business efficiency and improve productivity. AI also enables other emerging technologies, like robots and the IoT, and it can improve data analytics. Artifical intelligence investment in three years by industry 80% 74% 68% 67% 66% 59% 58% 58% 56% 51% Hositality Healthcare Technology, Pulic inancial Industrial Retail & Energy & Power & Automotive & eisure Media ector ervices Products Consumer Mining Utilities & Telecomm Source: PwC, 2017 Global Digital IQ® Survey . Bases: Automotive: 72; Energy & Mining: 135; Financial Services: 332; Healthcare: 237; Hospitality & Leisure: 75; Industrial Products: 375; Power & Utilities: 131; Public Sector: 156; Retail & Consumer: 217; Technology, Media & Telecommunications: 433 Board byte: artificial intelligence 3 PwC Governance Insights Center Technology series AI in action today Jeeves goes digital – Digital assistants – AI programs that help people get answers to questions and perform tasks and services – are most commonly used at home, through mobile devices or computers. They can interpret language to search vast amounts of information for answers to questions, make changes to your calendar and even control some household appliances and smart home devices with verbal commands – part of the IoT. Forty- two percent of consumers already use them, and 72% of 4 business executives do. What else is coming? AI assistants as tutors, travel agents and tax preparers. Never forget a face – Uploading your pictures to social media and tagging your friends? Often, their names pop right up, thanks to AI. But there’s more to facial recognition technology today than what you see on Facebook. Companies in the advertising, security and automotive industries are using image recognition, machine learning and deep learning to better serve customers. The data from an image can help identify customer preferences and offer new suggestions. Its benefits also extend to law enforcement – the data can be used to detect suspicious behavior. And it can help Alzheimer’s patients and the visually impaired as well. AI in the sky – Some researchers are looking to AI to develop a “smarter” autopilot that does more than fly pre- planned flight paths. The autopilot can learn how to adapt to changing conditions, such as bad weather or engine failure, by studying pilot actions and sorting through flight data. Airlines are also starting to use AI outside of the cockpit for preventative and predictive maintenance, as well as for route management, booking and customer service. Board byte: artificial intelligence 4
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