APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS

AI or Artificial Intelligence, has become the latest technical catchword. However, we tend to forget that the first application of AI, was developed more than 75 years back in 1943, by a scientist, William McCulloch and a logician Walter Pitts. They conceptualised the artificial neuron, a mathematical function modeling biological neurons. Since then, we have travelled far in our understanding and development of artificial models which are able to comprehend, forecast or predict, and analyse decision contexts.

Given its prospects, one of the obvious areas where artificial intelligence has seen a marked interest is in business.  AI acts as a force multiplier which enables managers to substantially improve their performance in many areas. Some of the common areas of application of AI are improving relationships with employees and customers, finding patterns in extremely large and complex data or in performing repetitive tasks.

Applications such as data analytics, natural language processing and automation have gained huge popularity. The use of Data analytics has allowed managers to gain unprecedented insights into business issues, allowing for far more informed decisions. Automation allows us to avoid repetitive, risky or low productivity activities. Chatbots, Intelligent search engines, access for visually challenged, are the areas served by Natural Language processing. Across industries, these fields of AI are streamlining operations and improving efficiencies, transferring and cross-referencing data, updating files and so on.

What we need to remember, however, is that AI is an umbrella term covering several technologies. It boasts of several areas such as natural language processing, deep learning, machine learning, knowledge reasoning, computer vision, robotics, among others.

AI applications are sometimes categorised into ‘weak’ and ‘strong’. Weak artificial intelligence generally focuses only on one task. A very large number of AI application currently available fall into this category.  These applications need training or direction to deliver the insights that are sought from it.

AI specialists around the world are working round the clock to create ‘strong’ artificial intelligence applications. Such applications can take their own decisions, handle multiple problems applying their intelligence, and exhibit human-like behaviour and functioning. It may take some more time for deployment of such ‘real’ applications of AI, but they are on their way and should be able to unleash their true potential in the not so distant future.

Despite this, even the currently available artificial intelligence solutions can deliver extraordinary benefits and capabilities across applications and across industries. Several industries have already incorporated some form of artificial intelligence into their day-to-day operations. Some of the industries which are poised to reap the maximum benefit from artificial intelligence are as follows:

Banking and Finance – Promising areas of application in this industry are fraud detection, anti-money laundering activities, KYC (know your customer) regulatory checks, customer identification and authentication, mimicking live employees through chatbots and voice assistants, and gaining personalised insights and recommendations.

Retail – This is a highly competitive industry and extremely vulnerable to shifts in customer behaviour. The applications attracting maximum attention are online customer support using ‘Chat’ and other related functionality, improving customer experience through increased personalisation, product recommendations based on customer search history, and smart segmentation which can be delivered effectively utilising customer navigation data, sometimes across platforms (e.g. combining social media interactions with website and brick-and-mortar store search data to provide unique insights into consumer behaviour). It can now also take the help of AI to get better new customer predictions, evaluations of alternative action based scenarios, and targeted marketing communications and campaigns.

Security – The area of cyber-security is increasingly vulnerable to intensification of attacks which are growing not only in frequency but in the variety of tools used and their sophistication. Human operators need substantial AI support to be able to provide security against such threats.  Cyber security companies are teaching artificial intelligence systems to detect viruses and malware using complex algorithms and pattern recognition. They can also use predictive functions that are much faster than other applications. Using natural language processing, AI applications can scan through news items, articles and other media to identify potential threats. They can also be used to provide multi-factor authentication i.e. use several factors for authentication dynamically.

AI applications are also increasingly employed for physical security applications and are available in the following areas: access control, military defense, home surveillance and surveillance of wide-area facilities.

This is by no means an exclusive list and there are many other industries increasing adopting AI for a mind-boggling array of applications, building long term strategic advantage. Thus, for business organisations today, the question is more about what AI applications to adopt in which areas, and when to deploy them rather than whether to integrate AI into their business.

Many business schools are thus introducing courses in artificial intelligence and data analytics. Considering it’s future potential, students taking up such courses are expected to be in high demand.

Social Media is the new Opium & Change the only Constant

We live in magical digital times. Everything is constantly changing all around us. It is a misnomer to call ourselves as “digital natives” anymore. We are immersed in a digital culture. All the eye-rolling cynicism over teenagers about having an umbilical attachment to their phones is pointless. We are constantly hooked on social network. We are in a time of depression and detachment–a world where no attention could ever be sustained. We no longer pause or reflect. All of us are just constantly looking for instant dopamine hits online.

Facebook is 15 years old; YouTube is 14, and Twitter is 13. These popular social media sites are barely in their teens—but their influence has completely changed the way we deliver and view content. Media is practically unrecognizable from even two years ago and changing everyday with new apps, new updates, new platforms, and new ways of customizing content.

It is only a decade ago when launching Digital Channels was going to be the biggest change ever in the Cable industry and when Sony and Microsoft were embroiled in a battle between BluRay vs. HD DVD.The days when everyone read the newspaper or tuned in to the 6 o’clock news bulletin seems such a distant past. And the future looks scary with newer technologies combined with artificial intelligence taking over and disrupting every sphere of communication and life at large. 

According to industry figures, 87 percent of millennials are always hooked to their smartphone and 92 percent of them browse on other devices while watching TV programs.  Now, Facebook and other social media platforms are offering whole new ways of interacting with TV and media live, as it’s happening. Multiple media consumption simultaneously is becoming a new mania.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg feels “We believe it’s possible to rethink a lot of experiences through the lens of building community — including watching video. Watching a show doesn’t have to be passive. You’ll be able to chat and connect with people during an episode and join groups with people who like the same shows afterwards to build community.”

Reflecting on the current trend of digital media and how it has disrupted and hooked people worldwide—I am reminded of a recent happening in the U.S. that sums up our present “connectedly-disconnected” world.

On October 8, 2013, a gunman entered a crowded San Francisco commuter train and drew a .45-calibre pistol. He raised his weapon and aimed at the passengers. None of the passengers noticed. They were attending to something far more interesting than the present reality. They were immersed in their smartphones and by the network beyond. These were among the most connected commuters in all of history. On the other side of their little screens, passengers had access to much of the world’s media and many of the planet’s people. But they were disconnected to the moment or to one another in the train. Only when the gunman opened fire did anyone look up. By then, 20-year-old Justin Valdez was mortally wounded. The only witness to this event, which took place inside a train, in front of so many people, was a security camera, which captured the scene of connected bliss interrupted.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported district attorney George Gascón’s stunned reaction– “These weren’t concealed movements—the gun was very clear, these people were in very close proximity with the gun man, but nobody saw him. They were just so engrossed, texting and reading and whatnot. They were completely oblivious of their surroundings.”

The event is an eye opener of our times of digital media disruption. Of the “Connectedly-Unconnected” new world. People are engrossed and connected worldwide but disconnected to their surroundings, to the people and happenings around them.

However, there is no escape from this new, interactive media. And we must be prepared for change every single day. Technology has become cheaper, user friendly and expanded our horizons and allowed us to learn about the world in ways we never would before. Breaking news is breaking faster. Television shows are accessible to phones and tablets in even the most remote corners of the world.

Communication has come a long way from the days of the early cave men. Men have always been communicating with each other since the dawn of civilization in some way or the other. For centuries people were not really aware that they were part of Media and communication—like they know today. People read newspapers, listened to radio and watched television. Over decades, Media contributed to the general knowledge and awareness of regional, national and international news and views relating to current events besides political, social, entertainment and economic developments. People also followed and subscribed to advertisements of products and services. But modern media is a different ball game altogether with unique challenges. There is no sphere of human life that remains unaffected by the invasion of digital media—beginning from domestic to international affairs, from business to education to entertainment to the most intimate relationships and family.

It would be appropriate to quote Melva Benoit, executive professor of digital media and entertainment. Benoit has over two decades of television and media experience as a research executive at FOX Broadcasting, NBCU, MTV Networks, Disney & ABC TV Networks. Benoit says “While earning my communications degree, I was taught that media is communicating via television, print, and radio. The idea or content could be in the form of video, print, or audio and it could be fiction or non-fiction. It could be professionally or non-professionally produced.  I think that definition still applies to the term media in the digital age, but it has been expanded to include online and social media. The two key developments are –the internet enables publication of massive user-generated content and Social media enables one-to-one communication, as opposed to the one-to-many communication structure of traditional media”.

The advent of new media with practical and ideological changes of traditional media has impacted social change and subsequently transformed the world communication canvas. It is evident that there is a perpetual need to understand and evaluate the impact of media communication that is increasing in line with technological development. Likewise, as the audiences now are more proactive in seeking information, they have the power to voice out their desire and have the capability to create space for social and cultural change in society. Transformation is inevitable with a constant demand for agility, adaptability, and efficiency from communication professionals worldwide.

Media and Communication is the world’s fastest growing industry. Media delivery is today a unique phenomenon.  The days of broadcast, radio, music, information or entertainment media being limited to one device, one screen, or one delivery system are gone. The 80s were marked by the advent of computer revolution bringing in changes in every sphere of life but communications and new media coupled with communication technologies have brought about a profound transformation in the way people communicate and share knowledge and information, opportunities for public participation and engagement and the use even further. 

Communication has been around for a long time as a paradigm in development theory but as the times are changing, so are the communications for social change paradigms.  People are increasingly mobile and urban. Geographical, political and social landscapes are changing. All of these have impact on the way we communicate. These changes have posed valid questions to the existing paradigms in communication for social change.

The costly and centralised system of mediated message dissemination from one-to-mass is a passé.  Democratization, government deregulation of policies and pluralism have encouraged the decentralization of information production and dissemination. Horizontal, people-to-people processes are replacing vertical, traditional lines of communication. Participatory approaches have paved the way for community-based ownership and use of various communication media. Media is becoming increasingly cheap, niche and technology friendly. The change has been rapid as digital technologies have removed the barriers associated with traditional media. The format, location, distance and time are no longer considerations, the transfer of content and information can be instantaneous from and to anywhere in the world.  In today’s world anyone with a networked computer, sitting in any remote corner of the globe, has the power to become a major influencer and a media agenda setter. The ubiquitous smart phones are quickly becoming high-powered wireless computers in their own right. Google, Amazon, Craigslist, and Facebook have become religion.

The internet has opened the possibility for all creative content to be published along with even the most casual and amateurish ones. Of all the digital content out there, what constitutes media? Some say it’s all the content that’s published, others argue it’s only the content that has a certain level of artistic quality or viewership. Media can be the message itself, especially for those who create and own rights to content. In the continuum of professionally produced content at one extreme, and user-generated, amateur content at the other extreme, what constitutes media?

As Benoit says: “Content is king. All content is media, whether it is of great quality or not. The information on your website, a show on Netflix, comments in your Facebook feed, or a video of your kid on YouTube are content and can be monetized. If you get enough traffic on your website, then you can put advertisements on it. If you get enough views of your video of your kid on YouTube, they send you a check.”

So, professional or amateurish – it is a level playing field. If it can draw eyeballs, hits and clicks, if it sells—its media. Some industry pundits, however, differ. They feel a creative content, depends on the degree to which the content can be monetized. They draw the line at a certain level of artistic creativity, viewership, or revenue potential. But then, professional production using top artists is no longer the sole guarantee of success. Rather, if media is to be held to a standard, consumers increasingly play a key role because viewership in the form of clicks, streams, and downloads have the biggest leverage towards monetization. A catchy viral, amateur video may get more viewers than a professionally produced video. Content creation is today an accessible medium that many can participate and express themselves in ways that no one ever thought possible.

Benoit reflects: “As advertising evolves creatively, the lines between content and advertising are often being blurred. For example, it is not always clear that the carefully placed messages and products in a television show is an advertisement. Procter and Gamble has a YouTube channel to promote its brand. I would argue that advertising is in itself a form of media.”

The information revolution today resembles the invention of moveable print in the fifteenth century or to the transition from an agrarian to an industrial society in the nineteenth century. Economic liberalization has concentrated ownership of the global media in the hands of a few large companies leading to monopolisation—this is off course a point of concern.

The combined effect of these trends is altering the competitive landscape in communications and giving rise to new business models. The key among them are:

Open and Free: This model features companies that offer one to- one communication services, but through an open Internet platform and at no or very little cost. These services potentially threaten profitable traditional services, such as long distance calling and mobile roaming.
Gated Communities: Companies using this model focus on many-to-many communications, rather than point-to-point, within telecom-controlled environments. They are, essentially, a “walled-garden” for operator-led collaboration services and are likely to appeal to users and enterprises that desire secure and reliable communication environments.

Shared Social Spaces: This rapidly growing model facilitates collaboration on the open Internet. Key players include social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. These providers have the potential to become de facto integrated communication platforms, bringing together social networking, voice communication, e-mail, instant and text messaging, as well as content. They are drawing attention away from traditional Telco’s and contributing to the fragmentation of the market.

Media globalization cannot be stopped. It is a result of new communications technology. It is also the prerequisite and facilitator for all other forms of globalization. Multi-national media is critical to global industries. Many feel that we ought to enjoy the benefits of media globalization, such as global communication, rather than fearing and attempting to avoid the consequences – which ironically include hindrance to free speech. Traditional media theories also do not have the analytical capacity and explanatory power to make sense of the new media and communications phenomena, but we may usefully apply concepts from globalization to understand these new forms of the local and global.

For those who want to make a career in the changing field of Media & Communication there can be no advice really. Because no one has the “crystal ball” to look into the future or predict anything. In fact, in these times of quick-paced radical changes–no one knows what the future will be. There is just one thing that can be said – to maintain relevance and worth in this business one has to be open to change and constantly learning new things. One also needs to be ready to jump in on new opportunities when they are presented and constantly brush up on the technology speak or skill sets.

Future employers also have to be open and ready to invest sizeably in order to cultivate and train talents in-house or through external agencies. They would need to rethink on talent acquisition models, trying outlets and models of outsourcing in ways that this industry is not accustomed to. Even be open to driving new culture changes along the way.

It is no denying the fact that the new trend is here to stay, changing constantly –bringing in newer and more efficient technology. And there no escape but to use it to reap benefits.

But there is huge point of concern. The fast decline of conventional mediated media has hugely endangered free speech and internet freedom of the common man—the biggest victims of the unbridled digital media invasion.

How free are we on the net? The answer is scary indeed.

“Freedom on the Net 2019” report by bipartisan watchdog and think tank Freedom House says free speech and privacy on the internet declined globally for the ninth consecutive year.  The two main reasons for the decline being –increased online election interference — by government and civilian actors alike — and increased government surveillance, both of which are spreading on social media platforms. “In addition to facilitating the dissemination of propaganda and disinformation during election periods, social media platforms have enabled the collection and analysis of vast amounts of data on entire populations,” the report reads. Of the 65 countries the report assessed over the past year, in a record 47 countries, law enforcement arrested people for posting political, social, or religious speech online, 40 countries featured advanced social media surveillance programs and in 38 countries, political leaders employed individuals to shape online opinions.

“The future of internet freedom rests on our ability to fix social media” the report concludes. Now, who bells the cat—is the million-dollar question.

NOVEL CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19): IN THE EYES OF BIOLOGISTS

“Refuting Misconceptions & Rumors in Scientific light”

Origin: There were a few pneumonia cases in China (December 2019) among a group of people associated with the sea-food and animal market in Wuhan District. The disease gradually spread to near associates and family members. The causative agent was detected to be a previously unknown virus recently named SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) and the disease named COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). The origin of the virus is animal while a ‘spillover’ event led to a human being the host of this virus. Two reasons have been postulated i.e. natural selection in the animal host before becoming zoonotic, or natural selection in the human following zoonotic transfer. The reservoir and intermediate hosts of this virus are identified as Bat and Pangolin, respectively. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic.

 

About the Coronavirus: Coronavirus is a large group of viruses having genetic material (RNA) with protein coat (Capsid) and protein spikes. The crown-like structure gave rise to the name ‘Corona’. They are normally responsible for respiratory and sometimes gastrointestinal diseases.

 

Various other Coronaviruses: Severe disease-causing: SARS-CoV: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (emergence in 2003, China) and MERS: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (emergence in 2012, Saudi Arabia). MERS-CoV originated in Dromedary Camels (intermediate host) and SERS-CoV originated in Civet cats (intermediate host). In both cases the reservoir host was bats. There are four other Coronaviruses known that causes the common cold in human (mild disease-causing): HCoV-229E (reservoir host: Bats; intermediate host: Dromedary Camels), HCoV-OC43 (reservoir host: Mice; intermediate host: Cattle), HCoV-NL63 (reservoir host: Bats), and HCoV-HKU1 (reservoir host: Mice).

 

SARS-CoV-2 (Novel Coronavirus): The animal reservoir is predicted to be Bats. It is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans. The receptor-binding protein in the spike is the most variable part of the genome that uses the Human ACE2 (Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptor to enter into the human cell.

 

Transmission: Though the exact mechanism is not known, a major route of transmission is through respiratory droplets. Person to Person transmission makes the virus more dangerous.

 

Symptoms: Ranges from mild to severe – Primary Symptoms (Respiratory): Cough, Breathlessness; Severe: Pneumonia, Death. Loss of ability to smell and taste may be another early symptom of Coronavirus infection according to a recent report.

 

Incubation Period of the Virus (i.e. infection to development of symptoms): Generally 2-5 days; can go up to 14 days; rarely longer than 14 days, but possible in certain cases.

 

Mortality: Not exactly known however varies between 3-4%. However for a few countries where community transmission has started the mortality rate can be higher.

 

Diagnostics: Polymerase Chain Reaction based diagnostics is the only method presently available for detection. Several Hospitals and Institutes have developed the capacity to do the diagnostic test.

 

Who should get diagnosed? At present, diagnosis is not based on symptoms like fever, cold, sore throat, etc. It is based on 2 criteria: travel to a country of occurrence or incidence of contact with a +ve case /patient of COVID-19.

 

Treatment: There is no definite treatment as of now. Supportive care is the only option presently available. No drugs/ vaccines are yet approved/ available against COVID-19.

 

Isolation/ Quarantine Rules:

 

  1. Self-quarantine/ Self-isolation:
  • Recommended for asymptomatic individual
  • Individual who are having a risk of exposure
  • Carefully observe for the onset of symptoms
  1. Protective self-separation
  • Recommended for the elderly population and children
  • A major reason is a non-optimal immunity
  • Immuno-compromised individuals
  • People having risk factors: Asthma, Hypertension, Diabetes, etc.
  1. Social distancing:
  • Recommended for all (population measure)
  • Avoid crowded places, schools, social gatherings, mass religious programs, rallies, workplaces, amusement centers, shopping malls, movie theatres, etc.
  1. Clinical isolation/ Mandatory-quarantine:
  • Recommended for the symptomatic individual having a risk of exposure.
  • Deals with suspected/ +ve cases.

 

Prevention: Preventive measure for most of the viruses is vaccines, however, till date there is no such vaccine for COVID-19. Therefore, the main preventive option is to stop the transmission which is challenging due to aerial/ respiratory mode of transmission between humans to humans. The first level of prevention can be the successful identification of infected individual followed by quarantine & treatment. The second level of prevention is to prevent community transfer.

 

Stages of COVID-19: There are four stages of Transmission as mentioned below:

 

  • Stage 1: High risk of an imported case
  • Stage 2: Local Transmission-INDIA Stands here at present
  • Stage 3: Community Transmission Epidemic
  • Stage 4: Pandemic

 

Stability of the virus on the surface: Quite stable on inert objects: Aerosol: 3 h or more; Copper: 8 h or more; Cardboard: 24-48 h or more; Plastic: up to 4 days. Real-time situations may vary depending on climatic conditions i.e. temperature and relative humidity.

 

Are 14 hours of isolation enough to stop the spread?

  • Absolutely No.
  • It can be a very encouraging step to prevent but certainly not sufficient.
  • The concept of 14 h isolation can break the cycle of the virus is baseless and unscientific.

 

Should all people start using a mask?

  • Absolutely No.
  • Mask is a way of prevention.
  • N95 Mask is not required and is troublesome to breathe. It is also not advisable for a normal individual (asymptomatic) to use such a mask. In case you are comfortable using a mask it implies that you are not wearing it properly.

Does the sipping of Hot water help in killing the virus on the throat?

  • Absolutely No.
  • Sipping lukewarm water is good to rehydrate the body but not effective to kill the virus.

Does Drinking Alcohol can reduce risk?

  • The concept originated since alcohol-based sanitizers are found to be effective in cleaning hands.
  • However, Cells in our hands are not the host of the virus. But epithelial cells of the throat (Respiratory / Gastrointestinal tract) are.
  • Therefore, the virus stays on the surface of the skin in hands but on your throat, it stays inside the cell.
  • This makes the alcohol inaccessible to the virus.
  • Moreover, more alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration and other cardiac or related problems.

Does this virus spread through the consumption of Non-veg?

  • The virus was of animal origin but the human is its host now.
  • Until finding in any animals further, it’s safe.
  • Consumption of well-cooked not-veg food should not be a reason to worry.

Does Cow urine serve as a medicine?

  • Not known.
  • No research/literature suggests this.
  • Hence it should be strictly avoided to prevent other complications of bringing in unwanted infections.

Is the virus man-made?

  • There is no such scientific basis for this discussion.
  • There have always been conspiracy theories in case of large events, but they can be considered as rumors than events.
  • Instead, recent research reports suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus based on genomic features.

Latest Research:                                 

There have been 900+ publications found on Pubmed with a single key-word COVID-19. That indicated the huge amount of research being carried out in a short period. It also signifies the urgency of reporting scientific information to the world community in case of such a pandemic outbreak. A few important observations are:

  1. Probable Pangolin Origin of SARS-CoV-2 Associated with the COVID-19 Outbreak. While exploring potential intermediate hosts of SARS-CoV-2 to control COVID-19 spread they found genomic and evolutionary evidence of the occurrence of a SARS-CoV-2-like CoV (named Pangolin-CoV) in dead Malayan pangolins. The study suggests that pangolin species are a natural reservoir of SARS-CoV-2-like CoVs.
  1. Recent reports have brought attention to the possible benefit of chloroquine (CQ), a broadly used anti-malarial drug, in the treatment of patients infected by the novel emerged coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
  1. Another report proposed that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which exhibits an antiviral effect highly similar to that of CQ, could serve as a better therapeutic approach.

A virus essentially stalled the world today and researchers around the world, especially Biotechnologists and Microbiologists, actively working to find a cure. In light of this recent development, it is more essential for the students to choose Biotechnology or Microbiology as a career so that in future the world would have more knowledgeable hands and minds to fight similar outbreaks. 

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