Big Data, Machine Learning and AI Predictions for 2018

Investment in Big Data and AI shows no signs of slowing down. Here are some of our predictions for the year to come…

Automation of human tasks 

Whilst we’re still a far cry from the hyperbolic envisioning of robots taking over our jobs and being cast into a pit of uncertainty, there is evidence to suggest that cognitive technologies are on the rise, and Big Data is helping this. The use of technology for performing more human’ tasks is growing rapidly and is set to continue to grow well over the coming years, technology is being used more for tasks we always considered human’, like planning, strategizing and facial recognition for example. As we’ve seen in 2017, creative industries are succumbing to this take over’ in areas like writing music and literature. Forrester has even predicted that in 2018, automation will take 9% of US jobs, and will create 2%.

Machine Learning capabilities 

Machine Learning capabilities are growing rapidly, transforming business applications in all sorts of industries from medicine and healthcare, to self-driving cars, gaming, and fraud detection to name a few. We’re expecting Machine Learning processing to become even faster and smarter in 2018 where we can see it being applied to even more of a variety of sectors and business problems. This year, we’ve seen AI integrate itself into many aspects of our lives and countless projects for social good. Next year, we’ll see even more startups showcasing highly advanced products but also a notable increase in companies working on this tech outside of the US and the typical Silicon Valley scene, such as China and Europe. Get ready for greater integration into our daily lives and more advancements in the AI revolution. 

Internet of Things 

We’re seeing year on year growth in connected technologies and wearables. According to Gartner, IoT will grow to 26 billion units installed by 2020 – this is a 30x increase from 0.9 billion in 2009. Increased numbers of businesses are tapping into the vast array of data being generated and collected from consumers’ wearables. Activity trackers and other connected devices are constantly at work providing companies with data that will power business growth and decisions if used correctly. On the flip side to this, with the growing use of IoT products, there is an increased risk of IoT security breaches and whilst the awareness of this is present, implementing security controls is not moving as fast as the technology itself is rolling out. 

Cyber Security

Linking to the issues we may face with the growing number of connected devices lacking advanced security controls is a rise in general cybersecurity breaches predicted in the coming year. Following large-scale, public breaches of data and cyber-attacks in 2017, cybersecurity is a huge market for investment, improvement, and growth over 2018. AI will play a pivotal role in guarding peoples data, as the technology becomes more adept in learning from data sets unsupervised and predicting outcomes, it will be able to protect secure data in real time from threats. Artificial Intelligence may also play a part in finding more complex attacks before they happen. 

With the wealth of information out there on the way tech is progressing over the coming years, companies need to apply this to business decisions. Making smart hiring choices to navigate this landscape is pivotal. Having the manpower and brains in your organization is ideal to execute this.

Whilst it’s a big step to take, help is out there. If you need to build out your team and get ahead in 2018, we can help you find the people to do it!