Intelligent Automation – coming of age

By 2019, the global market for content analytics, discovery and cognitive systems software is projected to reach $9.2 billion, according to IDC, more than double that of 2014.

Intelligent automation is rapidly coming of age. “Smart” machines and “smart” systems and “smart” bots are becoming mainstream.Intelligent automation which is a combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation is mainstream now. It is helping businesses to achieve higher levels of efficiencies. The range of applications could be from collecting simple data to making contextual decisions to guiding autonomous vehicles.

Intelligent Automation broadly covers Machine Learning, Autonomics, Machine / Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing.

Machine Learning – refers to the ability of systems to improve their performance by exposure to data without explicit programs or instructions. It is the ability to automatically discover patterns in data and carry out predictions. These applications can potentially improve performance through systems that generate lot of data and over time. Typical mainstream usages of Machine Learning systems are in fraud detection, sales forecasting, Oil and Gas Explorations and Public Health Management (predicting and containing outbreaks)

Autonomics – refers to systems that are designed to perform routine tasks and processes by humans. The technology interfaces with existing applications to process transactions and trigger responses. The system typically goes through two phases – Learning and Executing Phases. The machine-learning software programs ‘observe’ how a trained user takes decisions or resolve issues and replicates the same ‘decision making’ process. Autonomics are entering the mainstream in back-office work performing high volumes and routine tasks. It is predicted that it will completely transform the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry.

Machine / Computer Vision – refers the ability of machines or computers to identify objects, scenes, activities as images. The sequence of image processing leads to break down the observations to smaller tasks analyze and decide. These applications have become mainstream most famously through Facebook – face recognition software. The mainstream usages are in security area and fraud detection activities. Identifying forged bank notes or criminals has gone mainstream with these technologies.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) – refers to the ability of computers to interpret human language in the proper context to take appropriate actions. The mainstream application is most popular through application like Siri offered on iPhone / iPad devices. Dictionary usages, uses in Museums as well are more query response based. Translation and internationalization are also catching up.

The applications of intelligent automation are already coming of age and mainstream in our daily lives. We are interacting with more intelligent systems that are combining all the above intelligent platforms.

Advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and automation are becoming important for companies in all sector to understand the impact and adopt intelligent automation or risk falling behind.

I will try and cover that in my next blog on autonomics and its impact.