Technology Superpower – The Convergence of AI and IoT

Even though the full capability of Artificial Intelligence and IoT are still in their relative infancy, these two technology superpowers are converging across every industry in scenarios where information and problem-loving can improve outcomes for all stakeholders. And this is enabling technology superpower in action and creating huge opportunities for the overall IT ecosystem and its various stakeholders. 

The last great convergence of this magnitude occurred in the late 1990’s as mobile phones and the internet were on a collision course that has changed the course of human history in a significant manner. 

Most people now hold more computing power in the palm of their hand than was required to put a man on the moon in 1969. The convergence of AI and IoT are about to do the same thing on an even greater scale.

The Power of Information

The ability to capture large amounts of data has exploded in the last 3-5 years. Along with these advances come new threats and concerns about privacy and security. Large volumes of user data and company proprietary information are tempting targets for dark web hackers and even government entities around the world. There are also new responsibilities that come along with this increased capability.

Sensors can now be applied to everything. This now means that infinitely more data can be collected from every process or transaction in real-time. IoT devices are the front line of this data collection process in manufacturing environments, customer service departments as well as consumer products in people’s homes. Any device with a chipset has the potential to be connected to a network and begin streaming large swaths of data 24/7.

Complex algorithms now give us the capability to do predictive analytics from every conceivable angle. Machine Learning (ML), a subset of Artificial Intelligence, continues upgrades workflows and simplify problem solving for customers with every new interaction.

Companies can now capture all the meaningful data surrounding processes and problems and develop specific solutions for real- world challenges within the organization to improve reliability, efficiency and sustainability.

AI and IoT each are impressive superpowers in their own right, but thanks to the concept of convergence, 1+1= 11. IoT improves the value of AI by allowing real time connectivity, signaling and data exchange. AI boosts the capabilities of IoT by applying Machine Learning to improve decision making.

Many in the industry are now referring to this convergence simply as AIoT. Presently many AIoT applications are fairly monolithic as enterprises build the expertise and systems to deploy and support these powerful technology superpowers across their entire organization. The coming years will see this convergence allow more robust optimization and networking that will create even more value.

Industry Disruption

Solutions providers and manufacturers of hardware are already in full swing to take advantage of this digital technology gold rush and position themselves appropriately in the evolving industrial landscape. Forward looking companies like Amazon are offering re-education and training opportunities for employees in soon-to-be obsolete job functions.

Convergence is a concept that we should all get used to, as all manner of technology discoveries and advances are being combined to innovate and disrupt the way the entire world lives, works, and plays.

AIoT gives competitive edge to IoT technologies

AIoT in simple terms means to make the Internet of Things perform intelligence tasks with the help of integrating Artificial Intelligence. The Artificial Internet of Things helps to connect IoT devices with sensors that are integrated with AI capabilities – all of these with no human intervention.

Key factors of Artificial Internet of Things

IoT is like the digital nervous system Internet of Things requires hardware sensors to be physically attached to the machines to retrieve data IoT requires minimal human intervention Industrial IoT devices collect millions of data sets from various equipment but they don’t do any analysis. AIoT is the brain that controls the nervous system, to make better business decisions AIoT, which provides intelligent decision-making, requires software code developed by the programmers to perform certain tasks AIoT, the next logical step of the Internet of Things, is primarily designed to work independently with no human support With the use of AI algorithms and predictive maintenance implemented in IIoT, self-healing IoT devices with data analytics are created to make better decision-making.

Advantages of AIoT

Having an intertwined relationship between IoT and AI will help organisations move to the next level. Now that AI and IoT have individually marked their presence in the digital world, many IoT app development companies are moving towards AIoT for managing Internet of Things connected devices with artificial intelligence techniques.

Let’s look at the advantages of AIoT for business:

Intelligent business decisions

The data collected from millions of IoT devices is so massive it makes it difficult to segregate and extract useful information from it. To organise these unstructured data into a meaningful chuck of data, AI-based algorithms are used to eliminate junk data and leverage any business model.

Now the chief technology officers (CTOs) and other decision-makers can make firm business decisions based on the valuable insights retrieved from this data.

Enhanced operational efficiency

Smart automation surpasses the traditional approach by streamlining the organisation’s processes. Several industries have implemented these AIoT technologies to save on resources. For example, in office buildings, smart environmental sensors provide data on how many people are safe inside the premises. This includes fire, theft or any other warnings.

The integration of human facial recognition software and other biometric access devices all facilitate remote monitoring of the physical security of office buildings. Any unidentified personnel or abnormal activities are swiftly recorded and alerts or notifications can be sent automatically to the central hub.

Advantages of AIoT for customers:

Delightful customer experiences

Understand your customer’s behaviour and their challenges more precisely with Artificial Internet of Things technology. For instance, the surveillance camera is not only used to detect any thefts or crime, it also helps to read the customer’s shopping pattern.

AIoT collects and correlates inventory data, such as which aisle needs re-filling fast or where goods are fast-moving, and which aisle has seen no customer visits at all. Hence, large organisations are able to predict the customer’s habits more accurately and make it a more personalised experience for them.

Accurate predictions

Artificial Internet of Things provides next-level predictions to get accurate results. One of the powerful use cases of AIoT is the autonomous robot used for delivery. The robots have in-built sensors that collect and store data retrieved from the IoT devices. It stores data like physical addresses, direction details, and traffic information.

After collecting the data, the AI fed into the robot system detects less congested routes and makes a smart decision by detouring to routes where there is less traffic. Then, it delivers the package to the relevant address.

Several other industries have been implementing IoT data visualisation techniques. These include office buildings with smart environmental sensors and facial recognition software to get real-time data and behavioural analysis.

Practical Applications of AIoT

DHL – A leading global logistics company

By 2028, DHL aims to build 10,000 IoT-enabled truck transportation vehicles. It says AIoT has reduced 50% of their transit time with 90% reliability of real-time tracking.

DHL leverages the innovative IoT solutions along with artificial intelligence through Smart Trucking operations teams using an agile model where it streamlines the businesses by creating a transportation model that decreases the fatigue among the drivers, and helps them to spend less time on the road and provide a better work-life balance.

WalMart – The largest retail chain in North America

With more than 11,000 brick and mortar models with equally numerous online stores for each county or state, Walmart was able to pull it off effortlessly with the help of AI and machine learning (ML) integrated with the Internet of Things.

Facial recognition software, voice-based search by Google Assistant and cross-technology solutions, have made this retail industry scale up to higher revenues for several years.

London City Airport – travel & leisure industry

London City Airport was the first airport to make use of AI, the Internet of Things and cross-technology networking to monitor every tiny detail of travel to provide the passengers with informed data.

Cabin crew can now track the whereabouts of the passengers through IoT devices, boarding queue traffic, can update gate information, track baggage and so on.

Right from Industrial IoT (IIoT) protocols & Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) to Web Socket & application program interfaces (APIs), Contus has a solid IoT/IIoT Digital Engine model. Along with the Business Intelligence solutions and IoT dashboard it helps to accelerate the business delivery process effectively.

Moving Forward

IoT with artificial intelligence has vast use cases across industries, and it is purely dependent upon the organisation’s budget and goals to align them perfectly to increase their productivity. These are one-time investments that will yield them a life-long benefit. Get detailed analytics, precise data processing, and automation techniques all in one place, all built basically to give better results from bigger and meaningful data.