Consider this scenario: You switch on your TV at 8pm every day, look through the channels and select BBC. This is a daily routine. Now, imagine a different scenario, where your TV understands you, and goes to BBC at 8pm every day.
Going a step further, BMW has unveiled the MINI Vision Next 100, a prototype of a car we can expect to be driving a few years from now. This car takes artificial intelligence to the next level -- by learning its driver's schedules and preferences. Furthermore, the roof and interior lighting can even change colour according to the owner's mood. Artificial intelligence, here, is being used to make the user's experience unique, personal and comfortable.
This is how artificial intelligence (AI) is being developed today and for the future-- to cater to the consumer, and addressing user experience as a priority.
According to a new report from Tractica, the market for enterprise AI systems will increase from $202.5 million in 2015 to $11.1 billion by 2024. With such a significant increase in the market, AI is going to take over the future and aid in many consumer-based (as well as business-based) scenarios such as shown above. AI will also work hand-in-hand with the Internet of Things (IoT), to enable the system of smart cities to grow faster, with unique functionalities.
We are entering into the era of conversational commerce. Chat/service bots will enable us to communicate with devices in the most natural way, through conversation.
With the rapid advancement of technology, along with the obsession with using it to optimize our lives, humans and machines are expected to work as one. AI can complement human inputs in complex work. It is more likely to act as a substitute for routine labor, through methods such as task assistants and associate systems that have interfaces, which allow humans to assign work to a computer.
While user experience is tied with an actual human standing behind the brand/product, some things can be done with the help of artificial intelligence. We now have chat bots that we can talk to. One step further, chat bots can also help us talk with others by predicting our replies based on what a friend has sent. We also have phone applications and websites that allow us to order food and avail of customer service. We are entering into the era of conversational commerce. Chat/service bots will enable us to communicate with devices in the most natural way, through conversation. As human being we all love to talk and express ourselves. It is but natural that the next generation AI system will evolve with a conversational interface, thus unleashing an era of conversational economy.
All these interactions are powered with some level of AI, which might just be one of the most important tools in a UX designer's toolbox when it comes to humanizing the customer experience.
For instance, if AI can build a model of the user, and adapt better to the user's needs and habits, it has to understand how the consumer works internally, to gauge his/her moods. But statistical analysis alone will not work; AI has to guess at the user's desires, needs and goals. That has to come from cognitive analysis, reasoning, observed situations and dialogue. In addition, UX will change based on who is using it.
A great UX continually learns from its users to give them a more human experience -- intuitive and as positive as possible. It works to minimize errors and frustrations in an experience with a product or interface. Just like AI. It is the main base for intelligence, learning from mistakes. It will not make the same mistake again, as it memorizes experiences.
Intelligent machines fed with Big Data will get good at anything involving the processing of large amounts of information. Since the advent of the digital era, data is generated all the time. Machines generate lot of data, but we hardly notice -- which is why some call it "dark data". Human users generate data whenever they use a digital interface (mobile phones, browsers, wearables) – these pieces of data are called "digital breadcrumbs". Dark data and digital breadcrumbs are the oil of the 21st century. They can be processed at the fraction of the cost using huge computing clusters available at cloud platforms. Together with deep learning techniques this data is converted into nuggets of powerful insights and action that takes services to a whole new level of offerings.