They say computers were the future. They were right! Computers were the future of business. But what is the future beyond that? Artificial Intelligence is the answer.

First, let’s start with what is Artificial Intelligence?

One is natural intelligence which is displayed by mammals in their everyday activities.  Artificial Intelligence is something which is displayed by the machines. To quantify artificial intelligence in a more technical manner, AI is a mechanism through which machines learn to perceive their surroundings and take actions which help them to achieve their goals. The more accurately they achieve their goals, the more refined the Artificial Intelligence is. Most of the refined technologies are then brought down to the public use. When they are brought down to the public use, they are termed as technology.

So now let’s see how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be of help in business.

AI can be of help in many business processes:

Analyzing data: Artificial Intelligence uses machine learning to read, understand, analyze and then get the results out. Previously it was done by humans a fair job done till now. Still, when machines started doing it, they were much faster, efficient and effective then what Homo sapiens did. Let me introduce to some reality. There are tons and data which is being generated each and every minute. Billions of emails sent per day. If there are 3 billion users on the net, there are nearly 1 billion websites. These numbers are just representational, in actuality, these numbers keep on increasing at supersonic speed. The data generated is enormous. It is impossible for us mortals to keep track of the data. It is much better if we leave the job to machine learning.

Fact: For those enterprises already in the AI fray, top-performing companies said they are more than twice as likely as their peers to be using the technology for marketing (28% vs. 12%). Unsurprisingly, analysis of data is a key AI focus for businesses; with on-site personalization, the second most commonly cited use case for AI

Search Engine Optimization: Most of the users coming to the internet use search engines. Artificial Intelligence has just made search easier for all the users. Just type in the intended keyword, and the results would appear. Before AI this was generated through keyword relevance and statistical frequency of the search. Machine Learning was used in this process. Machine Learning processes are used to do just basic tasks. Complex tasks require Artificial Intelligence as the knowledge part is deeply embedded in their systems. As they say, search engine optimization is not just about backlinks but many other factors. AI takes into consideration your location, area, frequently searched websites, etc. Artificial Intelligence isn’t unchanging it is made to learn and relearn. This all is done while performing tasks. A perfect example of Artificial Intelligence in action is Google’s, Rank Brain. Rank Brain helps to refine googles search queries and take actions accordingly.

Fact: Artificial General Intelligence will be achieved until 2025. This means that basic human activities of SEO might be carried out by computers. Source: Techcrunch

Customer Service: Customer Service is in the process of a huge turnover right now. Whenever we use Artificial Intelligence, it comes packed with two major capacities. One is churning huge chunks of data into sensible information, and another one is the ability to understand human languages and communicating back in human language. Some famous examples like SIRI, Alexa, Cortana, etc. might come to your mind. Being customer centric when it comes to presales, sales or aftersales is what companies always aim for. After the introduction of Artificial Intelligence after sales service becomes more accurate, efficient and effective. Artificial Intelligence is helpful in identifying customer issues, offer real-time support; define customer behavior pattern, etc.

Fact: Thirty-eight percent of consumers said they believe AI is going to improve customer service.

Business Registration:  Business Registration can be a lengthy process. A few decades ago all the stuff was done manually. This was a time when a lot of documents were procured physically and submitted for the respective processes. Few years down the line the world went digital, and all the documents were uploaded digitally. Still, the time taken was too long, and the approval required usually varied. With Artificial Intelligence in the picture registration and licensing were done in a jiffy. The government of China has taken steps in that direction. Automated machines have been set up at specific locations which are helping entrepreneurs and businessmen to get their registration and licensing done within minutes. This is all happenings because the Chinese Government has started applying space technologies coupled with Artificial Intelligence into daily life. Guangzhou is the city where this process has been applied. The field results were simply phenomenal where the licensing was done in minutes. For example, registering a Private Limited Company would take just minutes.

Fact: Consumers use more AI than they realize. While only 33% think they use AI-enabled technology, 77% actually use an AI-powered service or device.

In business, Artificial Intelligence is the question and also the answer. This is how AI is changing the world. It will be exciting as to how the world will react to changes brought about by AI.

Afleo.com is a technology-driven business services platform dedicated to helping Startups & Entrepreneurs easily start and grow their business, at an affordable cost. We have helped thousands of businesses by offering a range of business services right from Incorporating a Company, obtaining various Registrations, Intellectual Property Trademark Registration to Secretarial Compliance, Accounting, GST filings and Returns.

With technology changing at such a rapid pace, it can be tough to stay ahead of the curve. Whether you’re an executive looking to bring innovation to your organization, a small business owner trying to keep up with emerging trends, or a student trying to determine where to focus your studies, you want to make sure that you’re investing your time and money in technology that’s here to stay.

If you’ve been reading up on the top trend lists for 2018, you’ve probably seen the term “machine learning” popping up on almost all of them. Machine learning refers to a type of artificial intelligence in which computers are programmed to learn and improve from experience as they’re exposed to more data. So, what does this mean for the future of business? Here’s what the executive, the business owner and the student will want to know.

The Executive

Organizations around the world are already using this technology to transform their business. For example, Kanetix partnered with Integrate.ai on a project that leveraged machine learning to provide a tailored buying experience to their customers by predicting which users were likely to convert and determining a customer’s preferred method of transacting. The results? Kanetix.ca increased the conversion rates of their auto insurance by 13 percent and generated 2.3x the ROI on their marketing efforts. This is just one of the many ways machine learning can be used to build a better business, so as an executive it’s your job to determine how this technology can help you meet and exceed your organizational goals.

The Small Business Owner

If you’re a small business owner with a tight budget and a non-existent IT team, you’re probably wondering how you’ll be able to keep up with advances in machine learning. While partnering with a tech firm might not be on the horizon, you can capitalize on the trend by investing in a chatbot. Chatbots are computer programs that simulate human conversation, and they’re being used by businesses globally to provide around-the-clock customer service. Does your business have a Facebook page? If so, that could be the best place to start with a simple chatbot: more than 30,000 bots have been built on the Facebook Messenger platform since April 2016.

The Student

If you’re a tech-minded student wondering where you should invest your time, machine learning is looking like a solid career path. The role of Machine Learning Engineer was listed as one of the top five jobs expected to be vital for Canada’s economy in 2018 for a few reasons. First, The Canadian government’s Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy pledged $125 million for research into AI technology. Second, job postings for machine learning engineer grew by 150 percent in 2017. And finally, machine learning is relevant in several industries, making it an in-demand skill.

So what’s the key takeaway when it comes to machine learning? This top trend isn’t just “one to watch” – it’s something that is already changing the way that we do business every day and a solid technology to get behind in 2018 and beyond.

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The impact of millennials and digital technology has revolutionized the events industry in the last five years. The new focus of events now is to evolve beyond its preoccupation to integrate digital trends into the events space.

The approach to integrate new technologies will engage attendees in a multidisciplinary way, conjuring unique event experiences that have only existed in imaginations until now.

The emergence of digital technology within the events space has changed the way the event industry designs elements of the live event experience. It has transformed every aspect of the experience, from planning and production to execution. For industry experts, this means adapting to the new state of evolution while pioneering strategies and concepts.

This is no easy task, but the proliferation of new tech tools such as social media and additional realities; virtual and augmented has canvassed the event industry. This means new opportunities and challenges within the events space.

To fully understand how these technological changes are impacting the events space, here are three digital trends disrupting the events industry.

1.  The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things, or IoT, is the idea of connecting everyday tools to the Internet. This improves network connectivity (crucial for event management), while also creating a more efficient and data-driven network. The IoT landscape assists in all important aspects of the events industry, from presentation performance all the way down to potential attendees.

Using IoT for events bridges communication gaps to improve attendee engagement. iBeacon and RFID are two examples of IoT event technologies that assists attendee management. Both technologies allow leading event companies the ability to streamline attendee data, enabling them to keep a numerical track of guests, assisting them with location information, check-in assistance, and event schedule updates.

Such IoT event technologies minimizes the manual processes required to fill out physical sign-in sheets and information flyers, saving time and money for event organizers and sponsors alike.

2.  Shared Event Experiences

Audiovisual technology still remains a trendsetter within the events industry. The new trends in AV technology lie in the utilization of mixed reality (AR and VR) and live streaming. These two shared event experiences eliminate the barriers to entry for once-exclusive events, allowing non-physical attendees to engage with the event experience.

The adoption of live streaming through social networks such as Facebook Live and Instagram Stories affords guests the ability to tune into a live event despite geographical limitations.

Less than five years ago, runway shows were tailored to the invited guests. They were exclusive affairs for those who worked within the industry. Access was granted according to names on a guest list.

The advent of live streaming eliminated such barriers. Now, Fashion Week is an instantaneous and accessible experience, reaching audiences across the world. In 2015, while roughly 125,000 people attended the September shows, over 2.5 million live-streamed the event.

Advancements in virtual and augmented reality capabilities have established new concepts in how events are experienced. Sporting events such as the Rio Olympics has employed VR and AR to enable remote spectators to experience a deeper level of immersion than previously possible. Global conferences such as CES and MWC have also utilized VR and AR to enhance the live event experience.

Such technologies make the event experience incredibly democratic. This allows event organizers the ability to create a more personalized live event experience, enabling them to brand themselves to a broader audience in real-time.

3.  Event Interactivity

Another digital trend that events are tapping into is the sharing economy. On-demand services like Uber and Airbnb are empowering event organizers to use crowd-powered services to bolster event participation and engagement. Digital tools such as RFID cards and touch-screen displays increases engagement by providing hands-on experiences to specific, exclusive content.

The rise of artificial intelligence, as seen by Siri, Cortana, and Alexa, adds a boost to events, creating opportunities for personalization.

Event managers and organizers are employing a legion of AI assistants to serve as personal concierge, brand ambassadors, and even virtual event assistants. They are employed to help in all aspects of event management, from registration to budgeting. This enables event organizers to target different demographics according to their needs.

Delivering on more personalized interactions means better engagement from event participants, improving the attendee experience.

Digital technology is at the forefront of industry changes. The digitization of the events industry means changes, but more importantly, it means more opportunities. A deeper immersion experience leads to a deeper level of engagement. This leads to plenty of opportunities for brands to differentiate themselves from the competition, increasing their branding and improving the overall live event experience.