When most people think of artificial intelligence (AI), their minds likely go to Chat GTP; Large Language Models are a hot topic at the moment, with a buzzing discourse surrounding their efficacy.
But even though LLMs have caused the most ruckus, AI has been advancing in multiple areas. Over the last few years, this technology has found a home in areas you would’ve never thought of, and in this article, you’ll learn about some particularly interesting applications.
Here are four niche areas that have benefited from the innovation of AI.
1. Precision Agriculture
Agriculture probably isn’t the first on the list of industries you expect AI to feature in, but you’d be surprised. Machine learning – a subset of AI that essentially enables machines to teach themselves – is being used to improve farming efficiency to generate bigger crop yields, and AI-powered analytics tools have been helping farmers detect infestations and plant diseases far earlier than ever before.Â
Automated harvesting systems are also being equipped with AI: machines can now identify crop ripeness by cross-referencing them against vast data sets, greatly improving the accuracy of the harvesting process.
2. Audiology
Audiology is a delicate science, so in many ways, it’s no wonder that precession AI tools have made a home in this industry – and you’ll certainly want to explore this key topic if you’re struggling with your hearing.
Audiologists can now make use of AI-powered hearing aids that can ‘learn’ the space the user is in, analysing the acoustic properties and ambient sounds of the environment to adjust the settings appropriately.
There’s also interest in how the technology can help people with tinnitus: many hearing aids already come with built-in noise generators, but AI algorithms are now able to match the sound to the person’s tinnitus with pinpoint accuracy.
3. Radiography
You may have heard that Chat-GTP can now analyse radiographs to assist with diagnosing certain ailments, and while this is incredibly impressive, it’s only scratching the surface of what’s possible.
For example, Canon has been using AI-driven tools in their Aquilion CT scanners for years now: modern scanners are equipped with a technology called AiCE (Artificial Intelligence Camera Enhancement), which can use deep learning to significantly reduce noise artefacts for crystal clear images.
4. Archeology
AI is becoming increasingly relevant in archaeology. AI-powered imaging tools enable archaeologists to reconstruct data from historical digs with an incredible level of accuracy, and by combining the power of machine learning with satellites, archaeologists can detect buried sites without having to perform full excavation.
The technology is also being used to restore and discover complex manuscripts and damaged excavated items, by predicting what the image looks like based on a database of references.
Wrapping Up
The above fields only represent a snapshot of the exciting developments of AI assistance. As we’ve seen in the last two years or so with how the technology has transformed the way we use the internet, things are moving at a rapid pace – who knows what the next decade will bring.
