International AI Appreciation Day 2023: Unleashing the Boundless Potential of AI

The advent of Artificial Intelligence has led to an all-encompassing transformation, redefining the world by leaps and bounds. The diverse branch of such automated technologies has taken a storm in every industry, with a colossal impact on every sector of the society. The year 2023 has marked the brink of a revolution where AI empowers smart mechanisms that can outperform functions that usually necessitate human intelligence.

While the stigmatisms of AI working alongside humans persist, it is imperative to recognize the booming opportunity that arose from this rapidly advancing technology. Now more than ever, it is important to appreciate and celebrate AI advancements on the International AI Appreciation Day 2023, befalling today on the 16th of June. The day acknowledges the achievements and potential of AI technologies, along with the researchers, engineers, and developers who contribute to the progress and bring its utility to the common man.

The limitless potential that AI offers has created a competitive pressure among tech giants, leading to an acceleration in the global AI race. While now Google, Microsoft and OpenAI are the frontliners leading this revolution and propelling the global landscape into the future of artificial intelligence, Meta was an early visionary of AI. The other biggies now left Meta in their wake owing to a slowdown in AI development by Facebook’s parent company.

Whether you plan for shopping or wanting to read a book, this industry agnostic technology is going to have an influence, if not already. Businesses today are focused on integrating Artificial Intelligence in the software product development, to accelerate productivity. Siraj Ali Mohamed, Director - Data and Analytics, Experion Technologies said, “The use cases of AI across product engineering are vast - it’s as if almost every type of Product Engineering will have a handful of ways that we can improve the existing processes. Using tools to collect, analyze and report user behavior and application performance and correlating them with the demographics help engineers optimize product performance, identify potential failures, and build better products that create more impact and leave long-lasting impressions with their users”.

Currently, tech companies of all sizes are betting big on AI in redefining the future of work. For white-collar workers, generative AI, like the global phenomenon of ChatGPT, can make jobs easier by creating drafts of documents or presentations. Anwar Hussain, who works as the Director of AI/ML & DevSecOps at CriticalRiver has a deeply futuristic view on AI redefining the mundane. He said, “AI's futuristic applications can profoundly impact our lives, revolutionizing routines and interactions. Advancements in AI enhance experiences, efficiency, and personalization. Generative AI & LLMs generate original content, ideas, and solutions on the go, aiding in product ideas, marketing campaigns, and design, leading to unique and engaging offerings”.

“As AI continues to advance, India stands to benefit from its transformative potential. By embracing AI-driven digitization and automation, India can pave the way for improved governance, enhanced customer experiences, advanced manufacturing practices, accessible healthcare, quality education, sustainable agriculture, and efficient transportation systems”, Hussain added.

Considering the sheer scope and relevance of Artificial Intelligence in almost every field, there is going to be a lot more opening for AI jobs in the future. Karun Tadepalli, CEO & Co-Founder, byteXL strongly feels for the competitive advantage of students specialized in AI. “Student interest in AI as a specialized subject is now at an all-time high. Hence, it is very important that educators encourage students to learn the fundamentals now so that students can build upon it and keep them updated at the right time in the future”, he said. Building on the employability quotient of AI skilled students, Tadepalli added, “The hiring numbers for high-paying AI jobs will increase tremendously in the coming years, and it’s important we dedicate resources to skill students in AI so that they seize the momentum and utilize their skillsets at the right time.”

As Sam Altman warns, technologies of such massive impact are always accompanied by risks. Large-scale AI workloads and advanced data analytics demand higher energy consumption. Ajeya Motaganahalli, VP, Engineering and Managing Director, India R&D, Pure Storage shared his concerns. He cautioned, “The MIT Technology Review reported that training just one AI model can emit more than 3 lac kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent – which is nearly five times the lifetime emissions of an average car. To lessen the environmental impact of AI, it’s important to invest in sustainable practices like green data centers using all-flash storage which have lower energy and cooling requirements”.

While debates persist, with the current trend, it seems AI will undeniably touch every aspect of our lives very soon. From a virtual aid for grocery selection to passenger aircraft suggestions, artificial intelligence is the next big global phenomenon that will seamlessly integrate itself into everyday lives, without human cognizance.