Last week I threw out the term “AI” or Artificial Intelligence. So, what exactly is Artificial intelligence and how is it used in our everyday life? Simply…it is machine learning. Now, it’s a little more complicated than that.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the development of intelligent machines. Intelligent computers that react and work with humans. Machines have the abilities to react and learn to adapt to situations because of sensors and gyroscopes. It is advanced computer science. Because it can adapt to what it learns…it therefore has the ability to think. Therefore, it becomes “human-like”. It thus has cognitive functions.
Many people will think of robot when the term artificial intelligence is mentioned. While it may have some artificial intelligence; it is not the only AI system out there. In our smart phones we have “SIRI”. Siri uses AI. She is able to identify our speech and figure out by analyzing, what we need or want. I know if you use Siri enough she may make suggestions because she learns your habits, and questions. Amazon Alexa is another product that uses AI. It can answer questions, order for you and anticipate what you are about to ask. It can make music suggestions for you based on your listening habits. Google’s smart home NEST uses AI sensors to monitor and protect your home. It can control your air conditioning, turn on your lights, and unlock your doors from a distance. All done with AI.
Artificial Intelligence and its development is progressing at rapid speeds. It is used in finance, healthcare, education transportation, our elections. Many many fields. In the medical field for instance there are complex algorithms and computer software programs to analyze medical data. It analyzes and delivers diagnosis’s based on the relationships between prevention, various treatments and the actual patient result. Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General, and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have all developed AI algorithms for their healthcare departments.
We have been using hearing instruments with Artificial Intelligence for several years. Starkey Hearing Technologies was the very first hearing aid manufacturer to utilize Artificial Intelligence in 2017 and introduced it into patients hearing instruments in 2020… years ahead of others. These hearing instruments have the ability to rapidly learn where your head is pointing and adjust the sensors to control noise and pin point focus on speech that you are facing. The new DNN360 computer chip along with the AI allows the hearing instruments to analyze and adjust rapidly to speech and surrounding noise in a 360 degree pattern… emulating the brain. Because of AI and embedded sensors the aids perform tasks that would usually require human involvement…. human intelligence. The instrument can monitor body and brain goals. Therefore, using your smart phone you can determine if you are active as well as social enough. Enough to help push away dementia and Alzheimer’s. It can translate languages on the spot. It can easily provide closed caption. Imagine.. You can’t understand your doctor with a little accent to their English, or maybe the waitress. You simply hold your phone out and when they talk it will speak in your language into your hearing aid and also print it on your screen so you can read it! The instruments integrate with Alexa. AI in hearing instruments will help you to stay independent longer. Because of the embedded sensors and gyroscopes if you fall it will send a text to alert you need help. The inner ear is you center of balance. It is the best place to measure balance. In the near future it will be able to predict if you are going to fall thus giving you time to correct your gait. That is a life saver. AI is not in the future any more… it is here and moving at lightning speed. Stay Tuned! To Hear Better Is To Live Better.
include By: Roseann B. Kiefer, B.A., BC-HIS