Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are here to stay. Research shows that the global AI market can reach up to a $190 billion market valuation in 2025. Additionally, in 2022, companies are expected to run around 35 AI projects in their operations.
Because AI and ML are becoming so ubiquitous, enterprises must be aware of the seven trends directly affecting their operations and future moving into 2022. These trends will not only affect the more tangible, business-side of operations, but also point towards more abstract, ethical questions surrounding AI.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity concerns are an inevitable consequence of AI’s rise. AI-backed technologies, such as hyperautomation and 5G, all have security implications that only further these concerns. As enterprises process more and more data, they will need to adopt greater cybersecurity vigilance, which will be aided in large part by AIOps.
Cybersecurity companies are also keeping pace with these increasing threat areas and are utilizing AI and ML to help combat malicious attacks. Leaders in this space—including NortonLifeLock, CrowdStrik, and Darktrace—use AI to learn from previous attacks to help prevent any future compromises. Because most of these software solutions are hands-off, they are affordable and scalable — helping to fuel greater adoption of AIOps platforms in coming years.
Hyperautomation
Hyperautomation is the identification and automation of as many processes as possible. Many of the solutions adopted under hyperautomation, such as Microsoft Power Automate and Laiye RPA, are AI-focused. An example of the crossroads between hyperautomation and AI is robotic process automation (RPA) tools, which use bots and automate simple, routine processes within various software applications.
There are two advantages hyperautomation and AI can bring for businesses: employee upskilling and business efficiency. This is primarily due to the growth of low-code and no-code solutions adopted under hyperautomation to ensure everyday users have access to more advanced techniques and skills than ever before.
Read also: Bringing Hyperautomation to ITOps
AIOps
As we mentioned previously, one of the primary issues IT leaders and enterprises will face is the growing quantity of data they must deal with. AIOps can assist IT teams with mitigating outages, organizing data sets, and optimizing performance issues.
Enterprises will particularly find AIOps useful for the modern, remote workspace. AIOps technologies can help remote companies in three main ways:
- Visibility: Company-wide visibility was heavily impacted by the work-from-home transition. Enterprise and key business leaders have lost the ability to oversee operations, but AIOps seeks to repair this. IT teams can, for example, track application activity to ensure each department has access to the right tools.
- Help desks: Traditionally, IT teams must tackle software issues on a case-by-case basis. With AIOps, employees can issue tickets and have their problems automatically responded to and fixed. If issues are too complex for automation, of course, AIOps solutions can alert your IT team. Still, this is a vast improvement to the existing model.
- Application errors: AIOps leverages both AI and ML to identify and learn from previous application errors. This way, IT teams do not have to repeatedly deal with tickets. Instead, these issues can be automatically diagnosed, and even prevented altogether.
Low-code and No-code Solutions
As more businesses undergo digital transformation a prominent barrier to adopting AI solutions is the lack of AI developers and engineers. These are two of the most sought after skills to have in the current technology job market and going forward.
To combat this, low-code and no-code technologies have grown exponentially. These solutions help users develop complex AI-driven systems with very simple interfaces. Because low-code and no-code solutions are built on bringing previously advanced skills to a wider group of people, employees from various industry verticals will find growth in their skills. By extension, enterprises will see greater business efficiency.
Read also: Using Low-code to Deliver Network Automation
Metaverse
The metaverse is an umbrella term for the online spaces individuals use to interact in a more engaging and immersive way compared to existing modes of communications.
Enterprises and businesses can expect the metaverse to shape their operations in three ways:
- Building new modes of customer and business relations
- Ushering in new currencies and transaction types, such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs
- Streamlining remote employee communications.
AI Ethics
Businesses and enterprises are keen to understand the practical benefits and consequences of adopting AI. However, this interest is tempered by ongoing questions about the ethical implications of AI.
AI posits a number of ethical dilemmas, such as its data privacy challenges and its use to spread disinformation. Even though it might not seem directly tied to the more actionable aspects of running an enterprise, it’s critical that business leaders understand and grapple with these implications.
The adoption of AI also impacts workplace dynamics, with many wondering if its rapid adoption might eventually see it replace humans. It’s essential to have employee buy-in when adopting AI as a service to explain how the technology will be used and to allay any of these fears.
Industry-wide Shifts
Finally, expect AI to transform a variety of different industry verticals not only in 2022 but throughout the entire decade. Here are a few examples of how AI will continue to shape some of the biggest industries in the market.
Healthcare: The healthcare industry has continually been at the forefront of AI adoption. Leaders in the space will continue to leverage AI to analyze patient data and gain greater accuracy in their diagnoses as well as potentially use that data to discover new drugs.
Customer service: AI is being used in the customer service space for use cases far beyond automated voice messaging. Chat-bots that learn from previous customer behavior and leverage customer data are tailoring the customer experience in 2022. Customers are gaining customized and instant service with AI.
Marketing: Social media and even legacy marketing firms are leveraging AI to learn from past campaigns and tailor future ones. AI-powered marketing can help businesses understand their customer base more and to present more effective campaigns.
Read next: Effectively Implementing AI as a Service
