I have come to realize that most times, we conquer the things that terrified us the most. This is when we had no power to stop those things from happening in the first place. That is by the way.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here! Here to stay. Well, for this part of the world, I would say, AI is coming; we are quite behind in the global village.

However, AI is not a one-tree forest. For AI to be integrated successfully and be very useful, it requires an on-demand, readily available 24/7 internet connectivity. Therefore, AI and internet are not mutually exclusive. The availability and effectiveness of internet connection will go a long way in determining how effective AI is to users.

I did a piece back in 2017 titled “Honey, I programmed the blanket”, where I discussed the possibility of automating your home appliances and activities. The idea that your refrigerator can detect when a vegetable or any other item is almost finished, and would go on to place an order automatically for a restock, is mind blowing really. In addition, very possible now. The store receives the order and may dispatch it via a drone service or a driverless vehicle and have it delivered to your doorstep.

This one scenario requires the availability of an internet connection. Therefore, there would be an increasing demand for internet connectivity and this would lead to higher competition between internet service/cellular network service providers and eventually, cheaper internet.

A practical example right now is having IP web cameras. This is something that is increasing in demand in this part of the world. You can have your home or business equipped with these cameras and access them anywhere in the world really.

This would require a stable internet connection in both locations, which is where the cameras are installed and where they are being accessed.

One of the challenges people would face, would be how to secure these autonomous systems over the wireless space. This means that the everyday user needs ways to secure their internet connections, making it as private as possible.

There are many practical examples these days and one thing is sure, internet/data will become cheaper by an increasing demand, and how effective it is, would go a long way to determine the efficiency of AI.

BY:

AMEH JAMES