Going from almost no presence at all just forty years ago, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown to become a powerful and defining force of computing and has become an increasingly strong presence in the last fifteen years in particular. But where is it taking us, and what can we expect in the next ten or fifteen years, particularly when coupled with high-speed connectivity?

The notion of AI rose from Natural Language Processing (NLP) and was identified as a subfield of artificial intelligence that focused on making it possible for computers and other technologies to comprehend human language. In the early 1960s, researchers attempted to utilise computers to translate Russian and English into one another. This was the seed that eventually grew into the field of natural language processing. As a result of these attempts, the concept of computers that could comprehend human language was conceived. The efforts that were made to make those ideas into a reality were mostly fruitless, and by 1966, the majority of developers had entirely given up on the notion, thinking that it was going to be impossible to attain.

However, during the latter half of the 1980s, natural language processing saw a significant evolutionary leap. This was made possible by both a continuous rise in the amount of computational power available as well as the implementation of novel machine learning methods. In contrast to other types of models, such as decision trees, these new algorithms concentrated their efforts exclusively on statistical models. The use of statistical models in natural language processing saw a meteoric rise in the 1990s.

The next real step change in AI came with mobile devices (phones, tablets etc), and a rise in virtual assistants, built into the device with the aim of enhancing productivity. Voice-activated digital assistants interpret the commands that are uttered to them and reply by carrying out the duties. In 2011, Apple’s Siri gained a reputation for being one of the most well-known and successful digital virtual assistants that supported natural language processing. Siri’s capabilities included the ability to understand spoken English. Online assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google may have begun as handy sources of information about the weather, the most recent news, and traffic reports, but developments in NLP and access to massive amounts of data have transformed digital virtual assistants into a useful tool for customer service. They are now capable of performing a significant number of the duties that can be performed by a human helper. They are even capable of telling jokes that are pretty believable and have a sophisticated sense of humour. Today’s digital virtual assistants are equipped with the ability to manage schedules, make phone calls, record dictation, and read emails out loud. There are many different kinds of virtual digital assistants available on the market today. Some of the most well-known ones include Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft’s Cortana. Because these AI assistants respond to voice directions, they may be operated hands-free, which means that a person can drink their coffee while the assistant completes the duty that has been allocated to them.

But where is AI going? From where we are now AI is starting to become a significant part of many different systems and areas of life and business, and is likely to grow in many spheres of life, such as:

• Enhanced consumer experiences. The metaverse and cryptocurrency mining are two examples of next-generation consumer experiences that have generated a lot of hype. Artificial intelligence will be a key factor in enabling these experiences and more like it. Because humans lack the kind of perception required to overlay digital objects on physical contexts or to understand the range of human actions and their corresponding effects in a Metaverse setting, the Metaverse is inherently a problem for AI. This is because humans are unable to comprehend how the Metaverse will respond to their actions, but AI will be there to help us in an increasing number of ways. We expect current websites to give us instant communications with the people behind it; AI will see the rise of chatbots in the next iteration of the internet – the Metaverse – and the AI driving these will be at the core of it.
• Medical expertise. Since the human genome was deciphered, the goal of developing personalised treatment has remained constant. Unfortunately, however, it is still only a hope. Synthesising customised treatments for patients is an exciting and promising new use of AI that is currently in development. Furthermore, AI possesses the potential to one day synthesise and anticipate individualised treatment modalities in near real-time, which would eliminate the need for clinical trials.
• Information analysis. Consider the construction of particle colliders or large-scale clinical trials as examples of scientific endeavours that are both time-consuming and expensive. In recent decades, there has been a great deal of anxiety regarding a slowdown in the rate of scientific advancement, and this concern is warranted. It’s possible that scientists are no longer living in the heyday of scientific discovery. Artificial intelligence allows a capability that has never been seen before: the ability to examine massive data sets and compute identify intricate patterns and relationships. The use of AI, which boosts human intelligence, is poised to revolutionise the way in which scientists conduct their investigations, ushering in a new golden age of scientific discovery in the years to come. With the help of emerging AI, large data sets — which could hold the key to curing cancer or a variety of other medical problems — are reduced to a much more manageable size.

Plainly however, while AI is the obvious choice for handling massive amounts of data, getting that data into the system to allow for the analysis becomes the bottleneck. This is where 5G is going to become important. The fifth generation of cellular networks is referred to as 5G. This system is creating opportunities for people and businesses that have never been seen before. It is up to one hundred times faster than the current 4G system. Technology that enables faster connection speeds, ultra-low latency, and greater bandwidth is propelling societies forward, revolutionising industries, and dramatically improving day-to-day experiences. E-health, connected vehicles and traffic systems, and advanced mobile cloud gaming are examples of services that were once considered to be from the distant future but have since become a reality. Users will be able to participate in a future that is more intelligent, safer, and more sustainable with 5G technology. Whether it is the detailed examination of data, or everyday conversations with chatbots, AI powered by 5G is going to transform our world.

Undoubtedly, artificial intelligence and fifth-generation wireless networks are the two most important enabling technologies for future innovations. These cutting-edge technologies have a natural tendency to work well together. The rapid development of AI has led to significant improvements across the board for the 5G ecosystem in terms of both its performance and its efficiency. In addition, the proliferation of devices that are connected to 5G networks helps to drive unprecedented intelligence as well as new improvements in AI-based learning and inference. Furthermore, the transformation of the connected and intelligent edge has already begun as a direct result of the phenomenal traction that on-device intelligence has garnered. This transformation is essential if one is to fully capitalise on the potential offered by 5G’s future. 

Although the combined forces of AI and 5G technologies have not yet completely arrived at our doorsteps, we are not far off from experiencing the expansive prospects of these deployed on a mass scale, and this is something that is really exciting to look forward to.