Machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence are all hot buzzwords right now. These computational techniques, combined with dramatic leaps in computer performance, are changing the world.
From software that can quickly identify skin cancers, to predictive models that help us anticipate any number of complex outcomes, there is almost nothing in the world that is not influenced by next-generation AI.
It’s easy to feel like this artificial intelligence revolution is happening somewhere “out there,†but the truth is that even your smartphone is already packed with a lot of AI-powered software. Any of the voice assistants that come with every smartphone and tablet sold today use AI extensively to understand what you’re saying and learn about your habits and needs.
There are also many AI-powered apps now that use machine learning to achieve incredible feats. The best part is that you don’t have to just read about it. Here are five AI apps that you can download to your device right now and experience for yourself. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what lies ahead, but it’s a great start!
Also, if you’re interested in artificial intelligence, be sure to read our other posts on building your own chatbot and 8 pretty smart AI helpers.
Prisma – AI Photo Editing
When Prisma first launched, there were so many people trying to access this AI cloud service that you’re in luck if the app even confirms your presence. The developers have since fixed resource issues and it works fine in most cases, but what does the app actually do?
Well, it uses cloud neural networks to take your photos and turn them into works of art. Do you want your portrait to look like Dali did it? Prisma will really deliver something very convincing.
At the moment, the app has over 300 filters to choose from, and if the stars align, you can get some really impressive results. When you really look at how much “work†the neural network has put into transforming an image, you will understand the complexity and power of modern machine learning software.
Although there is a premium subscription version of the app, you can experience pretty much everything it has to offer for free.
Magisto – AI Video Editing
In the 20th century, the most important type of literacy was the ability to read, write and understand text. Competence in the visual arts was the lot of film school students and other artists.
These days it is often easier to shoot a video quickly than to write a message, and since everyone always carries an HD camera with them, the chances of sitting on piles of footage are pretty high.
The problem is that converting raw frames into something nice and efficient is difficult ! This involves learning a whole new visual language. It’s not something everyone wants to do, which is why AI holds great promise for video editing.
Magisto should be one of the best examples. A tool for continuous video creation using artificial intelligence so you don’t need to be an expert.
While the pro subscription is a bit expensive, you can try the basic version for free and get a good idea of ??the software’s capabilities. Magisto takes the footage you want to edit and asks which style you like best.
Then he uses artificial intelligence to analyze it all and produces a final product, often shockingly professional. For small businesses that need to shoot marketing videos but can’t afford the pros, this is already a viable option. Until recently, we would never have believed it.
Microsoft Seeing AI – Camera that talks to the blind
Accessibility is an incredibly important part of modern computing. Providing access for people with disabilities and mobility should be a top priority. For people with disabilities, technology can have the greatest impact on their daily lives.
Microsoft’s talking camera app is just such a program. If it becomes reliable and polished enough, it can have a huge impact on people who are legally blind or have severely impaired vision.
The app uses artificial intelligence to analyze everything the camera sees. Point it at someone and they’ll try to recognize their face, or at least describe things like their gender and approximate age. Any text you point the camera at will be read aloud immediately.
Barcodes on products can also be scanned for information on what you want to buy. AI can also analyze and describe common scenes, so if you want to know what situation is right in front of you, it can do that too.
Although the technology is not yet perfect, it is almost a miracle compared to what was possible just ten years ago. Unfortunately, it is currently only available for iOS. devices, but hopefully there will be a wider release in the future.
Download for iOS.
Replica – Friend 24/7
If you’ve watched the movie She , then you’re probably familiar with the cautionary tale about not getting too attached to AI robots. In the film, Joaquin Phoenix plays a guy who falls in love with what is essentially a version of Siri. However, one important theme in this film is how the protagonist goes through hard times. What his new friend, AI, helps him through.
Here in the real world, this concept (to some extent) came to life in the form of a replica. While this advanced AI chatbot is not designed for romantic relationships, it is designed to be your friend when you need it.
People who feel depressed, anxious, or lonely can chat with the Cue. The bot is always there, even when no one has time. With significant advances in natural language technology and conversational interfaces, communicating with Replika really feels like communicating easily with a friend. Even if you don’t feel the need to use Replika for its intended purpose, it is very interesting to experience this technology.
Hound – A Natural Search AI
When we first tried Siri with the release of the iPhone 4S, it seemed like the future was finally here. Siri’s ability to understand speech fluently and respond intelligently was a big improvement over the chatbots of the day. However, the limitations in everyday use quickly became apparent. Siri has improved a lot today, but many other AI assistants may have overtaken it.
Of the current generation of AI assistants, Hound is perhaps the most impressive. From the same people who gave us Soundhound, this bot can understand queries in an almost magical way. With Siri and the like, you can quickly learn to articulate what you say in a certain way. If you don’t, you run the risk of wasting time repeating the request because the program will not understand it.
With Hound, it seems that queries are almost always understood correctly without reformulation. Moreover, the actual results are always up to date. Hound is also integrated with a number of services and can do things for you like Uber bookings.
With this app, the proof is really in the pudding. Give it a try and if you’ve used one of the regular bands it will surely impress.
Not exactly Skynet
There is a lot of fear and misinformation around AI. This is partly due to fiction, and partly due to the distorted media representation in the media. There are, of course, many real concerns, and some of our best thinkers have highlighted them.
However, when it comes to those limited AI applications we’ve highlighted here, it’s hard to imagine anything bad happening because of them. That is, unless a person has decided to deliberately abuse the technology, as we saw with the so-called “deepfakes“.
For the rest of us, AI-powered apps are what really makes life easier and opens up possibilities for creativity. In some cases, he may even be of vital assistance to us. It’s definitely worth trying it yourself!
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