Where AI is headed: Expect workplace, healthcare and tech changes

Anyone can be a programmer

It will soon be possible for people with almost no coding skills to write fairly complex pieces of software. They won’t be doing it on their own, of course. They will be assisted by AI tools which will do the coding for them. Users will simply tell the AI tool what they want the programme to do and technology will do the rest. And they’ll be able to do it in natural language, with no knowledge of technical jargon required. The market for these no-code AI tools is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, with Global View Research estimating the global market size at $3.06 billion (€2.74 billion) in 2022 and projecting it to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 27.3 per cent from 2023 to 2030.

Human-machine collaboration

While there are genuine fears that AI will replace jobs traditionally done by humans, there is a belief that the best uses of the technology will see it being used to augment human skills. “The way humans and computers work together will continue to change, with a focus on adding to human skills instead of taking them away,” says UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School Associate Professor Alessia Paccagnini. “Technologies like cobots, exoskeletons, and AI assistants will make workers more productive and open up new job possibilities.”

“AI-human collaboration will also lead to greater flexibility in the workforce as companies move towards increasing automation to improve employee satisfaction and retain top performers,” says Martin Mannion, partner in artificial intelligence and data with Deloitte.

Better healthcare

The application of AI to healthcare will have far-reaching impacts. “AI and machine learning are helping with medical research, analysing patient data and aiding in diagnosis and treatment planning,” says Kevin McDonnell, senior director in intelligent automation at Huawei Ireland Research Centre.

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“When AI, telemedicine, remote patient tracking and personalised medicine are all used together there will be big changes in healthcare,” says Paccagnini. “The use of digital health tools, wearables and health data analytics will improve patient outcomes, preventive care and access to healthcare.”

Drug discovery

Edinburgh-based AI-powered drug discovery specialist Exscientia announced the first-ever AI-designed drug molecule to enter human clinical trials three years ago. Last year fellow drug discovery company Insilico Medicine reported the beginning of Phase I clinical trials for an AI-discovered molecule based on an AI-discovered novel target. In both cases the discovery process was done at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods.

“We might ultimately see a reduction in the cost of medicines because AI can take years off the discovery process,” says Matt Moran, director of Ibec industry body Biopharmachem Ireland. “Patent life is very limited. It lasts just 20 years and 10 years of that have gone before you start marketing the medicine. You’ve spent a billion dollars before you start. If you reduced that everyone would win.”

AI in the art world

The Colorado State Art Fair may not have the status of the Paris Biennale but it shot to prominence last year when Jason M Allen won its award for emerging digital artists with a work using Midjourney, an AI system that creates images based on a few text prompts from users.

When interviewed by The New York Times following his win, Mr Allen said: “Art is dead, dude. It’s over. AI won. Humans lost.”

It is anticipated that generative AI art will continue to develop and improve. This will open up new possibilities for marketers who will be able to use it to generate more appealing content for use in ads and other materials at a relatively low cost.

There is a darker side, though. There are reports of AI being used to create works in the style of established artists right down to copying their signatures. Not good news for artists.

Cybersecurity

As the HSE and other organisations have learned to their cost, some of the most damaging cyber breaches are caused by human error. Simply clicking on the wrong link in a seemingly harmless email can cost millions. AI is now being deployed to monitor online behaviour to prevent such occurrences. These advanced observation programs will enable software systems that can analyse all network devices, applications and servers to provide real-time monitoring of employees and foresee threats.

Which is very useful – but the ethical implications are clear. “There are valid concerns. Recent warnings serve as reminders to develop and deploy AI systems responsibly,” says McDonnell. “We need to ensure that AI aligns with human values and ethical frameworks.”