Artificial intelligence has been around for a while and has even found applications in the everyday world. From highly visible novel applications like self-driving cars to less obvious but powerful data analytics capabilities, AI is almost certainly here to stay and will only get more sophisticated with each successive generation of wireless connectivity. Here are four wonderful examples of artificial intelligence in daily life that 6G will one day improve.

4 Examples of Artificial Intelligence in Daily Life That 6G Will Improve

According to MIT Technology Review, where 6G will truly shine is its ability to make artificial intelligence both widespread and practical. While AI is already available and widely used today, we’ve already reached the limits on what it can accomplish due to the limitations on network speeds and data transfer capacity.

Still, that hasn’t stopped visionaries from imagining a future where a fully mature AI network has transformed the world around us. Here are four examples of existing artificial intelligence in daily life that will be truly mature with 6G.

1. Autonomous Vehicle Networks

Autonomous vehicles, better known as self-driving cars, have a controversial track record. Although hailed as a means to bring about an end to nightmarish congestion and commutes someday, the current trajectory makes it painfully obvious that the technology has a long way to go.

Applying AI and machine learning to autonomous vehicles is difficult because we can’t have these algorithms learning in real life. While other forms of AI, like Amazon’s Alexa, can learn from errors, similar errors can prove deadly.

Many people suspect 5G will give autonomous vehicles the boost it needs, but the ultra-smart networks created by 6G will be what ultimately allows self-driving cars to drive. That’s because we’ll finally have:

  • The infrastructure and data transfer capacity necessary to include information about other cars, road conditions, traffic, and more.
  • More powerful machine learning capabilities to create more effective self-driving cars.
  • More energy-efficient digital devices capable of powering all parts of the vehicle.

2. Cybersecurity

The most advanced cybersecurity strategies already leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning. For example, Cisco has a set of solutions leveraging AI for network analysis and system management.

When it comes to keeping networks safe, AI is a powerful tool because cybercrime remains a highly dynamic and evolving subject. Every day, some 350,000 new pieces of malware are created and many have never been seen before. With AI, cybersecurity experts are better equipped to rapidly discover, learn about, and thwart novel attacks.

With the creation of 6G digital infrastructure, cybersecurity will both be more important and more advanced than ever. The hyper-connected, reconfigurable nature of networks will mean:

  • Increased visibility across our networks, leading to increased visibility all around.
  • More opportunities to track and expose the sources of malware or other threats.
  • Better authentication methods based on more complex and foolproof identity verification.

3. Scientific Discovery

Currently, AI is frequently deployed in two specific scenarios: for rote, repetitive tasks and to solve problems that are beyond human comprehension or calculation. While the former has tremendous applications in business, the latter already surfaces in scientific research.

Researchers at the University of Chicago apply artificial intelligence to analyze supernovae, find new drug combinations, and assess simulations to understand the future of climate change. Unlike human researchers, AI has the ability to grapple with massive sets of data, identifying patterns and crunching numbers tirelessly.

With 6G, these abilities will only compound. In fact, expect to see much more of it due to:

  • Access to more data and advanced machine learning capabilities.
  • Energy-efficient devices that require less power than ever before.
  • The infrastructure to support massive resource harnessing and generation.

4. Healthcare Applications

Most people are familiar with smart devices geared towards health, like wearable fitness trackers. These devices leverage low-level machine learning to track, encourage, and advise users. They’re just the start of what we’ll expect to see with 6G.

Research suggests that 6G will have significant impacts on healthcare, particularly in health monitoring and automatic alerts. That has ramifications for people with health conditions or elders who require constant monitoring. We can expect to see:

  • More sophisticated monitoring and alerts for the appropriate professionals.
  • Faster and more accurate diagnoses.
  • Improved assistance for caseworkers, caregivers, or other professionals expected to handle the health needs of multiple people simultaneously.

Get the Latest on 6G Research & Development Here

Many examples of artificial intelligence in daily life already exist, as we’ve already taken it as far as we can with current wireless technology and infrastructure. Although we’ll certainly see many more advanced applications of AI with 5G, it won’t be until 6G that we’ll fully realize the potential of this technology.

Whereas 5G mainly focuses on enhancing the performance of existing technology, 6G will require the development of new technology altogether. We may have some ideas about what that might include based on nascent research papers published in 2020. Nonetheless, we do know that 6G will fundamentally change our technological landscape, and that artificial intelligence will play a central role in doing so.

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