We are living in an age of unprecedented technological change and advancement. Every day we’re coming up with novel terminologies to describe new emerging technology. Some technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, have created a lot of hype but have yet to be adopted by mainstream consumers. There is one emerging technology, however, that has yet to headline breaking news stories, but in the next decade, will be developed to become the backbone behind everything that we do: The Internet of Things.
The Foundation Let’s start with the basics. The Internet of Things describes a state when “things,” such as our household appliances, personal devices, and sensors, become connected to the internet and form a network. In such a state, things can exchange data amongst each other. Artificial Intelligence, on the other hand, is when a system can analyze data and generate insights to complete a set of tasks in an intelligent manner. When these two capabilities are combined, we have the Artificial Intelligence of Things. It’s when our "things" can collect, analyze, and process data, and make decisions or suggestions without our involvement. For example, say your bed was connected to the internet of things, overlaid with Artificial Intelligence. Your bed could therefore collect and analyze data on your sleep patterns and offer recommendations on how to improve your quality of sleep. You could wake up to a message from your bed letting you know that it’s added Melatonin to your next Amazon Prime order.
But in an age when things can take charge on our behalf and in cases even outsmart us, we must ask ourselves, what then does it mean to be human?
Being Human’ Has Always Involved Technology. The very nature of what it means to be human speaks to our unique ability to sense, perceive and experience life. To imagine, to create, and to transform the material world around us. However, since the beginning of time humans have built and leveraged technologies to extend our reach and enhance our quality of life. Technologies have always acted as an extension of ourselves and our existence. As such, we should approach smart systems with the same understanding of our relationship with technology. We must dig deeper into our human existence and continue to find ways that technology could be leveraged to relieve our pain points, add depths to our lives, and enable us to reach our full potential.
For the most part, technology has worked for us, not against us. The AIoT presents a new opportunity to have meaningful, authentic, and valuable relationships with our objects. It’s then our responsibility to design a future where technology can empower us to live a harmonious and fulfilled life.
Four examples of how AIoT can bring value to our lives:
Help us make more informed decisions: When objects become context aware of their surroundings, they will be able to merge data streams from different sources and generate valuable information. As a result, they will be able to provide us with real-time insights, predictions, and recommendations; empowering us to make more informed and effective decisions.
Create a more sustainable future: Smart systems already act autonomously to conserve energy. The more data we give them, the more they can advise us on how to improve our environmental footprint, enabling us to make more sustainable choices.
Have deeper and more empathetic relationships with others: Imagine if you could leave stories of your life behind in spaces, and access other people’s stories in return. Such experiences would empower us to become more empathetic and deepen our understanding of how others live their lives.
Expand our reach and potential: As we gain more insights about ourselves and lifestyles through connected objects and spaces, we will be better equipped to make decisions about our mental and physical health. Our objects and devices will slowly shift to take agency over the mundane aspects of our daily lives, freeing us to focus on the things that matter and require our human attention.
Redefining our reality. From this perspective, we no longer need to view advanced technologies as a threat, but rather as an extension of our minds and our bodies. Technology can offer us a chance to redefine our humanity and our relationship with the world around us, while also providing us with the means to enhance our uniquely human abilities.
Anne is an experience strategist and futurist. Her work focuses on human nature and cultures, empowering people and extending their capabilities through technology, and creating meaningful and memorable experiences.
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