Even with a world-wide shutdown, technological progress continued in the artificial intelligence (A.I.) industry, and it seems A.I. played a crucial role in saving lives and fostering economic resilience throughout the pandemic. One company which contributed to that is Baidu, Inc.—a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in Internet-related services, products and artificial intelligence. They are headquartered in Beijing’s Haidian District and is one of the largest A.I. and Internet companies in the world.

Baidu’s article on TechnologyReview.com titled “These five AI developments will shape 2021 and beyond” provides five significant advances they made towards combating Covid-19 in addition to transforming the future of our economy and society:

1. AI and vaccine development – the speed of the vaccine approval globally in 2020-21 was partly because of AI models, which helped researchers analyze vast amounts of data about the unknown coronavirus. “There are tens of thousands of subcomponents to the outer proteins of a virus. Machine learning models can sort through this blizzard of data and predict which subcomponents are the most immunogenic—i.e., capable of producing an immune response—and thereby guide researchers in designing targeted vaccines.”
2. Fully automated driving and the rollout of robotaxis – As safety concerns remain in 2021 despite parts of the globe opening up from tight pandemic restrictions, finding new ways to meet consumer needs in alignment with those safety concerns is essential. One popular need is driving services like Uber, Lyft and taxis. Drivers and passengers are constantly wondering if the other is a Covid carrier as they breathe the same air in a small space during a ride from point A to point B. Removing the driver all together, allowing an A.I. automated driving option, is one way to address this.
3. Applied natural language processing – A.I. may require additional information to perform well.Since there are many types of languages, each language pattern has the potential to cause confusion or miscommunications to the A.I. “These natural language models are powering more accurate search results and more sophisticated chatbots and virtual assistants, leading to better user experiences and creating value for businesses.”
4. Quantum computing – Quantum mechanics allows for computers to complete complex calculations. Quantum computing harnesses this to solve complex problems that even today’s most powerful supercomputers cannot. As A.I. continues to evolve through quantum computing algorithms, new research possibilities and other technological advances are sure to be discovered.
5. I. Chips – Hardware in the A.I. industry continues to improve which gives companies using A.I. products an edge over their competition.“As AI applications become more widespread, any increase in performance or reduction in cost can unlock more value for companies that operate a wide network of data centers for commercial cloud services, and can facilitate the company’s internal operations.”

As business leaders, it’s important to continuously look ahead to stay on top of economic changes and industry trends. We, at Aepiphanni, specialize in supporting small businesses to maximize their operational effectiveness and grow even in the midst of challenging times.

So if you are a business leader who needs more clarity about your business’s processes or a desire to grow towards a new level of success, take a minute and book a Coffee & a Consult with us here!  There is no charge for this conversation and it will provide you an opportunity to learn how we may be able to help you achieve your long-term business goals.

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Kris Cavanaugh Castro is the People Development Coach at Aepiphanni, the trusted advisor for business leaders who are seeking forward-thinking solutions to help them plan for and navigate through the challenges of business growth.  Kris has over 25 years of coaching, training and mentoring leaders to greater success; and she periodically writes about leadership development and facilitates change management conversations.

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