Everyday, AI helps people with their: personal lives, jobs, transportation, education, health, and more, maybe even without them realizing it. Here are some examples of AI in action on a typical day. In the morning, a teenager wakes up and uses facial recognition to unlock her phone.
She scrolls through social media feeds to see what’s new. Then, she asks the voice assistant on her phone what the weather’s going to be like that day so she knows how to dress for school. A college student uses an app on his phone to deposit a birthday check from his grandmother.
He takes a photo of the check, and the app automatically reads the handwriting to figure out the amount. It then deposits it into his account. Meanwhile, a younger student uses a different app that is teaching her a new language.
The app listens to what she says and can recognize what she’s saying even if she makes mistakes. The app then gives her personalized feedback on her pronunciation. At the same time, a person gets in their car to go to work, and the navigation system plans the fastest route based on current traffic.
In the car, they listen to a music streaming service, which already knows what types of songs they like based on what they listened to before. When a factory worker arrives at her job, she sees that, as usual, humans and robots are both assembling cars. The robots do some of the more dangerous or repetitive tasks, like welding or painting.
AI helps the robots recognize the tools they need to pick up, or check parts to make sure they have been cut exactly right. When the cars are completed, computers help manage inventory and plan efficient shipping routes to deliver them around the world. Now, meet a farmer who is checking on her crops.
She notices that some of her plants look unhealthy. She pulls out her smartphone and uses an app to take a photo of the leaves. The app can detect crop disease and also identify harmful insects.
The app identifies the problem and recommends treatment. A surgeon is using AI to help make a medical diagnosis for a patient, and then a robot helps her perform a successful surgery. Afterwards, she goes to visit patients in a nursing home, where robots gently lift seniors in and out of bed and help them move around.
In the meantime, a traveler needs to book a flight to another city. An automated customer service chatbot helps him book his ticket on the phone. Once he’s on board, autopilot flies the plane for much of the flight.
AI is even used in space. On the International Space Station, an astronaut talks to a free-floating robot that helps with chores and does jobs that are risky for humans. Now that you’ve learned about how other people use AI every day, think about how you use it.
Spend a few minutes thinking about this question: What are three ways that you or someone you know uses AI? The video you just watched is part of a lesson that helps people learn about AI. To see the entire “Discover AI in Daily Life” lesson, visit the Applied Digital Skills website.
The full lesson discusses some benefits and challenges of AI, helps you use AI to make a set of learning-language flash cards, and guides you through some fun AI activities.
