Artificial intelligence (AI) has been present for some time, but we’re just starting to feel its impact and understand its possibilities. It’s currently fragmented as a field, using many approaches to target different problems. This revolutionary technology is transforming business operations, moving into new areas such as multimodal applications and concept design, and seeping into our everyday lives.

Keeping up with these cutting-edge AI technologies can benefit business owners and private individuals alike. With that in mind, let’s look at the top five artificial intelligence trends in 2022 that are sure to shape the AI future far beyond expectations.

More Powerful Language Models

Natural language processing (NLP) is one of the most exciting fields in artificial intelligence. This computer science branch focuses on interpreting and creating human language to accomplish various tasks, including the following:

• Machine translation
• Speech Recognition
• Handwritten character recognition
• Information retrieval
• Question answering

NLP has already given rise to tools we use daily, such as voice assistants and chatbots. While these tools have popularized talking to a machine, language models currently exist that go beyond anything a Siri or Alexa could do.

There are two areas of NLP that use model-based techniques:

• Machine understanding (ML)
• Natural language generation (NLG)

The most significant development in this area was when OpenAI debuted its GPT-3 language model. GPT-3 is short for Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3, and it’s currently the most advanced language model in the world. On top of that, the system behind it is believed to be one of the most powerful supercomputers ever invented.

With appropriate human priming, GPT-3 can produce numerous forms of human-like text such as work computer code and creative fiction. Software writing texts on its own might not be impressive to everyone. But how about original prose so accurate that you can hardly distinguish it from its human-made equivalents?

That is precisely what GPT-3 offers. These AI models learn by ingesting large data sets and producing a statistical model to understand how phrases, sentences, and paragraphs are interconnected.

Best of all, these language models require just a few training examples to fine-tune their output on a particular problem. This starkly contrasts previous versions that depended on large sets of human data. As a result, the cost of this and similar AI models will continue to decrease, making them a viable option for more people and businesses.

This trend shows no signs of slowing down in 2022. Major corporations have been developing their language models, but OpenAI is also expected to launch its GPT-4 model this year. There’s little public information available about this model, but given the masterful execution of the GPT-3, we can expect great things.

With the pace of improvements in these large language models, we can also expect them to be deployed commercially in the future.

Generative Artificial Intelligence for Content Creation

If you’ve been on social media lately, you might’ve seen a booming trend of generating images based on outlandish inputs. “A pink elephant playing poker in the Sahara desert” might seem like a fever dream, but thanks to AI software, it’s become a striking painting.

Creating compelling images based on limited input has become accessible to everyone thanks to the innovative technology known as generative artificial intelligence.

Generative AI models can produce various content forms, including images, audio, and text. The impressive part is that the final product is an original work of art, virtually indistinguishable from human-made products. Moreover, it is generally created with little human involvement, apart from setting the context.

According to Gartner, generative AI is one of the leading strategic technology trends for 2022. This ground-breaking technology can be used for several purposes, including the following:

• Art creation
• Content creation for media outlets
• Education
• Personal creativity

Thanks to the ease of use and the quality of its output, companies can use generative AI to streamline their creative workflow.

For example, game designers can use generative AI to show their preferences in terms of production design. Also, generative AI can be used to create human-like voices. Companies can use these computer-generated voices for video voiceovers, narrations, and audible clips.

Judging by how far it’s gotten in 2022, the future of generative artificial intelligence is undoubtedly looking bright. Empowering machines to take on creative tasks and not just replace manual labor will significantly impact various industries.

AI-Based Cybersecurity

Nowadays, many enterprises are moving their operations to cyberspace. Unfortunately, crime is following suit. The more massive cyberspace becomes, the larger the cyberattack surface is. Identifying and repairing system vulnerabilities is becoming more challenging with the growing complexity of connected devices. As a result, human interventions alone might not be enough to improve an organization’s cybersecurity.

That’s where artificial intelligence comes into play. AI is particularly well suited to detect patterns in a large amount of data. As such, it can be essential for cybersecurity.

Artificial intelligence can automate tasks that human analysts would typically handle manually, such as detecting the following:

• Unknown workstations
• Code repositories
• Servers
• Suspicious hardware and software

These are all highly data-intensive tasks than can be extremely time-consuming. Luckily, AI can sift through terabytes of data more efficiently and quickly than humans ever could.

In addition, AI can analyze network traffic and detect patterns humans can often miss. For instance, AI could discern key linguistic patterns, jargon, and code-words that hackers who threaten a company use and alert cyberthreat intelligence professionals.

Apart from detecting new threats, artificial intelligence can also be used for:

• Battling bots

Although usually harmless, some bots are made with the malicious intent of account takeovers and data fraud. AI software will thoroughly analyze the website’s traffic and learn to distinguish between humans, good bots, and bad bots.

• Predicting breach risk

After detecting possible threats, AI technology can also predict how and where company data will most likely be compromised. This way, the company can adequately allocate resources toward the most vulnerable areas.

• Protecting endpoints

AI is crucial in securing all the endpoints used to work remotely. If something out of the ordinary occurs, the software will flag it and take action, creating proactive protection.

Artificial intelligence has become an essential part of a company’s cybersecurity toolkit. As IT operations aren’t going anywhere, we’re sure AI will drive cybersecurity forward for many years to come.

More Efficient Augmented Workforce

The augmented workforce has been lauded by many as the future of the workplace. By using AI technologies, companies have streamlined processes and created highly-efficient workforces.

Historically, there have been concerns about machines taking over human jobs and eliminating some occupations. Although traditional manual jobs might become obsolete, most workplaces use a blend of human employees and AI technology. Working side-by-side with the machines significantly enhances the human workforce’s abilities.

Amazon is an excellent example of this teamwork. The company uses advanced warehouse technologies combining robotics, computing, and the human workforce, resulting in improved productivity. This efficiency leads to increased demand, which, in turn, multiplies new hires. Therefore, instead of causing job cuts, AI technologies are creating new job positions.

Other business areas that can benefit from artificial intelligence are marketing and customer support.

AI software can analyze large amounts of data and assess which marketing leads are worth pursuing. Moreover, special platforms are used for marketing automation, making marketing efforts more efficient. As a result, companies can manage every campaign aspect from the same place, including:

• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Mobile messaging
• Ad management

Regarding customer service, companies are increasingly capitalizing on chatbots in 2022. These AI solutions can respond to queries instantly based on recognized keywords. A human employee typically can’t manage multiple simultaneous conversations manually, so these AI-powered tools are used to enable enhanced customer service.

The Collision With the Metaverse

The metaverse signifies a shift in how we interact with technology. People typically have virtual reality in mind when they talk about the metaverse. The emphasis here is on creating realistic experiences in a space that combines elements of the physical and the digital worlds.

The idea has become quite popular since Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook as Meta and announced a shift toward building the metaverse.

Since then, many companies and startups have jumped on the bandwagon and started building the infrastructure for a better virtual world. The aim is to mimic our physical world as closely as possible.

Artificial intelligence is undoubtedly a cornerstone of these efforts and a key pillar of the metaverse. These newly-created online environments will likely use AI beings to assist the users or simply interact and spend time with them. Furthermore, AI will help improve the virtual reality experience, primarily relying on generative artificial intelligence.

The Road Ahead

Looking ahead, it’s clear that many fields have significant room for the growth of artificial intelligence. While these fields might be vastly different, AI will undoubtedly drive innovation in each area. It will unlock new possibilities and remove old and persistent difficulties. Although 2022 has already shaped to be the year of AI supremacy, the future looks even more promising.