Top 10 Artificial Intelligence technologies

If 2021 was the year where artificial intelligence felt like a buzzword, then 2022 is the year it becomes a household name. Artificial intelligence, or AI, is gaining huge traction in every industry, touching almost every part of our lives, from healthcare to transport to media to state security. This branch of technology is receiving serious investment, attention, and research to ensure that it can improve the quality and safety of our daily lives, and increase productivity. It’s an ever-changing and growing field, so what are the top 10 artificial intelligence technologies in 2022?

Table of contents

1. Machine Learning
2. Natural Language Processing
3. Generative Artificial Intelligence
4. Deep Learning 
5. Reinforcement Learning
6. Robotic Process Automation
7. Artificial Intelligence meets the Internet of Things
8. Multimodal Learning
9. Metaverse
10. Low-code or No-code Artificial Intelligence

1. Machine Learning 

The classics are classics for a reason. By now we are all familiar with Machine Learning (ML), and for those who aren’t, the clue is in the name: Machine Learning helps computers learn, and thus become more intelligent. It has long been a core branch of artificial intelligence but is now becoming more and more central to many applications and technologies that we use daily. You engage with it much more often than you think, confirming Machine Learning as one of the top 10 artificial intelligence technologies right now.

Take LinkedIn, for example. It has everything to do with AI, and specifically Machine Learning. Deepak Agarwal, VP of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at LinkedIn, explains that the organisation has been using AI technology, and particularly ML, since 2007; “...in fact, ‘People You May Know was our first AI product.” 

Machine Learning is also often used directly in hiring processes; software can scan applications, CVs, and profiles based on specific criteria. In 2022, the hope is for artificial intelligence to contribute to improving diversity in the digital and tech realms, seeking talent from diverse backgrounds and focusing on inclusion. 

2. Natural Language Processing

Natural language processing (NLP) is a branch of artificial intelligence that is concerned with the interaction between machines and humans. It analyses the structure of sentences and then teaches machines to understand human language; that is to say, everyday language. The technology is already in use in applications such as Siri and Alexa, as well as in fraud detection operations, but it’s set to boom even further in the coming years. 

It will improve machine translation and excel the performance of chatbots and virtual assistants. This can also help scale business operations. We’ll be seeing a lot more of this technology as agile and collaborative work models increase the need for smooth and clear global communication. 

3. Generative Artificial Intelligence 

Generative AI is a technology that generates the content and can demonstrate the impressive creative capacities of artificial intelligence. Using text, audio, and images, Generative AI can make anything from realistic portrait photographs to music. It can restore colour to old movies, or protect someone’s identity in the form of an avatar. In healthcare, Generative AI can even predict and visualise the growth direction of a disease such as a tumour, by computing different angles of an x-ray image. Named by Gartner as a strategic AI technology trend for 2022, we’ll be hearing a lot more about Generative AI in the coming period. 

4. Deep Learning

Deep Learning is a form of artificial intelligence that replicates the neural circuits of the human brain. It is a technology that processes data and works with patterns to emulate behaviour similar to that of a human. Familiar tools such as automated speech recognition and image recognition already use this technology. Implemented with more and more variety, deep learning is now a key part of the digital landscape, used anywhere from stock market trading predictions to the technology needed for self-driving cars! With such broad application possibilities, Deep Learning sits firmly in the list of top 10 artificial intelligence technologies in 2022.

5. Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement learning is a form of artificial intelligence that works with decision-making and reward-based training. Instead of using data to learn from a customer’s past experiences, this form of AI can learn in real-time. According to researchers at Microsoft, it simulates a more natural form of learning, the kind that we are used to in our daily lives. 

Raluca Georgescu is a research software engineer at Microsoft, and she uses a great example: imagine you are trying to learn French. You go to France and immerse yourself in the language, practising with locals. If you make mistakes, you might get funny looks, but you learn from them. If you order a croissant correctly, then you’re rewarded by receiving one. This is the smart and efficient nature of reward-based reinforcement learning, a top 10 artificial intelligence technology of 2022. 

6. Robotic Process Automation

Robotics are no longer reserved for science fiction; technology is becoming a core part of our professional landscape. Artificial intelligence is being used in tandem with robotics to bring more efficiency to corporate activity. Robotic Process Automation copies and automates human tasks to provide consistent, accurate, and reliable outputs while increasing productivity. 

Imagine if a portion of the daily tasks required of someone working in financial services was completed by artificially intelligent robotics technology. This would free up both time and energy for them to put their unique human talent towards innovation and delivery. 

7. Artificial Intelligence Meets the Internet of Things (IoT)

Our smart home devices and other connected gadgets help us cruise through daily life with access and control at our fingertips. Think smart fridge, smart clock, smartphone. Thanks to artificial intelligence merging more and more with the Internet of Things (IoT; a term referring to our internet-connected devices), these devices are about to get a whole lot more intelligent. 

When combining IoT devices with artificial intelligence, it’s possible that they will gain analytic abilities. They will become more successful at making suggestions based on the data they can collect from other apps and appliances connected to them.

8. Multimodal Learning

AI research and development aren’t only focused on new products, happy customers, and successful business, but also zooms in on artificial intelligence itself. To innovate and create responsibly and sustainably, the tech and digital sectors have a responsibility to focus their attention on improving and creating better and healthier AI models.

Multimodal learning is similar to Machine Learning, where a system takes information from a wide range of sensory information. Learning from things like images, speech, text, and sound all together allow machines to understand broader ideas better. Multimodal learning ultimately helps machines to gain a more whole understanding of input, in order to better understand the world. This will help build better AI models and achieve better results.”

9. Metaverse

The metaverse is an emerging tech space attracting huge attention as one of the top 10 artificial intelligence technologies in 2022. It’s an immersive virtual arena where users can engage in activities such as shopping, meeting, working, and playing. Corporate giants Meta and Apple are currently key players in determining the direction of the metaverse; in fact, Meta’s CEO believes that they are working on deciding which direction the internet as a whole should take next. It’s definitely a space to watch.

10. Low-code or No-code Artificial Intelligence

The shortage of digital talent in the STEM field has a knock-on effect on the development of AI. There is a huge demand for developers, engineers, and coders trained in artificial intelligence that is not yet being met. While we at RightBrains are busy supporting and growing the number of women in tech to solve this problem, a temporary bridge is low- and no-code solutions. After all, this technology will not be put on pause.

Already prominent in software development platforms, this reduced-coding citizen’s approach brings more democratisation to artificial intelligence and will allow those with less technical specialisation to develop custom AI solutions. This could reduce the pressure on the field during its transformation into a more gender-diverse, inclusive realm that is abundant with talent. No wonder low-code is tipped to become a much bigger part of the artificial intelligence landscape and takes its place on the list of top 10 artificial intelligence technologies in 2022.

Conclusion

As the top 10 artificial intelligence technologies in 2022 demonstrate, AI tech is becoming more and more commonplace, but at the same time, it is becoming more complex. Scaling up requires constant monitoring not only for increased efficiency but for improvements and safety. Thankfully, many organisations are working towards building safer, less biased, and more responsible AI technologies. Machines are being trained with more varied and larger data sets to reduce their learned biases, while more and more platforms are arising that are dedicated to discussing, promoting, and implementing stronger ethics in the world of AI.

As we hurl into the most innovative, exciting, and potential-filled period that our digital landscape has ever seen, we can be sure that these top 10 artificial intelligence technologies will be driving our interactions, productivity, and creativity well into 2023 and beyond.