By Damian Martinez, journalist at G&M News.
How was the experience of your company at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas?
This was the sixth consecutive year that Accenture was present at CES to show the new technology coming for 2024. We were really satisfied in continuing participating at an event of these characteristics, with great global importance. In addition, we had a special space called ‘Accenture Innovation Hub,’ where we shared different perspectives and cases on the use of new technologies throughout the conference. Besides, attendees were able to participate in different immersive activities in the games area. Because we believe that learning is also done through fun, we proposed the ‘Accenture Innovation Hub’ as a space to recharge your batteries and learn more about the accelerated pace of change and the human ingenuity that drives it: it is where the future comes to life.
In which way do you believe AI can be applied to education?
For some time now, but with increasing force, it has been evident that technology is a key tool for educational development in all areas, from Basic Education to University and Higher Education, both for students and teachers. We believe that topics related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), virtual and augmented reality (AR and VR), and personalization of learning will be strong points for all industries, and were of course covered at CES educational conferences. AI will continue to transform education, automating tasks and collecting data to identify patterns of behavior and learning. This will help provide students with access to more personalized and relevant training. Furthermore, for example, the implementation of interlocutors or activities carried out by AI can awaken and strengthen students’ attention and creativity in solving problems. AR and VR are revolutionizing the way students comprehend, providing immersive and engaging learning experiences and helping to increase interest in the topics covered, as well as students’ engagement. ML is being used to create personalized teaching tools that can adapt content and pacing to students’ individual needs, skills, interests, and learning style. At Accenture, we believe that these technological trends have the potential to revolutionize education and help students develop the skills they need to succeed in today’s world.
Could you sum up the positive impact of AI on consumers and people in general?
The use of AI has expanded to different sectors and activities, which has changed the way we work and propose a business, think about an idea, and even play or buy online. In this sense, some examples could be users and consumers experience, consciously or unconsciously, transformations and benefits associated with AI, such as achieving greater efficiency through the automation of repetitive tasks, and improving efficiency at work and in daily life, which allows consumers to save time and increase their productivity. In addition, it allows generating personalized experiences for consumers, analyzing large amounts of data, such as product or service recommendations based on people’s preferences and behaviors. Also, AI improves quality of life, helping consumers monitor their health and well-being, as well as improve safety at home and on the street. Additionally, there is the case of improved entertainment. Gaming and entertainment experiences can be improved by providing personalized content and more immersive experiences. Finally, there is continuous innovation: AI is driving innovation across a wide variety of industries, meaning consumers can expect to see new products and services that improve their daily lives.
How can the use of AI increase sales for companies and enhance their relationship with consumers?
Artificial Intelligence has been presented strongly so far and, in 2024, it will continue that path of development and growth that it has experienced. Heading into the new year, AI will continue to transform the way people work and live. We could say that its use will be promoted in other sectors such as, for example, the health field, by assisting professionals by helping to determine medical diagnoses based on background data and the patient’s quality of life. In the retail and consumer retail industry, AI will have a greater presence to personalize online content, such as advertisements and product recommendations, based on user preferences and behaviors. Here you can see the exploitation of what is considered “shoppertainment,” that is the planning of a sales strategy based on attractive and interactive activities for consumers. On the other hand, the use of more advanced virtual assistants will be promoted, becoming more sophisticated and capable of performing more complex tasks. Also, the automation of business processes will be enhanced with AI, which will allow companies to save time and costs by making their services and products more efficient. Going even deeper into the technical development that Artificial Intelligence may have, the concept of ‘Smart Cities’ arises, where technology could improve efficiency in cities, monitoring traffic and public transportation systems to optimize traffic flow, among other possibilities. In short, AI is expected to be increasingly used in a wide variety of industries and applications, while advancing current uses. However, something that I would like to highlight is the need to be aware of its use. Know that when an organization uses AI, it is utilizing a large amount of data, which it must be treated seriously and rigorously. This not only provides a framework for good compliance execution, but will also have good acceptance among the audience and consumers in terms of trust.
What does the future hold for industries involved with AI?
We consider that all industries have a high chance of benefiting from AI, since each one with strategic thinking and creativity will be able to take advantage of the different opportunities that this tool provides. In a recent report that we have presented from Accenture, we have identified that companies that adopt artificial intelligence (AI) technologies achieve a growth rate 56% higher than their peers, even though firms have not yet used it to its full potential. Today, it can be considered that AI may have an obvious presence in industries such as automotive, aerospace, software and platforms, all industries that, a priori, may be more related to technology. However, sectors such as banking, or as I mentioned previously, health and retail, are industries that can incorporate AI satisfactorily, and what’s more, they are already doing so in some aspects of the business. In this sense, I consider that we are at the door of a new technological cycle, since AI invites us to think about new frontiers of efficiency, productivity, and value generation, substantially impacting the ways in which we work. All industries Accenture participates at around the world have experienced a reinvention of business and adaptability to the technological future, driven by collaborative efforts.