Deep learning can be considered part of machine learning and is all about solving complex problems using large sets of data.
The dawn of emerging technologies is changing the way we live and see the world. Companies are now harnessing the powers of artificial intelligence (AI), and a major question on everyone’s mind is “Can AI hurt us?”. What's more, will digitalisation enable GBS organisations to grow beyond their existing capabilities towards GBS excellence.
To answer this, it is important that we understand the impact digitalisation as a whole is having on humanity. Consumer behaviour for one, has seen drastic changes especially when it comes to the services sector. Digitalisation has enabled access to large volumes of data; technology is getting more affordable, allowing more people to not only access data, but provide data themselves.
Adapting To Change
After surviving three groundbreaking industrial revolutions,and now in the fourth one, change is something that we need to get used to. Change is coming whether we like it or not, and technology acts as an enabler to accelerate this change.
“Do you know, the smartphone that we have right now in our pocket has the same computing power as the entire US government in 1983. When we talk about autonomous cars, Google’s driver less cars have already gone more than 750,000 miles with only one accident being reported. In the US, six of its states now have in place, licenced autonomous cars,” said Dr Farouk Abdullah, Chief Data Scientist and Country Head for Malaysia and Singapore, Natural Intelligence Solutions Sdn Bhd.
He goes on to question the market readiness and how prepared are customers to embrace these changes. There is also the question of who would regulate such technologies and if there will be an overseeing body?
With each industrial revolution, the time span in between each era has decreased, leaving many to wonder if the next change is already on the horizon. Dr Farouk, however, believes that this could happen once AI is applied in full swing.
Harnessing The Power Of Data Science
There are two other concepts that need to be understood before one can grasp the power of AI, which are Machine Learning and Deep Learning. Together with AI, all three fall under the category of Data Science.
According to Dr Farouk, “AI is quite simply a bunch of codes– an algorithm – that allows machines to mimic or develop cognitive behaviours found in human beings. What this means is that machines can do what we do and in most case, do it better. However, in order for them to achieve even more complex processes, data scientists still need to map in the right algorithms,and allow the machines to learn. We live in an era of AI but it’s still in its infancy stage.”
For machine learning, it involves allowing machines to learn and predict outcomes. There are two types: supervised and unsupervised.Supervised machine learning – which makes up the majority of machine learning –involves inputting several variables and using an algorithm to predict the outcomes. There is high levels of human intervention involved, and it is used in Robotic Process Automation.
Unsupervised machine learning however is when we program the machines to predict outcomes and identify patterns from the data. In order for that to happen, they require huge amounts of data.
Deep learning employs the usage of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), which replicates the nodes in humans, and are meant to allow machines to learn the same ways that humans do.
“Deep learning can be considered part of machine learning and is all about solving complex problems using large sets of data. It takes masses of unstructured data and make useful predictions in an orderly manner.”
At the end of the day, the growth of all three concepts are setting the foundation for a world where machines are able to think on par with their human counterparts, allowing for both higher value activities to be carried out across the value chain.
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The article above was an excerpt of a keynote speech given by Dr Farouk Abdullah at the GBS Focus Group Meeting held on August 8, 2018, at Shaftsbury Asteria, Cyberjaya. Some of the objectives for the focus group include providing a platform for industry stakeholders for exchange of ideas and best practices, networking with industry players, as well as learning the latest industry insights and updates.
