Artificial Intelligence Will Aid Us, Not Destroy Us: Using AI to Predict Trends

We recently wrote about the potential threats artificial intelligence (AI) could have to certain areas of the jobs market. The picture painted by Professor Alejandro Piad Morffis, although far from bleak, was tinged with some patches of gray. As the professor explained to Hackernoon, AI will cause a certain amount of economic disruption and, in turn, lead to people being replaced in certain white-collar jobs.

This dynamic, of course, isn’t unique to AI. When was the last time you saw someone out on the streets with a brush? Today, road sweepers are trucks with large rotating brushes. These trucks replaced humans a couple of decades ago and, at the time, people barely raised an eyebrow. So, while there is a lot of fear heading into the AI era, humans being replaced by machines is nothing new.

It’s Not All Doom and Gloom

If we shouldn’t spend too much time worrying about the ways AI will usurp certain sections of the workforce, we can look forward to the opportunities it will create. One thing that business owners and marketers are hopeful of is AI’s ability to predict human behavior. At its core, business is about predicting what will engage consumers.

Companies that get ahead of the curve become trendsetters and, therefore, have a better chance of making sales. For example, big fashion brands, such as Forever 21, have teams of people tasked with discovering the next trend. Buyers are out in the field visiting designers and gauging public opinion in an effort to find the next big thing. This strategy is in play across all industries.

Predicting Human Behavior Isn’t Easy

It's easy to say that getting ahead of the curve is desirable, but doing it is another. There is a certain amount of science to predicting human behavior, but there’s also an art to it. Humans are by no means experts at the science or the art of behavior. However, when push comes to shove, experts do have a feel for what’s right. That feeling is often based on experience so, in this context, we can call it an art. Science is where AI could prove useful.

With AI technology advancing at an exponential rate, programs that can predict what people are going to do may soon be an invaluable tool for businesses. A 2021 study by Columbia Engineering researchers found that AI could predict simple human behaviors based on video footage alone. Carl Vondrick, assistant professor of computer science at Columbia, said the results were a “step toward machines being able to make better predictions about human behavior.”

AI Can’t Perform Alone

However, as impressive as that study may have been, it’s important not to take the concept too far. As noted by Sonja Köhne from the Humboldt Institute for Internet & Society, it’s a myth that AI can accurately predict human behavior. Algorithms can make close approximations but they’re “by no means error-free.” Köhne also notes that human behaviors are “complex” and cannot always be “quantified and measured.”

This assumption supports the idea that businesses will need to use AI programs in conjunction with humans. It’s the "science meets art" scenario. Computers can process data and perform calculations better than humans. However, behavior isn’t always rational and logical. That’s where the human touch comes in. So, while AI has a lot to offer businesses looking to get ahead of the curve, it doesn’t mean the end of marketing experts. Humans still have a place in the equation, which means we’re not going to become obsolete just yet.