Artificial intelligence (AI) has made significant advancements recently, with AI systems driven by perceptual intelligence already being utilized to varying degrees in many industries. However, perceptual intelligence is not everything. In fact, the true potential of AI lies in cognitive intelligence, and there are still big challenges to overcome on that front.

That being said, cognitive AI offers many opportunities and has the potential to revolutionize industries by enhancing the efficiency, precision and user-friendliness of processes and services. But, since this field is constantly evolving, adoption is still lacking.

However, to truly maximize the potential benefits of cognitive AI, companies need to implement it and start building domain-specific, highly relevant databases. And there are many areas where AI is already gaining significant traction. Here are five key areas where every company can leverage cognitive AI’s power.

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1. Generating insights through automated data analysis

The global data volume being created annually is expected to reach around 175 zettabytes to 180 zettabytes by 2025. With such a copious amount of data being created and processed each year, companies are, unsurprisingly, inundated with vast amounts of information they have to process. This data can be challenging to interpret and utilize effectively.

Since cognitive AI excels in data analysis, companies implementing a cognitive computing system can easily derive valuable and accurate insights from complex datasets, enabling faster data-driven decisions. Businesses can also leverage machine learning algorithms and cognitive computing to identify trends and patterns while keeping costs low efficiently.

Domain-specific databases are crucial for this since they provide relevant data that is tailored to specific industries or sectors, including structured and unstructured data. This enables AI systems to learn based on domain-specific knowledge, leading to more accurate and actionable insights.

2. Enhancing cybersecurity and preventing fraud

As the digital landscape constantly shifts, digital threats also continue to evolve. Further, with data taking up such a prominent spot in today’s world, the legislative landscape is also ever-changing. Data privacy and protection laws, like the GDPR, CCPA and the PIPL, have been passed around the globe and are constantly getting adjusted.

Consequently, companies are faced with mounting challenges when it comes to data privacy and security. Cognitive AI offers a powerful defense mechanism against cyber threats due to its ability to analyze massive amounts of data in real time, enabling it to identify patterns of malicious behavior and predict potential security breaches. Additionally, it can help companies adapt and adhere to changing regulations.

The global market for AI-based cybersecurity products amounted to roughly $15 billion in 2021, and it is forecast to reach a value of around $134 billion by 2030. With cyberattacks on the rise, the advanced protective capabilities of cognitive AI are now necessary to protect consumer and corporate data.

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3. Onboarding and managing employees

Employee onboarding, training and management are essential tasks that cognitive AI can greatly enhance. By streamlining and automating these processes, companies can free up valuable time for their human resources departments to develop and implement more efficient strategies.

With cognitive AI, companies can identify top talent and match candidates with job requirements to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of onboarding, training and employee management. Additionally, it can be utilized to create personalized employee experiences, which can improve the productivity and satisfaction of employees.

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4. Cognitive AI to enhance customer engagement

Customer engagement is crucial to any business, and cognitive AI can greatly improve the customer experience. For example, intelligent chatbots and virtual assistants can increase customer satisfaction and drive engagement by quickly and accurately analyzing customer queries, understanding context and providing personalized responses.

Additionally, cognitive AI enables companies to offer real-time support at any time of the day while massively reducing wait times. Further, it can help streamline the experience by providing businesses with insights into consumer behavior to increase the efficiency of customer interactions in their contact and service centers.

Not only does this increase customer engagement and satisfaction, but it also reduces support costs. According to Gartner, conversational AI alone will reduce global contact center costs by $80 billion in 2026. Xiao-I has already been enabling banks to build cheaper and more effective contact centers with its AI technology for nearly a decade.

Cognitive AI is also increasingly being deployed to improve various finance services, such as algorithmic trading, asset management, or blockchain-based finance. Further, global IT spending by insurance companies on cognitive AI reached more than $570 million in 2021, representing a nearly 700 percent increase from 2016. So, not only is cognitive AI improving customer engagement, but it is also improving the services offered to consumers.

5. Optimizing supply chain management

Supply chain management is a complex process that involves numerous interconnected internal and external actors. Companies can utilize cognitive AI to optimize supply chain management through data analysis and process optimization.

Cognitive AI can help companies optimize inventory management and reduce costs by predicting demand and improving supply chain visibility. Additionally, this technology enables businesses to adapt to changes in demand or supply quickly.

With supply chains around the globe having been plagued with troubles in the past years, the implementation of cognitive AI in supply chain management is a good way to create more agile and resilient supply chains.

Moving forward, and the future significance of data for AI

Cognitive AI has the potential to reshape numerous industries by enhancing human capabilities and streamlining processes. While perceptual intelligence has seen significant progress and adaption, cognitive intelligence remains an ongoing pursuit.

By leveraging cognitive AI in key areas, such as customer service, data analysis, cybersecurity, human resources and supply chain management, companies can unlock immense value and stay ahead in this fast-paced digital era. Among other things, cognitive AI can help companies achieve higher efficiency, accuracy and customer satisfaction.

So, besides implementing cognitive AI, companies need to start building or acquiring databases that can be utilized for their specific needs. With continued advancements in the sector, embracing cognitive AI is a strategic imperative for companies that are looking to thrive in the digital age.