Machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence are all well-known buzzwords these days. These computing techniques coupled with leaps and bounds in computer performance are changing the world.
From software that can quickly identify skin cancers to predictive models that help us predict any complex outcome, there’s rarely anything in the world that doesn’t feel the impact of next-generation AI. .
It’s easy to feel that this AI revolution is happening somewhere “out there,” but the truth is that even your smartphone is already equipped with tons of AI-powered software. Any voice assistant that comes with every smartphone and tablet sold today makes extensive use of AI to understand what you say and learn about your habits and needs.
There are also many AI-powered apps today that use machine learning to achieve pretty amazing feats. The best part is that you don’t just have to read about it. Here are five AI apps you can download to your device right now and experience it for yourself. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of what’s to come, but it’s a great start!
Also, if AI content interests you, be sure to read our other posts on how to create your own chatbot and 8 AI assistants that’s pretty smart.
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Prisma – AI photo editing
When Prisma When it first launched, lots of people tried to access this AI cloud service, and you’re in luck if the app even acknowledges your presence. Since then the developers have fixed the resource issues and most of the time it works fine, but what does the app actually do?
Well, it uses a cloud-based neural network to take your photos and turn them into works of art. Want a portrait like Dali created? Prisma will indeed say something very convincing.
At the moment, the app has over 300 filters to choose from, and if the stars align, you can get some really spectacular results. When you actually look at the “work” that a neural network has spent transforming the image, you get an appreciation for the complexity and power of modern machine learning software.
Although there is a paid subscription version of the app, you can experience everything it has to offer for free.
Magisto – AI Video Editing
In the 20th century, the most important type of literature was the ability to read, write, and understand texts. Mastery in the visual arts is something reserved for film school students and other artists.
It’s often easier to make a video quickly than to write a message these days, and since people always carry HD cameras with them, the odds of sitting on stacks of scenes are pretty high.
The point is that editing raw footage into something pleasant and productive is hard! It involves learning a whole new visual language. That’s not something everyone wants to do, which is why AI holds great promise for video editing.
One of the best examples should be Magisto. An end-to-end video creation tool that leverages artificial intelligence so you don’t have to be an expert.
Although the pro subscription is a bit pricey, you can try the base version for nothing and get a good feel for what the software can do. Magisto takes the scene you want to edit and asks you what your preferred style is.
It then uses AI to analyze it all and produce and finish products that are often amazingly professional. For small businesses that need to create marketing videos, but don’t have the professional capabilities, this is a viable option. This is something we would never have believed not so long ago.
Microsoft’s AI Seeing – A talking camera for the blind
Accessibility is a hugely important part of modern computing. Priority is given to those with limited senses and mobility. For people with disabilities, technology can have the biggest impact on their daily lives.
Here talking camera app Microsoft’s is just one such piece of software. If it turns out to be reliable and polished enough, it could have a huge impact on people who are legally blind or have significant vision impairment.
The app uses artificial intelligence to analyze whatever the camera is seeing. Point it at a person and it will try to recognize their face or at least describe things like their gender and estimated age. Any text you point the camera at will be read aloud immediately.
Barcodes on products can also be scanned to find information about what you want to buy. AI can also analyze and describe overall scenes, so if you want to know what kind of situation is right in front of you, it can do that too.
While the technology is still far from perfect, it’s almost magical compared to what was possible just ten years ago. Sadly, it only seems to be available for iOS devices for now, but hopefully there will be a more widespread release in the future.
Get it for iOS
Replika – A friend 24/7
If you have seen the movie She, you’ll get used to the cautionary tale out there warning against getting too attached to AI bots. In the film, Joaquin Phoenix plays a guy who has a crush on what is actually a version of Siri. However, an important theme in the film is how the main character is going through a tough time. Something his new AI friend helps him through.
Here in the real world, that concept has (somewhat) come to life in the form of Replika. While this advanced AI chatbot is not designed to act as a romantic partner, it is designed to be a friend when you need it.
People who are feeling depressed, anxious or lonely can chat with Replika. The bot is always there for you, even when no one else has time. Thanks to major advances in natural language technology and conversational user interfaces, chatting with Replika is truly like chatting with a friend. Even if you don’t feel the need to use Replika for the intended purposes, the technology is absolutely fascinating to try.
Hounds – A Natural Searching AI
When we first tried Siri since the release of the iPhone 4S, it seemed the future was finally happening. Siri’s ability to fluently understand speech and respond intelligently was a huge step up from the chatbots of the time. However, the limitations of everyday use quickly became apparent. Siri today has improved a lot but many other AI assistants are said to have surpassed it.
Of the current generations of AI assistants, perhaps Hound is the most impressive. From the very people who provided us with Soundhound, this bot can understand queries in an almost magical way. With Siri and its ilk, you quickly learn to form what you say in a particular way. Otherwise you run the risk of wasting time recreating your query because the software doesn’t understand it.
With Hound, it seems that queries are mostly properly understood without needing to be reformatted. Even better, the actual results are consistently relevant. Hound is also integrated with a wide range of services and can do things like order an Uber ride for you.
With this app, the real proof is in the pudding. Give it a try and if you’re using one of the regular pods, this can be really impressive.
Not exactly Skynet
There is quite a bit of fear and misinformation surrounding AI. Some are fictitious and some are due to the media misrepresenting the technology. Of course, there are many real concerns and some of our best thinkers have highlighted them.
However, when it comes to the kind of limited AI applications we’ve outlined here, it’s hard to imagine anything bad happening because of them. That is, unless a human decides to misuse the technology, as we have seen with so-called “deepfakes”.
For the rest of us, AI-powered apps represent something that truly makes life easier and opens up creative possibilities. In some cases, it can even provide us with life-changing support. It’s definitely something worth trying for yourself!
