Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) is the next key step for IoT – transforming the process of analysing data and turning it into action.
IoT is going to help with a new generation of AI enablement due to the aggregation nature of IoT. At its core, IoT is gathering massive amounts of data. And as that data is processed through the data-hungry algorithms of AI, the analytical and action parts of IoT are going to be greatly enhanced.
IoT is key for collecting relevant, intelligent data and communicating it to be processed, analysed, and made actionable. The role of AI within IoT is to streamline the process for making sense out of all the data collected. It will open new channels for IoT use cases, as it will be incredibly efficient to analyse data coming from thousands of endpoints.
The ability to analyse vast quantities of data will lead to many benefits, including:
Increase operational efficiency: The ability of artificial intelligence to predict circumstances based on trends through historical data can increase efficiency for many verticals, including fleet, assets, and logistics, and manufacturing.
Boost safety: AIoT can increase safety in several ways. For example, using computer vision on a manufacturing floor to monitor employees or using virtual or augmented reality in situations that are hazardous or dangerous. Artificial vision is leveraged in fleet management solutions to monitor driver behavior and use real-time alerts to prevent accidents, like if a driver were falling asleep behind the wheel.
Mitigate downtime: In manufacturing, unplanned downtime due to machine or equipment failure is one of the leading causes of revenue loss. With artificial intelligence analyzing data generated through IoT sensors on machine equipment, predictive maintenance can mitigate the risk of unplanned downtime and allow manufacturers to plan for machine maintenance.
Utilities automation: In homes, smart buildings, and smart cities, utilities can be managed via AIoT based on trends. Not only does this create ease for consumers and citizens, but it can also increase safety, aid in traffic management, and bolster sustainability.
One of the most encouraging running themes in this new era of IoT we are entering is how emerging technologies work strongly together instead of competitively. 5G has incredible speed and low latency, but in mission-critical communications – such as robotics and autonomous vehicles – the need for lower latency is further supported through edge computing.
Artificial intelligence can run more efficiently when it’s closer to the edge rather than being sent to the cloud for computation. Automation through AI in those mission-critical communications will be utilised to the full potential when leveraging edge computing.
Much like how 5G, the edge, and AIoT can work in support of each other, cloud computing is not going to be replaced by edge computing. The cloud still provides the flexible, agile, and anywhere data access for organisations big and small.
The decision between cloud and edge depends on the individual use case. Distributed computing allows organisations to pick and choose between the different options. Some use cases might pull together a hybrid cloud approach (public and private) and tie in some edge computing, while also leveraging a local data center.
The one pitfall to having so many different options in computing and analytics is it can be difficult to decide which options are optimised for your business case. That’s why working with an expert strategic partner can not only help you make the best decisions but streamline the process to bring your solution to market faster.
KORE helps build IoT solutions from hardware and connectivity to platform and managed services. Want to learn more? Check out this eBook to learn how a full-scale IoT solutions provider can deploy, manage, and scale your solutions.