People typically know that the cloud is a tremendously popular storage option used by both consumers and enterprise-level users.
However, what they may not know is that cloud computing is becoming increasingly linked to artificial intelligence (AI). That relationship is permanently and substantially changing the relationship between cloud computing and AI.
And this link between the two doesn’t only affect the professionals who work in those fields. Everyday people who don’t work in cloud computing or use AI apps often will find themselves impacted as well.
AI technology could boost the profits of cloud computing companies
Google and Amazon are among the big-name companies offering cloud computing options for customers. The fact that such recognizable companies offer cloud services is one of the components that continually drive the technology’s adoption rates. People typically know those big-name brands and likely have more trust in those entities compared to smaller establishments.
Those companies are also predicting what they believe is the inevitable rise of AI technology in society. They realize that to ignore AI’s potential now could put them behind the curve in the wider marketplace. So they’re actively branching out and getting involved in AI technology, too.
Since well-established companies have the resources to recruit the best talent, they could develop AI technologies in-house and put themselves in prime positions to grow their immediate and long-term profits as market leaders. If that happens, the companies could become far richer than many people imagined.
It’s also important to realize that this development could bring new technologies to consumers, increasing their exposure to AI technologies by making it easier for companies to develop programs that feature it.
However, if cloud computing companies become too extensive due to their AI investments, the resulting wealth and influence could also cause a market monopoly.
The rise of a new type of cloud computing service
Most people have at least a basic familiarity with the types of cloud computing available, such as software-as-a-service (SaaS) and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). The links between cloud computing and AI are so substantial that they spurred a new cloud computing option called AIaaS, or AI-as-a-service.
The cloud computing companies that provide necessary services to their clients grew in popularity because they offered solutions for people to begin using cloud computing without making substantial on-site investments.
AIaaS offers the same advantage because it is theoretically the easiest way for people to start using AI technologies without spending large amounts of money on updates to a company’s internal infrastructure.
Companies that lack resources—such as startups—could find that AI services are more readily available to them than they’d be otherwise. Then, the time to market for new AI applications could speed up, benefiting customers and companies alike.
Since AI is such a quickly emerging technology, it’s crucial for companies to make related products available as speedily as is feasible.
Companies may start to diversify their offerings
There are many pervasive myths about cloud computing, one being that the cloud is only a fad. However, the emergence of AIaaS offerings indicates that not only is cloud computing growing, but that there’s also an increasing need for what it offers.
As companies keep track of trends, those that specialize in either cloud
computing or AI may realize it’s cost-effective to combine their offerings and give both kinds of services to customers.
Thanks to that outcome, the rates for such services should naturally go down due to the presence of more competitors in the marketplace.
That outcome would be advantageous for the people who do business with those companies because a crowded industry would encourage companies to frequently review their rates and services offered.
Cloud computing increases overall access
Another positive aspect of the relationship between cloud computing and AI is that it gives people more access to apps and interfaces that use AI.
The technology has become so abundant in modern society that many people do not realize some of the things they use every day need AI to run, such as their smartphones, email platforms and robotic vacuums.
Plus, cloud computing facilitates speedy, enhanced development of advanced AI capabilities, such as deep learning. Some current deep learning applications make security cameras smarter by spotting patterns that could indicate trouble. Such technology can also categorize images. The deep learning technology inside self-driving cars differentiates between people and road signs.
However, the adoption of AI in businesses is still in its early stages. A 2018 Gartner press release indicated 46 percent of CIOs plan to deploy AI, and only four percent have already done so. An increase in access lets those companies stay on track to help their plans happen.
Moreover, more options give establishments a more comprehensive assortment of possibilities when choosing companies.
AI could improve cloud computing
Although cloud computing will likely be a factor that expands the prominence of AI in society, it’s important to realize that AI could also enhance cloud computing.
Analysts believe that as the pairing of cloud computing and AI deepens, advancements will emerge that allow the two to work more efficiently while fostering continual innovation.
For example, an AI tool could lead to better analysis of the overall cloud-stored data by a certain company or give warning of a condition that may require maintenance to keep a cloud-based system working properly.
Additionally, companies that store data in the cloud could use AI to analyze it and get more insights about shared characteristics of their cloud content.
AI and cloud computing could create more job opportunities
People often fear that AI will replace jobs. They raise worried opinions about how a computer-driven society of the not-so-distant future will lead to factories, stores and offices that only rarely rely on humans, thereby making many jobs obsolete.
However, another likely outcome is that the use of AI in cloud computing could create jobs that require new skills or lead to entirely new positions. After all, people will need to become experts in how AI and cloud computing relate to each other, especially as both technologies continue to progress.
Those individuals could perform troubleshooting, research and other necessary investigations.
The pairing of AI and cloud computing could also positively change the future of work because AI already lets people automate low-skill tasks.
Technologies that reduce repetitive work allow employees to use their talents for other, more rewarding work in the cloud computing or AI sectors. It could also boost productivity and free up spare time, allowing workers to pursue continuing education.
These outcomes could make workforces more diverse and well-educated, helping companies and their employees alike.
The changes are ongoing
The impacts that AI and cloud computing have on each other are still in the early stages. But changes are happening, which means individuals and companies must be ready for them.
This evolution is mostly promising. However, the reality of anything new means that people could notice unforeseen downsides that need to be dealt with, too.
Preparing for both the good and bad outcomes that may lie ahead makes addressing them a more straightforward process.