The journey of Artificial Intelligence or AI from the innovation labs and experimental R&D divisions of tech firms to the mainstream consumer market has been nothing short of phenomenal. For businesses, AI plays a transformative role in shaping the experiences they deliver for their customers as well as employees.

In fact, the global AI market is expected to be worth over USD 190.61 Billion by 2025.

AI is not just a driver of new experiences but has been at the forefront of adding new dimensions to technology solutions that have been around for a while and were facing their saturation levels. Today, let us explore one prime area where AI is bringing about a rapid paradigm change to the way the world perceives it. It is none other than the world of apps.

From smartphones to tablet PCs and wearables, there are millions of apps available for consumers covering a wide spectrum of use cases, and delivering on-demand services right at their fingertips.  While new apps are always disrupting the market, it is to be noted that what drives the app industry forward is the ability of app makers to design and launch apps with intelligence embedded in them. In other words, the app market is growing considerably due to the increased use of AI in their core by developers.

From retail to healthcare and fashion, consumers demand intelligent apps that help them navigate through their daily routines and challenges.

Let us explore 5 key areas where AI adds the intelligence factor to intelligent apps.

Personalization

Did you know that nearly 80% of consumers are likely to do business with a brand if they offer personalized experiences? Personalization is one of the key pillars of building lasting customer relationships. Businesses of all sizes race to deliver high levels of personalized interactions to help their customers feel more engaged. The case with apps is no different. AI can drive personalization to a whole new level in services offered via apps. Just have a look at how online shopping apps like Amazon delivers personalized recommendations to shoppers, or Spotify suggests tracks to its subscribers from genres or artists they love more. Every bit of these actions in personalization is driven by AI algorithms that work behind the scenes.

Security

Today, consumers use apps for pretty much all their needs, and very often these needs include paying for services consumed via the apps or even banking apps that contain sensitive financial information. In addition to financial credentials, today’s apps collect a variety of data from their users for offering more personalized services. With private data and financial credentials being constantly exchanged, apps are a hot target for cybercrimes. It is said that one in every 36 mobile devices has high-risk apps installed in them. AI can bring in threat intelligence for apps and help businesses detect suspicious activity being facilitated through their consumer apps. AI can learn continuously to thwart newer threats based on behaviors it has studied in the past.

Performance

Most apps leverage far more memory and processing power of smartphones or devices where they are installed, while they are not in full use. AI can enable optimal utilization of resources to ensure that apps work as modular components and only necessary modules draw their required memory and computing power thereby enabling devices to last longer in their battery charge. It can learn how different components utilize device credentials and optimize clock cycles and CPU performance to provide the most suitable operating environment for the app while balancing workloads.

Intelligent Search

Most consumer apps offer interactive search options for users to navigate and find what they were looking for. Bringing AI into the picture takes this search experience to another level. For example, a shopping app can leverage AI to find a matching product from a photograph that the user’s smartphone clicks. If a user happens to see a print ad or mannequin spotting a dress that he or she likes, they can simply use the shopping app’s camera provision to click or scan the dress, and the AI system can quickly discover similar dresses from the shopping service’s inventory and lay down recommendations of accessories that go well with it.

Enhanced IoT Capability

With AI algorithms, apps can learn from data that a user’s device collects when it is connected to other smart devices or IoT sensors. Based on its learnings, the AI system can help the app improve the overall experience for the user by optimally matching environmental outcomes of the IoT sensors to the preferences the user usually makes in the app. For example, a smart home system can work autonomously with the help of an intelligent smartphone app that learns the behavior of the home user like the temperature he or she usually sets in each room, the music they love, the volume they usually set on televisions or music systems, the time they turn on the garden watering system and much more.

AI opens the door for a wide array of possibilities for today’s business apps by adding intelligence to the mix. For businesses, they have the opportunity to deliver more awesome and engaging experiences for their customers and, in return, enjoy loyalty for the long run. The future belongs to intelligent apps and AI will be at the forefront to bring more intelligence into the app ecosystem.