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AI is coming of age

Are forces like increasing computing power, cheaper computing, cloud and Big Data etc playing the part of growth hormones here?

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Pratima Harigunani
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Pratima H

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INDIA: It’s like UFOs. Or Extra-terrestrials. One may agree or argue against or even stay in the safe ‘I can’t say’ zone but there is usually some stripe of reaction that the word AI or Artificial Intelligence elicits even on a harmless coffee table.

If Bhaskar Ghosh, Group Chief Executive—Accenture Technology Services, happens to be on that table, he would however add more beans by talking about aspects like complexity, self-learning, a new species of apps, a new breed of intelligence and analytics.

He would also make you look at the trenches when he mentions that 70 per cent of corporate executives are inclined to making significantly more investments in AI-related technologies than two years ago, with 55 per cent planning on using machine learning and embedded AI solutions extensively.

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As per Accenture Technology Vision 2016 survey findings covering more than 3,100 business and IT executives worldwide, it is also observed that some 86 per cent of survey respondents anticipate that the pace of technology change will increase at a rapid or unprecedented rate over the next three years.

Interesting times for talking about AI. Accenture has incidentally rolled out its own attempt in this new zone with the myWizard intelligent automation platform. And the last few months have stirred up so much talk on AI, ANI and ASI that it's hard not to put the concept on a weighing scale.

Let’s zoom in with Ghosh then and see if AI has indeed pushed itself beyond adolescence.

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What is your big picture-view of how AI is evolving?

AI is coming of age, and there has been a rapid advancement in this field in recent times thanks to rapid strides made in the technology world – increasing computing power, cheaper computing through the cloud, low-cost and high-performance storage and network systems, and the rise of big data capabilities. Instances of what we’re seeing in AI in terms of Virtual Agents in myWizard for example, or voice-enabled assistants or autonomous cars are just the beginning of an era that will be marked by highly intelligent artificial systems that will spawn many innovations.

In general, is the industry ready for Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) already? Why or why not?

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When we look at the IT industry, there is no doubt that there is demand for technologies like Automation and Artificial Intelligence. In fact, consumers and enterprises have quietly partaken in creating this demand. Take the evolution of digital technologies from a consumer’s point of view and it will tell us a great story. From having a mobile phone that initially did basic calling, sending text messages and having utilities like calculator and alarm, the consumer’s demands and expectations have grown manifold – the smartphone today has become a professional camera, a virtual movie theater, a fully loaded digital wallet and a navigation system that predicts traffic patterns fueled by user insights.

Advancements in technology over the years have been so rapid that the role of IT has changed from a “manage business” function to a “grow business” function.

Can you elaborate?

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The Digital transformation is ensuring that traditional businesses and industries are turning into platforms, and all revenue-generating platforms need speed and agility. Given this background,

Accenture sees a future where organisations need to master three application strategies in order to succeed in a high-velocity, software-driven world:

• Liquid: Liquid applications are platform-based with reusable components for rapid assembly. And, they use innovative engineering techniques such as Agile and DevOps to make software faster, flexible and more liquid.

• Intelligent: Intelligent applications use the latest advances in analytics, artificial intelligence, robotics and machine learning to manage growing complexity and speed of change.

• Connected: Connected applications support new software-driven business ecosystems, integrating partners, suppliers and customers, as well as the Internet of Things.

What is the scope of this platform in context of self-learning and self-improvement? How much adoption path has it covered?

The Accenture myWizard intelligent automation platform employs a team of virtual agents, powered by artificial intelligence to analyze data and identify patterns. The platform draws its expertise based on Accenture’s numerous proven and proprietary technology assets and industry assets, including intelligent and analytics tools and methods, as well as tools from across Accenture’s alliance partner ecosystem.

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In terms of adoption, the Accenture myWizard platform has been deployed over the last six months in over 100 clients globally across various industries. There is tremendous scope for self-learning in the platform as it evolves in implementation scenarios – it will be able to draw on its past experience and offer unique insights to project teams, helping them make better informed decisions that can drive highly impactful business performance.

Can you cite any pilots or lessons from the journey so far?

We have been on this journey for some time now and clients are very receptive to automation. They are keen to deploy automation and gain from the positive impact that it will have on their business – especially in the current context where the role of the CIO is moving on from managing IT to impacting the business outcomes of the organisation.

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How does this platform work in different vertical applications? Examples?

The Accenture myWizard platform mines Accenture’s vast, cumulative knowledge base of vertical industry operating models, process flows and key performance indicators, giving myWizard a unique set of business domain expertise to be able to reason and deliver tangible business results. It brings together thousands of proprietary Accenture assets spanning 40 industries, including intelligent and analytics tools and methods, as well as those from across Accenture’s partner ecosystem.

The Financial Services industry, for example, needs payment systems and gateways. We have built assets related to the payment emulator, and if we need to create a payment engine, we can test that in the platform without actually testing it in real-life.

Another example is the assets area related to different industries. If we need to implement a large SAP or large Oracle system in different industries, we have frameworks which are very industry-specific and can help in digital enablement.

In context to the data-science angle, how does this offering work around questions related to deep-learning, ability work with new/big data sources, and future-relevant models or model-free scenarios?

The platform’s liquid, plug-and-play architecture gives it the ability to add in new capabilities as data sources and artificial intelligence mature, making it tomorrow-proof.

How exactly does the platform come in for application development areas? Does it replace or complement humans as scrum master?

In Agile development for example, the person with the role of Agile Scrum Master manages the production and delivery cycle, and the platform’s Virtual Scrum Master works along with theAgile Scrum Master. When we begin an engagement on the platform, the Virtual Scrum Master has no knowledge of the current engagement, but has extensive knowledge of past Agile development projects. But when we run an engagement on the platform for some scrum cycles, the Virtual Scrum Master checks the data and learns from data such as requirements, metrics, people skills, nature of the job, etc. and applies intelligence from past Agile development projects to help the Agile Scrum Master drive the engagement better and reduce human errors. So it works as a co-worker and complements the Agile Scrum Master by making them more productive, effective and valuable.

Bhaskar Ghosh, Accenture Technology Services Bhaskar Ghosh, Accenture Technology Services

Where does myWizard stand in comparison to what others in the industry are attempting in the same realm?

The power of the Accenture myWizard platform lies in its ability to mine Accenture’s vast, cumulative knowledge, bring together the best of Accenture’s technology assets, intelligent tools and industry assets through a cognitive and Artificial Intelligence-enabled engine and deliver through its Virtual Agents.

Specifically, the platform is unique in several key ways:

• Industry knowledge:Accenture myWizard mines our vast, cumulative knowledge base spanning 40 industries, including logical operating models, process flows and key performance indicators, giving myWizard a unique set of business domain expertise to be able to reason and deliver tangible business results.

• Best of the ecosystem:The platform brings together thousands of proprietary Accenture industry assets, intelligent tools, and methods, as well as those from across our partner ecosystem. Accenture has an open, agnostic innovation model, which draws the best technology solutions from a broad ecosystem rather than fixing on any specific vendor platform—allowing us to easily integrate capabilities from a variety of vendors, along with our proprietary extensions, to dramatically impact productivity, decision making, cost and operational optimization for our clients.

Organisations can use the Accenture myWizard intelligent automation platform to eliminate repetitive application development tasks, helping software developers become up to 60 per cent more productive on task-related work and enabling them to focus on more strategic work.

Would you say that AI, especially the narrow one, has the danger of being commoditized too fast?

It’s too early to say if AI will be commoditized. Yes, there is and will be widespread use of AI across industries and it will touch our personal lives too, but this is an evolving technology and we would not label its future in any manner.

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