1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of Study
The initiative for developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) system starts in the 1950 year. With the appearance of the initiative there is also the appearance of several doubts about its application and its usage. So, scepticism as the result have so-called AI winter which in a significant way decrease the speed of the developing AI. At the beginning of the development of AI, there is a challenge related to the lack of computer systems as well as computer technologies. Furthermore, there is also a challenge related to the speed of such systems that are not good enough. With the development of computer science and computers as a whole, the development of AI is increasing. The first usage of AI was in the United States Department of defense in which the main usage of the AI system was collecting and analyzing large amounts of data. in the 1990 year, AI was used in the game industry. This year is also a pivotal year for AI and its popularity because AI chess software showed that it can win against humans in the chess game.
Artificial Intelligence is a field of computer science focused on creating systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include speech recognition, decision-making, language translation, and visual perception, among others. AI is advancing rapidly with applications across various industries such as healthcare, finance, and transportation. Applications and benefits of artificial intelligence encompass a wide range of fields where AI technologies are deployed to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and innovation. Industries such as healthcare, finance, education, and manufacturing utilize AI for tasks like predictive analytics, personalized recommendations, robotic process automation, and autonomous vehicles.
The history of "Applications and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence" traces back to the mid-20th century when AI emerged as a field of study and research. Initially focusing on symbolic approaches and expert systems, AI evolved through periods of boom and bust, leading to breakthroughs in machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning in recent decades. These advancements have propelled AI into mainstream applications across industries, revolutionizing fields such as healthcare diagnostics, autonomous vehicles, financial trading, and personalized recommendation systems.
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) program is called Intelligent Agent. Intelligent agent gets to interact with the environment. The agent can identify the state of an environment through its sensors and then it can affect the state through its actuators. The important aspect of AI is the control policy of the agent which implies how the inputs obtained from the sensors are translated to the actuators, in other words how the sensors are mapped to the actuators, this is made possible by a function within the agent. The ultimate goal of AI is to develop human like intelligence in machines. However such a dream can be accomplished through learning algorithms which try to mimic how the human brain learns.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Application and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence.
1.2 Statement of Problems
Investigation reveals that several key problems arise during the application of artificial intelligence in real life events, and the challenges include:
- Ethical Concerns: Issues surrounding AI ethics, such as bias in algorithms, privacy violations, and the impact of automation on jobs and society.
- Data Quality and Accessibility: The need for high-quality data and the challenges of accessing diverse and representative datasets for training AI models.
- Interpretability and Transparency: Difficulty in understanding and interpreting AI decisions, especially in critical applications like healthcare and finance.
- Regulatory and Legal Frameworks: Lack of standardized regulations to govern the development and deployment of AI technologies, leading to uncertainty and potential risks.
Furthermore, the problem facing artificial intelligence machine learning process is the lack of good data. While enhancing algorithms often consumes most of the time of developers in AI, data quality is essential for the algorithms to function as intended. Noisy data, dirty data, and incomplete data are the quintessential enemies of ideal artificial intelligence machine learning (Provintl, 2021). Hence, it is against this backdrop that this study aims to explore the application process of artificial intelligence.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to explore and evaluate the diverse applications and potential benefits of artificial intelligence across various industries and sectors. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To explore the challenges and limitations associated with the deployment of AI, such as ethical concerns, regulatory issues, and technical constraints;
- To investigate and document the primary areas where AI is currently being applied, such as healthcare, finance, transportation, and education;
- To evaluate the tangible benefits of AI technologies, including improved efficiency, cost savings, enhanced decision-making, and innovation; and
- To provide recommendations for stakeholders, including policymakers, businesses, and researchers, on how to leverage artificial intelligence effectively while addressing its associated challenges.
1.4 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Are there future trends and potential advancements in artificial intelligence that could further enhance its applications and benefits across various domains?
- What are the current primary applications of artificial intelligence across different industries, and how do they contribute to efficiency and innovation?
- How do artificial intelligence technologies impact decision-making processes in sectors like healthcare, finance, and transportation?
- What are the key benefits and challenges associated with the adoption of artificial intelligence in business operations and consumer services?
- What regulatory frameworks and policies are necessary to ensure responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence technologies?
- How do ethical considerations, such as algorithmic bias and privacy concerns, influence the development and deployment of artificial intelligence applications?
1.5 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence technologies in healthcare will not lead to significant improvements in diagnostic accuracy, patient outcomes, and operational efficiency compared to traditional methods.
- H1: The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence technologies in healthcare will lead to significant improvements in diagnostic accuracy, patient outcomes, and operational efficiency compared to traditional methods.
1.6 Significance of Study
The significance of studying the "Application and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence" varies for different stakeholders, including:
- Businesses and Industries: AI offers opportunities for businesses to improve operational efficiency, innovate products and services, and gain competitive advantages through predictive analytics, automation, and personalized customer experiences.
- Healthcare Providers: AI can enhance medical diagnostics, personalized treatment plans, and patient care outcomes, potentially reducing healthcare costs and improving overall health management.
- Government and Policy Makers: Studying AI helps governments develop regulations and policies that foster innovation while ensuring ethical AI deployment, addressing societal concerns like privacy, bias, and job displacement.
- Academic and Research Communities: Researchers benefit from understanding AI's theoretical foundations and practical applications, advancing knowledge in fields such as machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics.
- Consumers and Society: AI impacts everyday life through applications like smart devices, personalized recommendations, and autonomous vehicles, influencing convenience, safety, and accessibility of services.
Each stakeholder group stands to gain unique insights and benefits from studying AI's applications, guiding responsible adoption and maximizing its positive impacts while addressing challenges and ethical considerations.
1.7 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Application and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Artificial Intelligence (AI):
AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans, enabling them to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation.
Machine Learning:
Machine learning is a subset of AI that involves developing algorithms and statistical models that allow computers to learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data without being explicitly programmed.
Deep Learning:
Deep learning is a specialized subset of machine learning where algorithms are inspired by the structure and function of the human brain's neural networks. It involves learning from large amounts of data to make complex decisions or predictions.
Natural Language Processing (NLP):
NLP is a branch of AI that enables computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language, allowing for tasks such as speech recognition, language translation, sentiment analysis, and text generation.
Robotics:
Robotics involves the design, construction, and use of robots to perform tasks autonomously or with human assistance. AI technologies often enhance robots' capabilities in perception, decision-making, and interaction with the environment.
