State of AI in 2022

Artificial intelligence represents the third era of computing, generally defined as the ability for a machine to perform cognitive functions as well as or better than humans. Such functions include perception, learning, reasoning, problem-solving, contextual understanding, making inferences and predictions, and exercising creativity. AI is now used across most industries. It solves business problems, detects fraud, improves crop yields, manages supply chains, recommends products, and even assists designers and writers in their work. AI can predict call volume in customer service centers and recommend staffing levels; it also predicts the emotional state and behavior of the person calling to help companies anticipate desirable solutions. AI automates the process for drug discovery, which ultimately led to faster COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Because AI is so broad, we have identified different themes to track; however, because AI is now so deeply intertwined with every aspect of life, you will find AI mentioned in other trends throughout all 13 volumes of the Future Today Institute’s 2022 report. Since publishing our first Tech Trends report 15 years ago, we have included and expanded our coverage on artificial intelligence. What began as several pages of insights is now a dedicated, stand-alone report with more than 100 trends to monitor. We believe AI is a force multiplier because it both enables technology and is powering the evolution of business, government, and society. AI is already transforming most economic sectors, but we anticipate deeper impacts across health care, biotech, cloud computing, fintech, consumer electronics, and military applications in 2022.