The artificial intelligence (AI) debate is often based on speculation, scaremongering and magic thinking. Some are understandably worried about the risks of misusing AI. Others wearing rosy glasses see the world suddenly transformed into a utopia where robots do all the hard work for us while we spend long hours lazing in the sun doing what some are experts in – wasting time.

Before we discuss how AI impacts our lives, knowing what it is and is not is helpful. The Oxford Dictionary defines AI as “the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making and translation between languages”.

In the last five years, there have been questions about information and disinformation control as people get their news, social media and entertainment via searches and rankings that are personalised to them. As most people are losing interest in the narratives of mainstream political parties, the deluge of political messages on social media may seem impressive but is unlikely to have much impact on today’s politically averse generations.

Of course, there is a tendency to take so many positive applications of AI for granted. Gone are the days when someone visiting a foreign country first bought an A-Z Map book to master the logistics of moving around.

AI has drastically improved travelling. Instead of relying on printed maps or directions, you can now open Google or Apple Maps on your phone and type in your destination.

Up to some time ago, only satellite-based GPS was available, but now artificial intelligence is being incorporated to give users a much more enhanced experience.

The travel industry uses AI to make booking accommodations faster and easier. AI-powered chatbots serve as virtual travel assistants to help people plan trips, answer customers’ questions, find the best prices and make recommendations.

A growing use of AI is that of chatbot − a computer programme that uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing (NLP) to understand customer questions and automate responses to them, simulating human conversation.

My experience with using chatbots has so far been mixed. When my anti-virus software expired, and I wanted to renew it, my service provider has a chatbot facility to communicate with him. My first attempt to resolve the issue via a chatbot failed. Put simply, it did not work. Luckily, the human person I contacted by e-mail on the other end was much more user-friendly and resolved the problem quickly.

My experience with using chatbots has so far been mixed

Using a chatbot to fix a medical appointment at a leading local clinic was even more frustrating. The AI app repeatedly failed to recognise a perfectly correct ID card number. When I gave up and tried to phone in to book my appointment, no one answered the phone. So, customer service remains the Achilles heel of many businesses, and AI does not seem to improve the situation.

My best experience with a practical AI app is that of writing text. Grammar checks of Office applications like the latest Microsoft Word have helped make writing more enjoyable. The added facility of reviewing a draft document with the Read Aloud AI tool is even more enjoyable and helps to improve productivity for those who spend time writing.

Perhaps the most exciting development is using AI in the medical field. So far, a lot of AI in healthcare has been in the business end, used for optimising billing, scheduling surgeries and keeping patients’ records. The use of AI for better patient care often encounters regulatory, legal and financial challenges. Still, things are changing fast in this field. The latest developments in medical imaging assisted by AI, for instance, can help doctors identify malignant tumours early, helping start treatment immediately.

Even more exciting are applications that should be available fairly soon to help medical centres with limited resources. For instance, advances are being made in developing equipment assisted by AI software that can read pathology slides or get an initial check of whether a mole looks suspicious. These apps can help identify promising treatment options for discussion with a clinical team and patient.

The potential of AI applications to make our lives easier and safer certainly exists. Robotics has made more household goods affordable in the last few decades.

In the next two decades, we will likely see developments in new drug discovery and even better medical imaging equipment to delve deep into parts of the human body, like the brain, that still pose considerable challenges to medical experts.