Also known by the acronym AI, Artificial Intelligence has become one of the most spoken and written terms of recent months. This technology, together with its myriad of applications, has generated a lot of interest and such is its growing importance that many countries around the world, including Italy, are even setting up specific degree courses on the subject.
For many, the concept of Artificial Intelligence might seem nothing more than an idea, a distant dream that’s far from having any real applications, but they couldn’t be farther from the truth. An example is the recent CES, or Consumer Electronics Show, which was held in Las Vegas in January. The show presented new uses of AI applied to consumer appliances and offered visitors the opportunity to see them and touch them with their own hands.

Artificial Intelligence is already part of many products used on a daily basis, far more than the average consumer might imagine. Its presence is often not obvious, and this is the true added value of technological innovation: to bring benefits but remain out of sight.
When you play a video or look for a song on one of the many streaming platforms, Artificial Intelligence comes into play thanks to recommendation algorithms that offer content in line with the user’s preferences, giving them an even better user experience.
The same goes for search engines, both those used in browsers and those found on e-commerce sites. Without realising it, and once again thanks to the algorithms, it’s possible to view results in line with previous searches or purchases. Upselling and cross-selling practices enable marketing functions to significantly increase sales, as demonstrated by recent research.

It’s very likely that after a consumer buys gardening products for their lawn, they will then begin seeing recommendations for purchasing a robot lawn mower. Through this robot, which works in much the same way as robots that vacuum and mop the floor, Artificial Intelligence has found its way into the home without the consumer even realising it.

The early models found on the market were not as advanced as those available today. For example, they didn’t recognise obstacles and they weren’t able to map out the house or garden.
Today however, Artificial Intelligence has made significant improvements to the product. Not only are they able to completely map out all the rooms in the house, remembering their size and features, and empty the bag when it’s full, but they can also identify areas that get dirtier faster and therefore require cleaning more regularly and with greater care.
A technology that combines AI with the ability to understand the surrounding environment, such as recognising the presence of objects, makes these robots even more intelligent. Products equipped with this technology are able to automatically detect obstacles like shoes, stairs, clothes and furniture. The result is the house is cleaned better.
Furthermore, the addition of AI helps to reduce consumption. For example, when washing a floor, the robot uses sensors to identify if a part of the house has already been cleaned or if the floor is still wet and will therefore limit the consumption of water.

Other everyday domestic electrical appliances are also changing, redesigning a new type of dwelling based entirely on home automation where everything is interconnected and remotely controlled: the Smart Home.
The field of robotics applied to domestic goods is clearly not the only area in which Artificial Intelligence is bringing benefits. Other more widely used products include integrated AI technology, such as smartwatches. In the not too distant future, even the automotive sector will be completely revolutionised by AI.
The end result will be a better buying experience and a more personalised purchase giving the consumer a product that fully satisfies their needs and, in the case of cars, is also much safer.