Artificial Intelligence and IoT – Setting infrastructure for the future

Understanding the Pros, Cons, and Differences Between IoT, AI, and Machine Learning. 

Have you heard the term AI? How about IoT? They are increasingly becoming crucial factors in our communities’ progress and development. Here, you will learn the meanings and nuances of these different terms and why their application is so critical going forward.

AI vs IoT

The terms AI and IoT often get confused and can be used interchangeably, but they are completely different. AI, also known as Artificial Intelligence, is the process of machines learning and adapting to develop problem-solving and decision-making capabilities with minimal human interference.

On the other hand, IoT or The Internet of Things is the idea of networked, physical objects and devices that are embedded with sensors, actuators, software, and another smart tech. IoT can appear clever when driven by systems that use AI.

Put simply, if AI is your brain, then IoT represents your senses and muscles.

Artificial Intelligence Pros and Cons

Although the beginnings of AI date back to 1950, it is still considered to be in its early phase of what it has to offer, allowing for a world of revolutionizing possibilities. This of course gives margin for some inevitable downfalls which are important points to be aware of.

Pros Cons
Quicker and Smarter Decision Making Large Investment (Cost)
Reduction in Human Error Lack of Creativity
Workflow Automation Automation over job creation

IoT Pros and Cons

Like any other technological development, IoT has many pros and unfortunate cons. Here are a few:

Pros Cons
Efficiency in Human Workflow Privacy and Security
Cost Savings Universal Compatibility
Real-Time Monitoring Technical Complexity (Learning Curve)

IoT Pros and Cons

Individually, AI and IoT each solve certain problems extremely well, but each has natural limitations. When they are combined to leverage the strengths of each, and compensate for the other’s weaknesses, a completely new set of capabilities emerges.

For instance, AI is great at detecting stolen vehicles, but not at detecting the air conditioning is failing. IoT is a master at detecting the water level in a reservoir, but not that an intruder is polluting it. But combine the two, and you get the best of both worlds.

AI and Learning

The most captivating area of AI is learning. Normally, computers are programmed with specific instructions with what to do in a given situation which works well in tightly controlled environments. For example, if the pressure in a vessel reaches a certain level, then open a release value to bring it back to a safe level.

But there are situations that are far less controlled, such as vision-based object classification and speech recognition. Artificial neural networks have been used in AI to mimic how humans learn, and the recent increase in computing power has made this more accessible.

A toddler eventually learns to distinguish between a dog and a cat, but only after many repeated exposures to both, as any book-reading parent can atest. AI uses neural networks and repeated exposure to thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of examples to ‘learn’ things, such as reading the characters on a license plate, to spotting a person instead of a dog intruding in a secure area.

Once trained, this neural network model, or AI model, can be deployed in the field or the cloud to solve real-world problems.

DeepInsights™

EPIC iO’s AIoT solution DeepInsights™ communicates and ingests information from IoT sensors, audio and video sensors (cameras), and information from other diverse systems. Drawing on continuous analytics generated by its cloud and edge-based AI models and leveraging its powerful rule-chaining logic and processing engine, it delivers real-time analyses, predictions, and alerts through its interactive visualization module. In addition to regular in-depth reports, DeepInsights™ also delivers alarms to distribution lists via automated phone calls, SMS, email, and other communication platforms.

DeepInsights™ is deployed in many different markets with diverse requirements. The platform is open and extensible, enabling it to use third-party AI models, other cameras, IoT sensors and peripheral systems to expand its capabilities.

AI and IoT Use Cases

From providing safety and security to improving operations, EPIC iO AI-enabled IoT solutions are endless:

Video monitoring

Perimeter security

Here is the AI-enabled IoT in action, providing facility security:

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