AI beyond ChatGPT and Alexa

1. Agriculture and Food

Mechanization was the first revolution: tractors, chemical fertilizers, industrial irrigation. Productivity increased, but decisions were made without data support, and the margin for error was high.

Today, most large and medium-sized agricultural companies are already implementing advanced technologies. Sensors, artificial intelligence, and drones refine what is called “Precision Agriculture”: they monitor crops, adjust planting, and anticipate pests. Farmers consult real-time data and modify irrigation and fertilizers from their mobile phones, making decisions based on digital maps.

This technological revolution also reaches the food and meat industry, where automation and intelligent monitoring optimize the production, quality, and traceability of food.

AI allows analyzing climate patterns, anticipating drought periods, and managing water resources efficiently. Algorithms help forecast fluctuations in demand and adjust production volume, reducing food waste. Agricultural robots perform tasks such as selective planting and automated harvesting, increasing efficiency and reducing the need for intensive manual labor.

Moreover, intelligent monitoring along the food chain improves food safety and helps combat fraud by quickly detecting anomalies in products and labeling.

2. Healthcare and Biotechnology

As you read these lines, AI is reviewing thousands of medical records, proposing diagnoses, and helping to personalize therapies. Algorithms identify tumors unreachable by the human eye, and chatbots guide patients before their consultations. Many medications are now designed through digital simulations.

The health sector and biotechnology are positioning themselves among the main economic drivers, especially after the recent challenges faced by the world, consolidating telemedicine and digital solutions applied to personal and public health.

Artificial intelligence enables the accelerated discovery of new drugs thanks to the massive crossover of genomic data and the simulation of virtual clinical trials.

Predictive systems detect epidemiological outbreaks and respond quickly to health emergencies. Continuous monitoring of chronic patients through smart devices optimizes treatments and reduces hospital admissions.

There is also progress in personalized medicine, adapting therapies to the genetics and habits of each patient, which improves outcomes and reduces adverse effects.

3. Energy and Sustainability

The energy sector is monolithic where generation and consumption were inflexible, forecasts were made manually, and error margins were high. The networks lacked (and sometimes still lack) the capacity to adapt to unforeseen changes.

Today, digitalization and AI contribute to a transition to clean energy and intelligent management of infrastructures. Renewable energy, storage, and energy efficiency are key axes to meet new global sustainability standards.

AI optimizes energy consumption in cities and factories through intelligent management of electric networks (“smart grids”). Algorithms predict solar and wind generation, facilitating the integration of these sources into the grid and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Intelligent systems manage energy storage and prevent blackouts in real-time. Additionally, analyzing environmental sensor data allows for decision-making about sustainable urban planning and identifying areas vulnerable to climate change (it is then up to us to heed or ignore the recommendations).

4. Industry, Construction and Defence

Intelligent automation is redefining advanced manufacturing, construction, and logistics, where AI optimizes entire phases of the production process, from assisted design to predictive maintenance and supply chain management. The arms industry and defence rely on intelligent technologies for the research and development of new systems and security models.

AI allows for automating the detection of faults in assembly lines, reducing material consumption, and streamlining production times. In construction, intelligent systems optimize resource management and prevent occupational hazards through virtual simulations. Logistics is transformed with routes calculated in real-time and advanced demand forecasting. In defence, algorithms analyze cyber threats, monitor borders, and manage simulations in complex scenarios, allowing for faster and more accurate decision-making.

5. Technology and Digital Services

Putting aside the idea of singularity, AI is now capable of self-improvement: it programs, analyzes large amounts of data, and automates processes across all types of disciplines.

Digital and generative tools transform entire sectors, from retail and e-commerce to professional and creative services. Silicon Valley and other tech regions set trends that impact the global economy transversely.

Generative systems, as we well know, create images, music, texts, and videos, facilitating creative production and inspiring new trends in advertising and design. AI platforms automate repetitive tasks in programming, accounting, human resources, and customer service, freeing up time for higher value-added activities.

Artificial intelligence facilitates the personalization of digital experiences, adapting products and services to individual demand and optimizing the management of online communities and social networks through advanced data analysis.

6. Finance and Investment

Financial analysis used to be manual, with slow processes and frequent errors. Operations required a lot of human work and time to validate data and trends.

Now, intelligent systems automate risk management, prevent fraud, and expedite transactions. Financial and investment services integrate AI to personalize products and optimize client advisory, while fintech and digital banking lead the transformation of the sector.

AI manages large volumes of information in real-time and detects suspicious behavior patterns, improving the security and reliability of operations. Algorithms predict market trends and help develop optimized investment strategies.

The automation of credit analysis allows for theoretically granting loans in a fairer and more efficient manner while reducing operating costs and minimizing human errors.

7. Transportation and Mobility

Artificial intelligence manages routes, optimizes distribution chains, and enables the development of autonomous vehicles and sustainable urban mobility systems.

The global connectivity of freight and passenger transport increasingly relies on digital platforms and intelligent solutions, enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

Algorithms coordinate traffic in cities, reduce congestion, and optimize the use of public transport.

AI systems in autonomous vehicles process sensor data, adapt driving in real-time, and aim to improve road safety. Logistics benefits from automation in fleet management, warehouses, and comprehensive delivery systems, allowing for faster deliveries and reduced pollutant emissions.

8. Education

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way we learn and teach. AI-based educational platforms personalize learning pathways, adapting content and pace of learning to the individual needs of each student, whether for children, young people, or adults.

Intelligent tutoring systems detect gaps in knowledge more or less accurately and recommend specific exercises to reinforce skills.

Tools for automatic correction and analysis of tasks allow teachers to dedicate more time to planning and pedagogical support.

AI also facilitates accessibility for students with special needs, translating content, adapting formats, and generating educational resources on demand.

What Does the Future Hold?

We do not know. This transformation opens new opportunities to improve efficiency, precision, and accessibility across all areas, but it also poses challenges that cannot be overlooked. Technological advancement requires rethinking the balance between automation and human control, and it necessitates addressing ethical and social issues concerning trust, privacy, and the place we occupy in this new landscape.

AI is, essentially, a tool that can enhance our capabilities if used wisely and responsibly. The future will depend not only on technical developments but also on how we choose to integrate this technology into our lives and societies.

In his work, historian Yuval Noah Harari argues that humanity stands on the threshold of an unprecedented transformation. Thanks to technological advancement, Homo sapiens is about to become an Homo Deus, a new species capable of redesigning life itself through biological engineering, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence.

This revolution is not without risks:

Widespread unemployment: The development of artificial intelligence could leave large sectors of the population without jobs.
Decreased personal autonomy: Algorithms may come to know us better than we know ourselves, making essential decisions in our daily lives.
Biotechnological inequality: The gap between the rich and the poor could become a biological divide, with “superhumans” enhanced versus those who do not have access to those technologies.

In short, Harari warns of a future in which humans could acquire almost divine capabilities, but at the cost of creating deeply unequal societies and radically redefining our own nature.

If you are interested in exploring more on this topic, here you can delve into his speech, it's worth it:

When I am no longer here: Yuval Noah Harari (Part 1/2)