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Understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is a vital tool, not just for automation, but as a strategic ally. Understanding AI is pivotal for its efficient and safe use

Andy Dharmani avatar
Written by Andy Dharmani
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a broad term that encompasses all fields of computer science that enable machines to accomplish tasks that would normally require human intelligence. Machine learning and generative AI are two subcategories of AI.

A simple way to think about AI is as a series of nested or derivative concepts that have emerged over more than 70 years (Image courtesy IBM):

Machine Learning

Machine learning (ML) is a subset of AI that focuses on creating algorithms that can learn from data. Machine learning algorithms are trained on a set of data, and then they can use that data to make predictions or decisions about new data.

Deep Learning

Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that uses multilayered neural networks, called deep neural networks, that more closely simulate the complex decision-making power of the human brain.

Large Language Model

A large language model (LLM) is a type of AI program that uses machine learning to perform natural language processing (NLP) tasks. LLMs are trained on large data sets to understand, summarize, generate, and predict new content.

Generative AI (Gen AI)

Generative AI is a type of machine learning that focuses on creating new data. Often, this relies on the use of large language models to perform the tasks needed to create the new data.

How is AI helpful?

  • Virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant understand verbal commands and questions.

  • AI powers product recommendations on Amazon and Netflix to suggest purchases and shows based on your browsing history.

  • AI aids doctors by analyzing medical images to detect tumors, abnormalities, and diseases.

  • AI can replace mundane tasks that used to be obstacles for people, like drafting appeals letters to insurance claims denials

  • AI can help workers analyze pay equity within workforces or across similar industries.

  • Chatbots provide customer service through conversational interfaces.

  • AI tools offer thorough and fast analytics of complicated data, including opposition research in a competitive marketplace.

AI challenges and risks

Businesses are scrambling to take advantage of the latest AI technologies and capitalize on AI's many benefits. This rapid adoption is necessary, but understanding the challenges, and risks, for mitigations is important.

Data risks

AI systems rely on input data sets that might be vulnerable to data poisoning, data tampering, data bias or cyberattacks that can lead to data breaches. Protecting data integrity and implementing security by AI vendors is crucial.

Model risks

Like with other IT systems, threat actors can target AI models for theft, reverse engineering or unauthorized manipulation.

Operational risks

Like all technologies, models are susceptible to operational risks such as model drift, bias, and breakdowns in the governance structure. Left unaddressed, these risks can lead to system failures and cybersecurity vulnerabilities that threat actors can use.

Ethics and legal risks

If AI vendors and businesses using AI don’t prioritize safety and ethics when developing and deploying AI systems, they risk committing privacy violations and producing biased outcomes.

Popular AI Models

OpenAI

OpenAI is a research and deployment company that focuses on artificial intelligence (AI). The company has made significant advancements in AI, particularly in language models, and got popular with its launch of ChatGPT.

ChatGPT

OpenAI is the parent company of ChatGPT, a language model that has garnered significant attention for its language generation capabilities.

Google Gemini

Google Gemini is a family of advanced multimodal AI models developed by Google DeepMind, designed to process and integrate various types of data—including text, images, audio, video, and code—within a single framework. Introduced in December 2023, Gemini represents a significant evolution in AI capabilities.

In March 2025, Google introduced Gemini 2.5, an enhanced version capable of advanced reasoning by processing its thoughts before responding, resulting in improved performance and accuracy.

Perplexity AI

Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search engine that delivers real-time, accurate answers to user queries by synthesizing information from the internet and providing cited sources. The platform utilizes advanced language models, including GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, to process natural language inputs and generate conversational responses.

DeepSeek

DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company specializing in the development of large language models (LLMs).

What platforms like Myma.ai offer

Implementing a comprehensive communications platform like Myma.ai offers several advantages over utilizing AI models directly. Here are six key reasons for considering a platform:

  1. Multi-Channel Integration: A robust communications platform enables seamless deployment of AI chatbots across various channels such as Website, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, voice, and email. This ensures consistent customer engagement across preferred communication mediums. For a group, with multiple locations, context awareness is an important feature too.

  2. Accelerated Deployment and Reduced Costs: Developing an AI chatbot in-house requires significant time and financial investment, often leading to delays and high costs. Conversely, partnering with a platform vendor can bring the time-to-market from months to days, allowing businesses to deploy solutions more swiftly and cost-effectively.​

  3. Access to Specialized Expertise: Building a chatbot internally necessitates a team with deep expertise in conversational AI, natural language processing, integrations, and related technologies. Many companies face challenges in hiring and retaining qualified AI talent, leading to potential skill gaps. Collaborating with an experienced vendor provides access to a pool of specialists, ensuring the chatbot is developed and maintained effectively.​

  4. Scalability and Flexibility: As business and AI models evolve, chatbots must adapt to handle a growing range of customer inquiries and integrate with various systems. Comprehensive platforms like Myma.ai offer scalable solutions with hierarchical intent structures, enabling chatbots to manage thousands of topics efficiently and provide personalized responses.​

  5. Multi-User Support and Human Touch: A robust communications platform allows multiple team members to access and manage the conversations, facilitating role-based access and live chat capabilities.​

  6. Advanced Conversation Analytics and Insights: Integrated analytics dashboards provide real-time data on user interactions, sentiment analysis, and chatbot performance. These powerful insights help businesses understand customer behavior, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to improve service quality and customer satisfaction. For instance, conversation analytics can reveal common customer inquiries, enabling companies to refine their chatbot's responses and overall strategy.​

By leveraging a full communications platform like Myma.ai, companies can efficiently deploy robust AI chatbots, access specialized expertise, scale operations seamlessly, support collaborative management, and gain valuable insights through advanced analytics.

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