AI Is Everywhere, and Has Been for Some Time

Have you used artificial intelligence today? You most likely have, whether you realized it or not. AI-powered tools, platforms, and technologies have become so common that you can’t escape it even if you tried—unless you go seriously off-grid and take up residence in a forest somewhere.

If you’ve never stopped to think about the effects of AI on your everyday life, you might be surprised to know just how “intelligent” your digital existence really is. Let’s look at the major ways AI is shaping modern life, from digital assistants to smartwatches to traffic patterns.

Digital Assistants

AI-powered digital assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant have been around for years now, so their novelty has worn off. However, they still continue to play a pivotal role in most people’s daily routines.

The number of digital voice assistants in use worldwide was forecast to reach 8.4 billion by 2024. That’s more people than there are on the planet.

It’s safe to say that virtual AI assistants are ubiquitous. They help us complete a wide range of simple tasks, such as:

• Answer basic questions
• Set reminders
• Schedule events
• Create lists
• Play music
• Control smart home devices
• Send and receive messages
• Make phone calls
• Provide directions
• Perform calculations
• Access information

Examples of Digital Assistants

• Google Assistant
• Amazon Alexa
• Apple Siri
• Microsoft Cortana

Smart Homes

Smart homes don’t just belong to the modern era. People have been trying to make their domestic lives easier with home automation for over a century. Water heaters, introduced in 1889, were among the first self-contained electric or gas-powered home appliances available. They were soon followed by washing machines (1904) and refrigerators (1913).

Automation in the home didn’t become “smart” until we started connecting devices to the internet, however, bringing the Internet of Things or IoT into existence. You no doubt have at least one or two, if not five or six IoT devices in your home.

Some of the most common are:

• Smart TVs
• Smart thermostats
• Smart security systems
• Smart lighting
• Smart appliances

It’s easy to see how smart homes and the IoT have changed your daily life—just think about how much time you used to spend turning on all the lights in your home. Smart homes let us push the boundaries of convenience, letting us make our lives as easy and hassle-free as possible.

Transportation

When it comes to transportation and logistics (moving things from one place to another), AI is pretty useful. The most obvious development in this space is self-driving cars, but this technology is still being developed and doesn’t touch the daily lives of a majority of people.

AI-powered navigation apps, on the other hand, make it easier and safer for you to get to your destination. They can show you real-time traffic updates, suggest optimal routes for saving fuel, and redirect your route to avoid accidents or road obstacles.

Some municipalities have started using AI-powered traffic management systems too. AI algorithms can help improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, and improve safety. Some cities that adopted it are:

• Boston
• Los Angeles
• Pittsburgh
• Singapore
• Barcelona
• Bengaluru
• Riyadh

We can assume it won’t be long before most cities start adopting intelligent traffic management solutions. The next time you’re sitting at a red light when you’re running late you might just have AI to blame for it.

Healthcare and Wellness

The biggest impact of AI-powered healthcare and wellness in your daily life is most likely a “wearable.” If you have a smartwatch, smart ring, or some kind of fitness tracker, then you already know the impact of AI on your daily health and wellness.

Wearable health and wellness devices can track a wide range of indicators:

• Blood pressure
• Blood oxygen levels
• Sleep patterns
• Activity levels
• Glucose level
• Heart rate

They can then take all this data, analyze, and create meaningful insights that help you make better health decisions.

AI is also helping healthcare professionals diagnose more accurately, create fully customized treatment plans, and monitor patients remotely. AI-powered healthcare tech is allowing providers to detect early signs of health conditions like irregular heart rhythms or sleep apnea.

Entertainment and Media

AI is coming for your favorite TV series, movies, books, and just about any content you consume. Today alone, you’ve probably watched, read, listened to, or played something that was generated by AI or partially created by AI.

The biggest use cases for AI in entertainment and media are:

• Film and TV production: Scriptwriters can use tools like Sudowrite to help them polish their scripts, AI-powered visual effects can make actors look younger, like in The Irishman, and editors can use AI features in tools like Adobe Premiere Pro to streamline the editing process.
• Gaming: Video games are using AI to create in-game characters (known as non-player characters or NPCs) that are more realistic and dynamic—kind of like chatting with ChatGPT or Claude, but with a video game character.
• Music: Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist (AIVA) is an AI music generation assistant that produces songs in a wide range of styles in seconds. And platforms like ElevenLabs let you clone voices and create realistic vocals with AI.
• Streaming: Platforms like Netflix use machine learning algorithms to analyze viewing habits and suggest personalized content, and other platforms use AI to select the most engaging thumbnails for videos.
• Journalism: Agencies like the Associated Press have started using AI to automate the writing of routine news stories like financial reports and sports recaps. Deepfakes are also, unfortunately, part of the modern media landscape now thanks to AI.

E-Commerce and Shopping

It’s becoming more and more difficult to buy something online without AI getting involved. Major e-commerce retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy use it to make shopping experiences more efficient for customers, including giving personalized product recommendations.

• Personalized suggestions: Amazon’s “Interests” tool lets you search its product catalog using prompts, rather than product names, and notifies you when new items match your interests.
• Virtual try-ons: Walmart’s try-on tool lets you upload your photos to see how the clothes would look on you.
• AI shopping assistants: Some retailers use AI to customize recommendations, like Instacart’s “Smart Shop” that helps you grocery shop based on your dietary preferences.

Education

If you haven’t picked up on the recurring theme yet, one of the biggest advantages of AI in daily life is personalization. Education is no exception. Platforms like Squirrel Ai can tailor educational content to individual student needs and systems like AutoTutor can act like virtual tutors.

AI is also big in language learning, helping students with translation and giving them real-time feedback on pronunciation and grammar. Interactive and gamified learning also help provide more immersive experiences.

Other uses for AI in education are:

• Adaptive learning
• Customized learning materials
• Automated grading
• Lesson planning
• Streamlining enrollment, scheduling, and other administrative tasks
• Assistive technology for more accessibility
• Monitoring overall student engagement and performance

Privacy and Security

Personal privacy and security, both online and offline, are also quickly becoming powered by AI. Although some developments in this area are positive, there are also major concerns to be aware of.

Data Collection and Surveillance

Technologies such as facial recognition can make surveillance more accurate, but can also be a major privacy breach. For example, police forces in the UK are encouraged to use more facial recognition in investigations. There are even schools considering using AI to monitor their students more closely, specifically their activity on digital platforms.

Personal Data Handling

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and other LLMs aren’t necessarily secure. There’s a potential that information could be exposed, so you should avoid sharing any sensitive personal information with these tools, ever.

Cybersecurity

In cybersecurity, AI is certainly a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can help identify cyber threats by analyzing and detecting patterns. On the other hand, cybercriminals can use AI to develop more sophisticated attacks.

The Risks of Letting AI in Our Everyday Lives

You could argue that AI is already ingrained in the human experience and has been for some time. Many of the examples listed here didn’t happen only after the release of ChatGPT in 2022. They were launched years before, already playing a major part in your daily routines and digital life.

While AI has enormous potential, it also comes with serious risks. One of the biggest is the pace at which AI is advancing. The sector is moving so quickly that regulations can’t keep up. That makes it hard to protect privacy and ensure ethical use of AI.

Other concerns about the rise of AI are:

• Diminished critical thinking skills
• Job loss spurred by automation
• Privacy violations
• Bias from incomplete data
• Over-reliance on AI
• Potential loss of human connection
• Large carbon footprint and negative environmental impact
• Increased risk for propaganda and misinformation

As with any groundbreaking technology, it’s important to proceed with caution—but not to ignore it entirely. AI is here, and pretending like it’s not or that it doesn’t impact your daily life would be foolish. The best thing you can do is read up on how to keep your personal data safe, and stay current on the latest developments in the space.

AI can be a major force for good if we let it. But it can also be detrimental if we leave it unchecked.