Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved since its creation in 1950. In 2023—the year of the “AI Boom”—we saw significant advancements in AI tech and, unfortunately, the many pitfalls that can arise from rapid advancements. Deepfakes, data privacy violations, and ethical concerns were all major talking points throughout the year.
But what about AI trends in 2024? How will they evolve your job role in data science and artificial intelligence?
Discover the key trends in AI for 2024 via our article and what's anticipated in the coming months.
Table of Contents
General Purpose Humanoid Robots
Copyright Infringement & Potential Career Opportunities
The Future Looks Bright for AI in 2024
Multimodal AI
Multimodal AI was initially developed in 2022. In 2023, startups invested significantly to create the next generation of AI technology.
These startups are expected to launch their products and implement them in real-world situations in 2024, making it one of the top AI trends in 2024.
Experts foresee that trends in generative AI will enable a universal function, facilitating multimodal AI for commercial applications.
But what is multimodal AI?
Multimodal AI is a type of machine learning that can process different information modalities, such as images, text, videos, audio, speech, and traditional numerical datasets. Multimodality refers to using multiple data types simultaneously rather than using one type of modality to make insightful conclusions. This allows the AI to better interpret the context of the information given.
For instance, ChatGPT began as a single-modal AI that processes only the text input by the user. Now, it has developed into a multimodal AI that integrates various data types—enabling more complex, human-like understanding.
What This Means for the Future
How will this affect the future of technology and everyday life?
Transforming Communication and Interaction
Multimodal AI will revolutionize communication by enabling more intuitive human-computer interactions. Future virtual assistants could handle complex tasks more naturally, providing seamless and efficient user experiences.
Enhancing Accessibility and Inclusivity
Multimodal AI can improve accessibility for people with disabilities by offering real-time transcription, translating sign language, and providing detailed image descriptions. It also helps overcome language barriers through advanced translation services.
Revolutionizing Education and Training
In education, multimodal AI can personalize learning by adapting content to different formats—making subjects more engaging and understandable. VR and AR—powered by AI—can provide immersive training environments for various fields.
Impacting Healthcare and Well-Being
Multimodal AI can transform healthcare by integrating and analyzing diverse data sources to provide comprehensive health assessments and personalized treatments. It can also aid in mental health by analyzing speech, text, and facial expressions to detect signs of distress.
Ethical Considerations and Challenges
Despite its potential, Multimodal AI raises ethical concerns—including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and deepfake abuse. Ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability in AI systems is crucial for responsible development and use.
Economic and Job Market Implications
Multimodal AI will alter the job market, creating opportunities in AI development and data science while automating some roles. Reskilling and upskilling programs will be essential to help workers transition into new roles alongside AI technologies. 365 Data Science offers several AI courses to get you started.
In summary, multimodal AI is set to impact various aspects of society, enhancing communication, accessibility, education, healthcare, and industry innovation. But addressing ethical and economic implications is essential to realize its benefits responsibly.
Vertical AI Integration
In contrast to the general use of AI technology across various industries, one of the biggest AI trends for 2024 includes the spread of vertical AI integration. This AI trend involves developing AI models tailored for specific sectors like healthcare, finance, retail, or manufacturing—as we saw in the applications of multimodal AI.
For example, a vertical AI integration may involve technology like an automated receptionist for the healthcare industry or algorithmic trading in the financial sector.
Depending on your job responsibilities, your future role as a data scientist could involve developing vertical AI integrations for companies and organizations.
You may be tasked with choosing and personalizing AI algorithms and models built to meet specific vertical market needs. This refers to testing multiple machine learning methods, including supervised and unsupervised learning, and reinvention learning to design predictive models, classification systems, advice engines, and other AI applications.
What This Means for the Future
How will this look in upcoming years?
Enhanced Efficiency and Productivity
By developing AI models specific to an industry, companies can achieve higher efficiency and productivity. For example, in healthcare, AI can streamline administrative tasks and improve diagnostics, while in finance, it can enhance trading strategies and risk management.
New Career Opportunities
For data scientists, vertical AI integration opens up new career opportunities. Professionals will be in demand to develop, implement, and maintain these specialized AI models—which require deep knowledge of AI technologies and industry-specific challenges.
Innovation and Competitive Advantage
Companies that successfully integrate vertical AI can gain a significant competitive advantage. These tailored AI solutions can drive innovation, allowing companies to offer unique services and products that meet the specific demands of their market.
Economic Impact
Vertical AI integration can drive economic growth by enhancing the capabilities of various sectors. But it also necessitates investments in technology and workforce training. Companies will need to balance these costs with the potential long-term benefits of AI integration.
In summary, vertical AI integration represents a significant AI trend in 2024—promising specialized, efficient, and innovative solutions for various industries. While it offers many benefits, we must carefully consider ethical, regulatory, and economic factors to ensure successful implementation and positive societal impact.
Deepfake Audio and Video AI
In 2023, deepfake technology sparked significant concerns—especially with a tenfold global surge and a 1,740% increase in the US from since 2022. Now, deepfakes are among AI trends for 2024.
Deepfakes—convincingly realistic fake audio and video—allow users to manipulate content to seem authentic. Presently, over 4,000 celebrities have fallen victim to deepfake pornography.
In the UK, concerns are growing about AI deepfakes impacting upcoming elections, as noted by James Cleverley, who warns that the "era of deepfake videos disrupting elections has already begun."
How Is it Expected to Change in 2024?
Deepfakes have already made waves in 2023, but what can we expect in 2024?
Stricter Regulations and Legal Actions
Governments will implement stricter regulations against deepfake creation and distribution, criminalizing malicious deepfakes—especially non-consensual explicit content—to protect individuals.
It’s unclear how AI deepfakes will affect upcoming global elections. Governments, however, will begin to discuss possible legislation to counteract this growing trend. In January 2024, US representatives proposed the No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas And Unauthorized Duplications (No AI FRAUD) Act.
Advances in Detection Technology
AI and machine learning advancements will improve deepfake detection, enabling platforms to automatically flag and remove harmful content more accurately and efficiently. Tech companies will collaborate more closely, sharing research and best practices to combat deepfakes, develop detection algorithms, and set AI ethics standards.
Improved Public Awareness and Education
Educational campaigns will raise public awareness about deepfakes, teach people to recognize and report them, and reduce their spread and impact.
For instance, the US Department of Homeland Security has released a deepfake identity recognition training pamphlet, and the government of Canada has equally released a deepfake exploration workshop.
Enhanced User Controls and Reporting Mechanisms
Platforms will improve user controls and reporting mechanisms, empowering users to protect their digital identities and report deepfakes more effectively.
By the end of the year, we’ll likely see more responses to deepfake concerns.
Transfer Learning
Another key AI trend in 2024 is transfer learning, which uses preexisting models as a starting point for a second task—reducing the time and data needed to develop an accurate model. How do these existing models function to facilitate this process? What are machine learning models? (Click to learn how existing models function and deepen your understanding.)
As a data scientist, you've probably employed transfer learning with pre-trained models like CNNs to extract meaningful insights from raw data in image-related tasks.
Multimodal transfer learning is expected to be a breakthrough in AI systems this year.
What Does this Mean for the Future?
How will transfer learning affect your work in the tech sector?
Accelerated AI Development
Transfer learning will accelerate the development of AI models, reducing the time and data required to achieve high accuracy. This means quicker deployment of AI solutions across various industries.
Increased Efficiency for Data Scientists
Data scientists will be able to leverage pre-trained models more effectively, focusing on fine-tuning and specific applications rather than building models from scratch. This will increase efficiency and allow for more complex projects to be undertaken.
Enhanced Multimodal Capabilities
With advancements in multimodal transfer learning, AI systems will better understand and integrate data from multiple sources (text, images, videos, audio). This leads to more sophisticated and context-aware applications—as seen in the Multimodal AI section above.
Improved AI Accessibility
Easier and quicker model development will make advanced AI technologies more accessible to smaller companies and organizations—democratizing AI and fostering innovation at all levels.
New AI Applications
The ability to seamlessly integrate multiple data types will open up new possibilities for AI applications, from more accurate medical diagnoses using combined imaging and patient data to engaging user experiences in entertainment and media through integrated text, audio, and video analysis.
Transfer learning is poised to revolutionize AI development in 2024, making it faster, more efficient, and more accessible while unlocking new potential across various applications.
Shadow AI
As AI algorithms and machine learning models grow increasingly accessible, Shadow AI for AI emerges as a leading trend for 2024. This involves using AI tools and apps within organizations without the knowledge or oversight of the IT department.
This is particularly concerning in workplaces with an increased risk of security breaches, data governance, and compliance issues. A 2023 survey by The Conference Board found that over 50% of US employees use Gen AI technologies for their work, and 1/10 use them daily.
Employees may be inputting sensitive business data into unsanctioned AI tools with limited protections, which could expose the data to breach.
What Does This Mean for 2024?
What are companies doing to prevent security breaches?
Need for Robust AI Governance
Organizations will need to develop robust AI governance frameworks to monitor and regulate the use of AI tools. This includes creating clear policies, ensuring compliance, and educating employees about the risks of unsanctioned AI use.
Role of Data Scientists in Policy Creation
Data scientists will play a crucial role in developing and implementing AI policies. They’ll need to collaborate with IT and compliance teams to establish guidelines that ensure the safe and ethical use of AI technologies within the organization.
Focus on Employee Training
Training programs will be essential to inform employees about the dangers of Shadow AI and the importance of using approved tools. Educating staff on proper data handling practices will help mitigate risks associated with unsanctioned AI applications.
Greater collaboration between IT departments and business units will be necessary to manage AI use effectively. This partnership will help bridge the gap between innovation and security—ensuring that AI tools are used responsibly and safely.
Emergence of AI Auditing Tools
The development of AI auditing tools will become increasingly important in detecting and monitoring unauthorized AI usage within organizations. These tools will help identify Shadow AI practices and ensure compliance with established policies.
Considering all this, addressing the challenges posed by Shadow AI will be essential for ensuring data security, regulatory compliance, and responsible AI use within organizations in 2024.
General Purpose Humanoid Robots
Sci-fi fans will be thrilled to hear about the humanoid robot advancements in 2024, thanks to project GR00T. Developed by Nvidia as a foundation model for humanoid robots, GR00T equips machines with the ability to understand natural language, emulate human movements, and quickly learn coordination, dexterity, and other essential skills.
By observing human actions and interacting with the real world, GR00T-powered robots perform tasks with human-like capabilities.
Adding to the excitement, OpenAI's Figure 01 robot—a humanoid figure with life-like expressions and the ability to engage in complex conversations—has also made significant strides, showcasing advanced problem-solving abilities and seamless human-robot interaction.
In March 2024, Nvidia also announced its Blackwell GB200 Superchip, which is above and beyond the AI chips currently on the market.
The Superchip merges dual B200 chips and the Grace CPU on one board, delivering unmatched performance enhancements.
What This Means for the Future
Will we see more robots becoming part of our daily lives in 2024?
Enhanced Human-Robot Collaboration
With the advancements brought by Project GR00T, humanoid robots will become more adept at understanding and interacting with humans—paving the way for more effective human-robot collaboration in various settings such as healthcare, manufacturing, and customer service.
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
The Blackwell GB200 Superchip’s unprecedented processing power and energy efficiency will help data centers and server farms reduce their carbon footprint—supporting global sustainability efforts while meeting increasing computational demands.
Accelerated AI and Robotics Development
Integrating advanced AI and robotics technologies will accelerate the development of new applications and innovations. This progress will likely spur further research and investment in the AI and robotics fields, driving continuous improvements and breakthroughs.
This is one of the most essential AI trends for 2024 because this research will also lead to new job opportunities, focusing on developing, maintaining, and overseeing these advanced machines. Additionally, workers will need to develop skills related to AI and robotics to stay relevant in the evolving job market.
Ethical and Regulatory Considerations
The rise of advanced humanoid robots will necessitate the development of new ethical guidelines and regulatory frameworks to ensure their safe and responsible use. Addressing job displacement, privacy, and security will be crucial as these technologies become more widespread.
Stay tuned for updates and releases as we progress through 2024.
AI in Medicine
AI is revolutionizing medical education, enhancing how students master diagnosis and treatment. Given its societal benefits, we've featured it in our AI Trends in 2024 list.
AI tools like DxR Clinician utilize advanced algorithms to analyze complex medical data, aiding healthcare professionals in making improved decisions.
By augmenting clinical reasoning and thought evaluation, AI enhances medical education and empowers practitioners to deliver accurate, personalized patient care.
What this Means for the Future
How will AI improve the world’s healthcare knowledge, availability, and systems?
Improved Medical Education
AI tools in medicine will transform medical education by providing students with more accurate and comprehensive learning resources. These resources help simulate real-life scenarios and practice diagnostic skills.
Additionally, using AI enables students to receive instant feedback, improving their clinical reasoning and decision-making abilities.
Enhanced Diagnostic Accuracy
AI's ability to analyze complex medical data and identify patterns will significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy. By using AI in medicine, healthcare professionals will be better equipped to detect diseases earlier and with greater precision, leading to improved patient outcomes and more effective treatments.
Personalized Patient Care
AI will empower healthcare practitioners to deliver personalized care by considering a more comprehensive range of patient-specific data. This individualized approach will lead to more tailored treatment plans, improving the overall effectiveness of medical interventions and patient satisfaction.
Increased Efficiency in Healthcare
AI will streamline various aspects of healthcare, from administrative tasks to complex diagnostics, allowing medical professionals to focus more on patient care. This increased efficiency will enhance the overall quality of healthcare services and reduce the burden on healthcare systems.
AI's integration in medicine is set to revolutionize healthcare, delivering more innovative diagnostics and personalized care while reshaping the future of medicine.
Geometric Deep Learning
Geometric deep learning (GDL) develops algorithms to understand and analyze data with underlying geometric structures.
Unlike traditional schemas that structure dimensional data (read snowflake schema for details) or standard deep learning methods like (CNNs) that can handle grid-like structures (images or text), geometric deep learning can process complex geometric structures like graphs or point clouds, making it one of our top AI trends for 2024.
What This Means for the Future
Will geometric deep learning significantly change the way we work with data?
Advanced Data Analysis Capabilities
Geometric deep learning will enable more sophisticated analysis of complex geometric structures, leading to breakthroughs in network analysis, 3D modeling, and molecular biology.
Improved AI Applications
The ability to process non-Euclidean data will enhance AI applications in areas like social network analysis, recommendation systems, and fraud detection, where data is often represented in irregular structures.
Enhanced Precision in Various Fields
Geometric deep learning improves precision in fields that rely on spatial and geometric data, such as medical imaging, computer graphics, and autonomous driving, by allowing more accurate interpretations of intricate data patterns.
Innovation in Scientific Research
Researchers will leverage geometric deep learning to explore new frontiers in scientific research, particularly in genomics, neuroscience, and environmental science, where data complexity has traditionally been a barrier.
Geometric deep learning is set to reshape our understanding of complex data structures—heralding a new era of innovation and discovery across multiple fields.
Copyright Infringement & Potential Career Opportunities
AI is becoming increasingly advanced and is no longer being used to perform simple tasks. Currently, you can use AI models to create original, creative content, whether it's artwork, music, writing, or video. In 2024, we’re seeing more of a blurred line between human and machine composition, challenging the current laws on intellectual property and copyright infringement.
How AI models are trained also raises copyright complications because machine learning models use third-party content to learn and adapt. For instance, takes published information to write its responses.
What This Means for 2024
How will AI need to be regulated to prevent copyright infringement?
Evolving Copyright Laws
In 2024, policymakers plan to significantly revise copyright laws to address the overlap between human and AI compositions—ensuring fair protection and recognition for creators and AI-generated works while preventing copyright infringement.
New Ethical and Legal Standards
How AI models are trained—often using third-party content—raises ethical and legal questions. We can expect the development of new standards and guidelines to govern the use of copyrighted material in AI training, balancing innovation with respect for original creators.
Creation of AI Oversight Roles
New job positions will emerge to manage the complexities of AI usage and compliance. Roles such as AI compliance officers and ethical AI advisors will become integral to organizations, ensuring responsible and lawful AI practices.
Enhanced Collaboration Between AI and Human Creators
With advancements in AI, collaboration between human creators and AI will become more sophisticated. This partnership will lead to innovative and unique forms of creative expression—pushing the boundaries of what is possible in art, music, writing, and video production.
We're excited about the innovative content AI will create, even as we diligently manage copyright infringement.
Democratization of AI
One of the most critical trends in AI for 2024 is that AI tools and technologies are becoming accessible to a broader range of people, not just experts—fostering innovation and inclusivity in AI development.
As AI becomes more user-friendly, it's becoming increasingly accessible. Platforms like OpenAI's GPT-4 and Google's AutoML allow users to create and deploy AI models with minimal coding knowledge.
This trend is not just limited to tech giants; initiatives like Microsoft's AI for Good program are providing AI tools to non-profits and educational institutions, further democratizing AI access.
What This Means for 2024
With widespread access to AI, how will businesses utilize the technologies available?
Wider Access to AI Tools
In 2024, more user-friendly AI platforms and tools will become available—in addition to ChatGPT and Google’s AutoML—enabling individuals and small businesses to leverage AI without needing deep technical expertise.
Increased Innovation
The democratization of AI will spur innovation across various fields. With more people accessing and utilizing AI, we can expect a surge in creative applications and solutions to diverse problems. This broader participation in AI development will lead to novel technology uses in healthcare, education, and small business operations.
New Educational Programs
One benefit of AI democratization is that educational institutions and online learning platforms will expand their AI offerings, making courses and certifications more accessible. We’ve already seen a boom in online programming, data, and AI courses—like those we offer here at 365 Data Science—which provide individuals with critical skills education without the need for expensive and time-consuming traditional education.
Community-Driven AI Projects
Open-source AI projects and collaborative platforms are gaining popularity, encouraging community-driven innovation. Examples include TensorFlow, an open-source machine learning library, and Kaggle, a data science competition platform allowing users to share knowledge and collaborate on AI solutions.
The democratization of AI in 2024 will make powerful tools more accessible, spur innovation, and foster inclusivity—ultimately leading to a more diverse and dynamic AI ecosystem.
Inclusive Machine Learning
This AI trend emphasizes the importance of creating machine learning models that are fair, unbiased, and representative of diverse populations—ensuring that AI technologies benefit all segments of society equally.
Inclusive machine learning addresses biases in AI systems by using diverse and representative data sets. For instance, IBM's Diversity in Faces project aims to create more inclusive facial recognition technologies by incorporating a wide range of demographic data.
Similarly, AI development initiatives like Google's AI Principles emphasize fairness and non-discrimination.
What This Means for 2024
How is AI developing for the better?
Fair and Unbiased Models
Efforts to create fair and unbiased machine learning models are a significant trend in artificial intelligence in 2024. Techniques to detect and mitigate biases in AI systems will become more sophisticated, ensuring that AI applications do not perpetuate existing inequalities. For instance, researchers at MIT have developed algorithms to reduce bias in facial recognition systems, leading to more equitable technology.
Diverse Data Sets
Building inclusive AI requires diverse and representative data sets. Organizations will increasingly prioritize collecting and using data that reflects various demographics, behaviors, and contexts. This includes projects like IBM's Diversity in Faces, which aims to create more representative datasets for training AI models.
Inclusive AI Applications
Inclusive machine learning is driving the development of AI applications that cater to underserved communities. For example, AI-powered translation tools like Google Translate improve accessibility for non-English speakers. At the same time, health AI applications are designed to address disparities in medical treatment and diagnosis. This AI trend is reaching all sectors.
Inclusive machine learning in 2024 will transform AI by focusing on fairness, eliminating biases, and embracing diverse data—shaping a future where technology serves all of society.
Voice Biometrics
Voice biometrics—our next AI trend—uses the unique characteristics of a person's voice for identification and authentication, offering a secure and convenient method for verifying identity in various applications, from banking to smart home devices.
Voice biometrics is becoming a preferred method for identity verification due to its convenience and security. This can have various applications, from voice identification for passwords to using personalized features on technology like smart home devices.
What This Means for 2024
Will this trend lead to further privacy violations in the future?
Enhanced Security
Voice biometrics will enhance security across various sectors by providing a robust method of identity verification. Banks like HSBC have adopted customer voice authentication, reducing fraud risks.
Increased Adoption
The adoption of voice biometrics continues to expand in 2024, becoming more common in everyday applications. Smart home devices like Amazon's Alexa and Google Home will use voice recognition to personalize user experiences and prevent outside access to sensitive information.
Improved Technology
Advancements in voice biometrics technology will improve the accuracy and reliability of voice recognition. Researchers are developing more sophisticated algorithms to analyze vocal characteristics, even in challenging environments. This progress will make voice biometrics a more viable option for diverse applications, including remote work and telehealth.
Privacy Concerns
As voice biometrics become more prevalent, privacy concerns must be addressed. Ensuring that voice data is securely stored and managed will be crucial to maintaining user trust. Companies must be transparent about their data practices and comply with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulations.
As a significant AI trend in 2024, voice biometrics will revolutionize secure identity verification by merging advanced technology with a strong focus on privacy—transforming our interactions with digital systems.
The Future of AI in 2024 Is Bright
As we move further into 2024, AI continues to develop rapidly, offering both opportunities and challenges to you as a data scientist. The artificial intelligence trends featured in this article provide a preview of the potential of AI and its consequences for the future of technology, society, and our careers.
The possibilities are endless, with projects Like GR00T and the Blackwell Super chip stretching the boundaries of possibility in robot construction and computation.
But profound issues in AI governance and privacy law need to be addressed. We must stay up-to-date and be proactive and responsive to stay on top of the challenges and opportunities on the horizon. Despite its challenges, the future of AI in 2024 is full of possibilities.
Equip yourself with the latest AI and data science skills to navigate this exciting future. Explore the comprehensive courses offered by 365 Data Science, which cover a wide range of topics—from fundamental machine learning concepts to advanced AI applications.
Additionally, engage in hands-on AI projects to build a robust portfolio that showcases your expertise and readiness to tackle real-world challenges.
Stay ahead in your career as the AI landscape evolves, take advantage of these intriguing AI trends in 2024, and be part of this transformative journey in technology.
This article was written in collaboration with Databricks.
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