Ever wondered what Swarm AI looks like?

Unanimous AI has made a name for itself on the artificial intelligence scene, proving that humans and AI work better together. In light of ongoing uncertainty about AI’s impact on human roles, the company’s Swarm AI technology is helping to change perceptions. Using a combination of human knowledge and smart software, Unanimous AI has correctly predicted the outcome of Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, the Kentucky Derby, a range of other sporting events, and awards ceremonies.

Swarm AI works by process of elimination, gradually choosing which candidate it thinks is least likely to win until there is a clear front runner. In 2018, the company achieved a remarkable 94 per cent accuracy rate by correctly forecasting 15 out of 16 category winners at the Oscars. This year’s Oscar Swarm combined the intelligence of 38 film fans who, with the help of artificial intelligence, successfully predicted 11 out of 16 categories. This included the hive’s seven most confident predictions. Here’s a clip of the hive mind in action, after eliminating the other candidates.

Application in business

While Swarm AI is yet to be used en masse in enterprise, it can be used by businesses – a hive mind of experts, employees, or even customers has incredible potential. Businesses have looked to predictive and prescriptive analytics to suggest remedies for specific issues, Swarm AI is another tool for smart predictions, in many ways a logical progression that optimises both human and technological resources. Adopting augmentation systems like Unanimous AI’s hive mind could lead to a competitive advantage by adding a new layer to data insights. For example, a hive mind may be able to identify the likelihood of a certain strategy’s success, or which service a company should launch next, or how best to optimise supply chains.

As business and society become more accustomed to the idea that AI will augment human ability, Swarm AI could become a commonly used application for critical decision making. In manufacturing, a swarm could decide which materials to implement, or which specific processes to use. In healthcare, a swarm could combine the knowledge of multiple doctors to give a diagnosis. Outside of business, Swarm AI also has potential in the consumer sphere for important decisions to do with personal finances, for instance. At the moment, there appears to be some reluctance to implementing augmentation of this kind. However, these attitudes are beginning to change, and Unanimous AI has a role to play in shifting negative perceptions.

The power of collaboration

Unanimous AI’s success shows that human and machine augmentation garners impressive results – often to the extent that it outperforms pure AI. Swarm technology stands as a solid reminder that artificial and human intelligence can be complementary, and creates virtual environment where they can be merged. However, as CEO Louis Rosenberg repeatedly asserts, there is always a chance that predictions will be wrong. We are not yet at the stage where AI can make correct, unsupervised predictions about the world. Although recent results suggest that this could become a reality, there’s an important component that can’t be forgotten – us.

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