Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for decades, but in recent years with the accumulation of vast quantities of data and advancements in computer technology — which brought cheaper and massive computing power — the promise of AI is becoming a reality. AI is an ingredient to all elements of the consumer technology industry impacting everything from health care to content creation and curation, to security and self-driving vehicles.

This rapid and pervasive growth of AI technology has led to opportunities and challenges across policy, education, communications and technical standardization arenas. To respond to these issues, the CTA Technology Council created the AI Advisory Group in May 2018, which provides technical guidance on AI for CTA. This resulted in the publication of two white papers on AI: What is Artificial Intelligence? and Use Cases in Artificial Intelligence.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Published in September 2018, this paper provides a practical guide to understanding the definition, meaning and importance of cognitive technologies and their adoption in industry. The paper addresses the history of AI, expert definitions, why AI matters, the AI ecosystem and issues with AI (e.g., explainable AI, impact on jobs, avoiding bias and AI super intelligence).

Use Cases in Artificial Intelligence

Published in November 2018, this paper provides a general understanding of the application of AI across a range of industries including security (home cybersecurity, fraud detection), health, fitness and wellness (preventative analytics, consumer-focused health care), digital assistance (voice assistants, intelligent chatbots), content (gaming, content management), self-driving vehicles and law enforcement.

CTA Delves into AI

These papers just scratch the surface of AI and reinforce the need for the CTA community to explore further technical work from both a horizontal/cross-product category and vertical/in-product category perspective.

To respond to the horizontal need, CTA formed a new standards committee in February 2019 addressing AI (R13). R13 is chaired by Neelam Sandhu (BlackBerry) and Andrew Hill (Mercedes Benz - A Daimler Brand) serving as vice chair. The committee is tasked with the development of standards, recommended practices and technical reports related to AI. As its first project, R13 will develop a standard on the definitions and characteristics of AI related to consumer technology, including terms like Artificial Super Intelligence, Augmented Intelligence, “Narrow” AI, Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Decision Trees and Deep Learning. This standard is anticipated to be published this summer.

To respond to a key vertical need in the area of health care, CTA formed a standards working group addressing AI in health care (R13 WG 1), co-chaired by Pat Baird (Philips) and Jerry Wilmink (CarePredict). The WG, which includes participants from CTA member companies and allied associations, will develop standards, recommended practices, and related documentation addressing the application of AI in health care with a focus on consumer health, fitness and wellness technology. The WG is exploring definitions/characteristics of AI in health care including what makes for good trustworthiness and best practices for data stewardship.

For more information or to get involved in the AI standards efforts, contact standards@CTA.tech.

Kerrianne Haresign