We have already studied the concept of Internet-of-Things (IoT) which emerged a decade ago, and was branded as a major advance in technology. It looked promising in applications — smart cities, smart homes and smart industries.
However, today AI has been in the limelight and has taken the center stage. IoT was ubiquitous sometime back — was embedded in devices and objects so as to convert data into actionable insights. It looked promising in diverse fields — from traffic management to healthcare. AI has overshadowed IoT, especially after the emergence of generative AI.
IoT has not failed or disappeared. However, it is no longer the sole protagonist. IoT utilizes data, senses the environment and provides the raw material for decisions. These decisions are facilitated by AI which processes the data. AI facilitates real time decisions and predicts outcomes. AI also facilitates automation. Jointly IoT and AI have created Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) — a new hybrid.
IoT is present in over 14.4 billion devices (2023). This growth could be attributed to advances in wireless technology, miniaturization of sensors and cloud computing. Yet this seamless integration is yet to materialize in India. On an individual level, IoT devices have integrated with our lives — smart watches. In Industry 4.0, IoT sensors allow us to exercise control over operations. Industry is adopting IoT for predictive maintenance and efficiency. However, this revolution has not proved to be transformative.
AI has tremendous ability to process data in real time. It can analyze video streams. It can crunch data from millions of sensors. Thus, it is indispensable. Investment is being committed to AI.
India lags behind in formulating the standards for IoT adoption. There is no unified global body to regulate IoT standards. This makes compliance difficult. It can stifle innovation. Instead, the system becomes vulnerable without harmonized global standards.
Both IoT and AI should contribute to the bottom line to promote their higher adoption. IoT and AI can help citizens by alleviating civic chaos. There is a need for investment to build capacity. There should be arrangements for training at all levels. There should be adoption at grass roots.
IoT, AI and cloud computing should be integrated and synergized. AI has IoT as its younger sibling. They are disruptors. Both together will shape our future. Leaders must direct these technologies for development, since technology by itself is neutral. It all reduces to the choices we make while using technologies.