IoT・AI and Networking 1/7

By Motoyuki Matsunaga, Senior Fellow

Enlarged Potential

 We can recently find frequently the word “IoT・AI” to express the advanced technology.

 Up until 3 years ago the word “IoT (Internet of Things) “ was used alone, but gradually IoT was combined with AI (Artificial Intelligence) as single word to express the advanced technology.

 IoT was born at one specific stage of the development of ICT technology and represented the concept of potential enlargement of connecting things which were not connected by internet. AI is defined as the science of making computers do things that require intelligence when done by humans. AI is somewhat different platform technology than those computers now in operation. Thanks to combine and use these IoT and AI not in such manner just to add two technologies, but in such manner to multiply two technologies there will be a huge potential of ICT development.

 Computer Networking is now further advanced and developed to the next new phase by connecting a variety of things and designing them in the one unified system. Advanced computers with high level of intelligence are connected with IoT・AI networking to create new social system.

Smart Lighting

 For example, in the area of lighting the design and planning is now in progress to realize dynamic and versatile lighting to match up with the age of IoT. The lighting appliances have been used to light or dim the light by switching on and off as electric bulb and luminescent lamp. Once the lighting system becomes independent and intelligent as if they have their own brain and nerve system, they can be autonomous to recognize their surroundings, to forecast and to decide by themselves what kind of lighting would be the best. There might be the time when new concept and planning is possibly made to deploy new concept of lighting in the new-generation town.

 If the concept of IoT・AI networking becomes widely accepted and used, we can develop new planning and design not only in the area of lighting but in many other areas of “things”.

Beyond human capabilities

 On the other hand, there arise the argument and social concern from the socio-economic point of view that people may lose their job if AI is taking place of human being in their work or service. Advanced IoT・AI networking system is actually capable of recognizing the huge amount of data and information, and of performing or processing them better and faster than human being.

 These IoT・AI system is now just to be introduced in the actual business world.

 “Networking” is the essential key word to assess where the information society is progressing to and how new key words are born. During the course of this series of articles we would like to present the ideas how we should capture the social system of the society with information network covering the every corner of the society while appreciating the essential point of this revolution firmly based on the point of “Networking”.