Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become part of our everyday lives. Whether predictive text is finishing your sentences on WhatsApp or ChatGPT is filling in the blanks in your homework assignment, you have an army of bots and robots helping you in hundreds of hidden ways.
But what’s next? How are AI and robotics evolving, and what new functions can you expect this year? Let’s take a look…
AI Embedded Everywhere
After research told them that 73% of users are using AI to get more done and feel productive, Microsoft has baked AI into its updated Windows 11 operating system. You’ll now have AI guiding you along in Notepad, Paint, Photos and the Snipping Tool; while Click to Do will identify and analyse what’s on your screen, and help you take actions.
But the biggest evolution is coming in Edge, the Windows browser that nobody uses (because we’re all using Google Chrome). Edge’s Copilot Vision will talk you through the website you’re on, picking out the highlights and helping you navigate the page. Chrome, of course, has something similar.
AI, Automated
Embedding Siri- or Alexa-like AI assistance into our online experience will change the way we browse the Internet. And while your user experience will feel smoother, you need to know that there’s a ton of machine learning and data processing happening in the background…
Which brings us to 2025’s next big robotics trend: Agentic AI. Agentic AI systems are adaptable and autonomous, so they watch (what you’re doing) and learn (from vast volumes of inputs and information) and make decisions on the go. According to Google, Agentic AI “processes data, evaluates information, reaches conclusions and takes actions”. It’s self-directed, so unlike AI Agents (which follow a clear set of rules and policies to achieve a goal), it can think ahead and adapt as the situation changes.
Robots Get A Human Touch
But there’s another way in which we’re witnessing the rise of the machines. According to Aaron Parness, Amazon’s Director of Applied Science, your typical robot is “numb and dumb”. But also according to Parness, Amazon has just launched Vulcan: a robot that has a sense of touch.
Vulcan is being put to work in Amazon’s warehouses and fulfilment centres, where its sensitive feedback sensors (which draw on machine learning) tell it how hard it’s pushing or holding an object, making sure it handles the object gently and doesn’t do any damage.
Better Generative AI (That Quietly Invades Your Privacy)
The past few months have seen remarkable advances in AI image generation. Open AI’s GPT-4o has fixed any lingering issues with text and human fingers – both tell-tale signs that an image has been created by robots. That’s how we’re getting those viral Barbie-fied AI action figures, which look as real as your old GI Joes.
But here’s the challenge we’re all having with AI: those action figures are based on user-uploaded images, which – directly or indirectly – give away a ton of personal information. As AI continues to evolve, humans will have to adjust to the idea of losing more and more of their privacy.
These are exciting times in the tech industry as our lives are being simplified more and more by AI and robot learning. But even the latest AI tech will need a reliable internet connection. For that check out these Vodacom Fibre deals or alternatively, there are also these Vodacom Home Internet options.
