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Over the past few years, our world has faced unprecedented and at times deadly challenges, from the covid-19 pandemic to severe weather conditions and an aging population, urban congestion, and the growing societal challenges that go with it. unequal access to health care.

But as the development and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) grow, AI technologies are playing an instrumental role in addressing the socio-economic and environmental challenges facing the modern world, ultimately helping us achieve a better standard of living.

Filling in the gaps, providing quality care

One of the most promising applications of AI in recent years has been to increase human workers in key sectors with chronically understaffed and contribute to major advances in solving challenging social problems.

In China, for example, the medical system has long been plagued by a shortage of healthcare professionals, with an average of only 17.9 doctors per 10,000 people. The situation is even more unstable in small towns and rural areas, forcing many patients to travel long distances to cities to access quality medical care and specialized treatments.

Baidu’s Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) was developed to meet this urgent need. Based on medical natural language processing and infographic technology, the system provides doctors with real-time assistance, informing their judgment, helping them recognize symptoms more accurately, and providing relevant treatment options. The system brings the expertise and resources of top healthcare institutions to local clinics, providing patients with a quality of treatment they could not otherwise reach. Baidu’s CDSS has been implemented in thousands of primary care settings to date, and the number is growing rapidly.

“At the diagnostic stage, sometimes junior doctors may overlook or ignore some symptoms due to lack of experience,” says a doctor from a Beijing hospital who has been using CDSS for two years. “We have been able to significantly improve the quality of our medical department, thanks to the consultation support and real-time alert functions of CDSS, which provides more advice and references to physicians.”

Accessible solutions with humanized technology

According to estimates from the China Development Foundation, by 2022, about 14% of China’s population will be 65 years or older, and this number is expected to rise to over 30% by 2050.

For older populations, AI-powered smart speakers and displays can serve as a vital lifeline. Baidu has developed a popular smart display unit with computer vision capabilities and voice interaction technology called Xiaodu that can provide a wide variety of essential services, including providing health tips, arranging shopping and transportation assistance, accessing emergency care, and even daily. speech and emotional support.

Xiaodu’s success has made him one of the stars of Baidu World, the company’s annual flagship technology conference, which explores how local welfare associations are increasingly distributing Xiaodu installations to the elderly.

Xiaodu’s popularity among the elderly highlights another important potential of AI: breaking down barriers and inequalities in accessing technology in today’s world. Where previous generations have seen older populations disenfranchised by the advent of new technologies, AI offers the possibility of applications that are accessible to all.

Transforming infrastructure, revolutionizing society

Beyond solving targeted problems, new developments show how AI has greater potential to reduce errors and increase efficiency in systems that permeate our daily lives, including urban infrastructure, in an increasing number of cities.

In China’s Shandong province, Baidu AI Cloud supports security audits of the electrical power grid, providing instant alerts to prevent power outages that could affect millions. In Quanzhou, Baidu AI Cloud is used to accurately forecast water consumption needs at the main water treatment plant for the city’s 8 million population. The system analyzes a range of factors, from weather patterns to holidays, helping to increase the efficiency of the facility and reduce electricity use by 8%.

“We always need to make sure the system is working and the water quality is stable, but it would be impossible for a worker to stay awake 24 hours a day and not sleep at all,” says Shen Peikun, who works in Quanzhou. Herb. “But now this system can handle the equipment and alert us if there are any sudden changes.”

Baidu’s AI technology has revolutionized traffic light, one of the most mundane yet vital aspects of city life. Intelligent traffic systems can monitor vehicle and pedestrian flows by analyzing a wide variety of data to predict future traffic conditions and optimize traffic flow. In the northern Chinese city of Baoding, the use of Baidu’s smart traffic lights has reduced waiting times by up to 20% during peak hours, giving people more time in their daily lives.

With the rapid development of autonomous driving, including Baidu’s Apollo Moon robotaxis introduced earlier this year, a more comprehensive intelligent traffic infrastructure is taking shape, where every component is built on top of each other to provide safer and more efficient travel for everyone.

For example, in its research on smart traffic solutions, Baidu found that even a 15% improvement in traffic efficiency is associated with a 2.4% growth in GDP for a given region, because of the time previously stuck in daily hassles and resources have been released for driving. economic productivity. In economies seeking new levers for growth and competitive advantage, optimization like this can provide an invaluable solution. Greater efficiency can also lead to better use of the earth’s resources and reduced carbon emissions.

As AI applications (including smart cities and autonomous driving) proliferate and become more integrated with each other, their potential to unlock positive value and help address some of the world’s most pressing social concerns will continue to increase.

This content was produced by Baidu. It was not written by the editorial staff of MIT Technology Review.