In a day and age where artificial intelligence is often seen as the alternative or replacement for human minds and effort, augmented intelligence counters this notion. While artificial intelligence and machine learning, which entrain systems to mimic and reproduce human intelligence and behavior, are the go-to technologies in the modern world, what most do not realize is that AI is not a replacement for humans. Instead, AI can enhance human productivity in all works of life, from healthcare to manufacturing to education. The convergence of human intelligence and education is imminent.

What is Augmented Intelligence?

Augmented intelligence plays an assistive role for humans. In the conventional role of artificial intelligence and machine learning, these systems are entrained to mimic what a human would do. However, with augmented intelligence, they often limit themselves to giving suggestions and insights and potentially act as tools that humans can use to lower their workload and improve their efficiency.

One example that clearly shows the contrast in the role and scope of artificial intelligence vis-a-vis augmented intelligence is that of driverless cars versus car alerts. Driverless cars replace human drivers altogether, whereas assisted driving aids give lane alerts and collision warnings.

Applications Of Augmented Intelligence

Health And Wellness

Researher looking monitor and analysing brain scan. An image illustrating augmented intelligence and the synergy between humans and machines for better outcomes. (Source Freepik)

Modern health and wellness units are making use of AI’s power to process and interpret megabytes of data. So, the AI tools process the data contained in reports and give suggestions for possible diseases and diagnostic courses. The final decision on the course of treatment, however, lies with the human doctor. Such collaborative efforts ensure that crucial and often life-saving decisions in healthcare are not devoid of human empathy and emotional intelligence. However, at the same time, the aid of AI is productive for improving diagnostic efficiency. One example of augmented intelligence in healthcare is IBM’s Watson for Oncology analysis.

Financial Services

Making prudent investment choices, especially when it comes to portfolio management, diversification of funds, and share market transactions like day trading, requires quick analysis. AI systems can interpret market data, assess risks, and manage investment portfolios on behalf of the client. However, most investors like to place the final investment decision in the hands of a human and not a robo-advisor, and that is what makes augmented AI so lucrative.

Marketing Services

Customer support is an essential component of marketing. Human respondents cannot respond to 24×7 customer queries, but chatbots surely can. So, in a world where people embrace augmented intelligence, the chat box can be available at all times and solve simple issues that an end-user has. However, for more complex questions, human intervention may be useful. So, here, the collaborative efforts of man and machine ensure that the customer is never left in the lurch when they have a query, yet they do not feel the lack of humane touch when interacting with the customer response systems.

Manufacturing Sector

The manufacturing sector requires the long-term operation of giant machines that convert raw materials into finished industrial-grade products. Machines are a long-term investment, and depreciation happens with usage. Even so, repair and maintenance are necessary to preserve the well-being of machines in order to preserve workers’ health and the industry’s work efficiency.

Artificial intelligence can be a central component in predictive maintenance systems. Predictive maintenance implies the utilization of sensors and AI to alert operators concerning potential equipment failure prior to its occurrence. In an augmented intelligence-based system, the AI predicts potential dangers, but the operator makes the final decision about the imminence of the danger and chooses the appropriate repair strategy.

Educational Sector

With augmented intelligence, the education sector can benefit as AI can recommend resources, adjust difficulty levels, and provide feedback tailored to individual students. The human teacher can deal just with the mentoring of the students and help students cope with the syllabus.

Benefits Of Augmented Intelligence

Augmented intelligence has several benefits. Here are some of them.

• Blends human intervention and technology
• Gives a boost to efficiency and productivity
• Reduced chances of human errors 
• Continuous improvement as augmented intelligence systems work in a feedback loop
• Takes care of ethical considerations

Challenges Of Augmented Intelligence

Augmented intelligence has some challenges, and some of them are listed here.

• AI-based bias persists if the input data fed into the system is biased, to begin with
• Difficulty in integrating with the existing systems, which are mostly either entirely manual or entirely AI
• Lack of adoption, as some human professionals may resist using suggestions from AI tools due to distrust of machine-made suggestions.

The Future of Augmented Intelligence

The future growth and trends will depend on the levels of trust, adoption and the seamless integration of the system. However, the fields that may see the greatest adoption of this technology are listed here 

• Context-aware assistants: these systems understand not just commands but the emotional tone, environment, and intent of it
• Explainable AI (XAI) helps humans understand why a machine makes a certain recommendation.

Final Words

In conclusion, augmented intelligence represents a powerful paradigm that aims to deal with the biggest fear concerning the growth of artificial intelligence. Augmented intelligence aims to bring forth collaboration between humans and machines rather than replacement. Augmented intelligence-based setups enhance rather than mimic human capabilities. These systems aid in decision-making, enhance productivity, and retain necessary human factors such as empathy and moral judgment. Augmented intelligence is revolutionizing how people do jobs across industries, from healthcare and finance to education and manufacturing. As trust and integration improve, we expect this collaborative technology to have a greater impact. Hence, it would not be a stretch to imagine a future where technology amplifies—not substitutes—human intelligence across all walks of life.