The impact that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have on our society in the future is predicted by experts to be bigger than anything previously experienced so far in the advancement of technology.
Advancing AI was the key theme of this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which came to an end on Friday. Powered by 5G, the new sector is set to offer huge opportunities to business and society as a whole.
It's also set to boost the advancement of the internet and how devices interact with each other.
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Whilst this may sound like something from a science-fiction movie, it is already part of our daily lives – from driverless cars and remote-controlled surgery to facial recognition software.
Machine learning is at the heart of AI developments. Tasks previously carried out by humans can be done by computers – in less time and at a fraction of the cost. Big tech has already poured billions of dollars into the industry, with Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft at the forefront.
CGTN Europe spoke to Microsoft general manager David Carmona, who said it was vital the new technology be easily available to everyone.
"The key concept in our research is about making AI more generalized," he said. "AI is more accessible to people because instead of starting AI from scratch to your particular task, it can work in any industry that you are targeting."
A dancer performs during an immersive 360 holographic show in the MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona on March 2. /Josep Lago/AFP
A great example of 5G and AI working together is urban air mobility, or 'driverless taxis.'
Airplane manufacturer Airbus has been developing a fully electric autonomous flying vehicle and urban air mobility is expected to become a reality in Europe within three to five years, according to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
South Korea has one of the most advanced 5G networks in the world, and that technology gives these systems the capacity to operate remotely.
SK Telecom is hoping its 'air taxis' will be fully operational by 2025, and their curator Rachel Kim says they will transform the lives of anyone living in the middle of an urban jungle.
"The big cities like Seoul or New York have so many problems with transportation, with heavy traffic, and we lose so much time stuck in traffic," says Kim. "By utilizing this urban air mobility, this will improve our living environment and at the same time we can also reduce carbon emissions."
Technological advancements bring huge challenges, not least from an ethical point of view. How much control does society cede to computers? There are also issues of privacy, transparency and inequality to grapple with.
What is certain is this technological revolution is on the horizon and change is coming.