Integrating AI Capabilities into Existing Technology Platforms: Drones as a Case in Point

Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence promise to supercharge technology platforms, and give them added capabilities like inference, real-time decision making, contextual awareness, and autonomous operation. In this paper, we explore this phenomenon using the case of drones. Drones have been used for many years in military applications, and have now found their way into the commercial sector. Several industries such as agriculture, construction, industrial infrastructure, security and surveillance, and entertainment, to name a few, operate drones on a regular basis. Using advanced sensors, drones can not only continuously collect and store data, but also send them back to base or the cloud for further analysis, and then act on the insights generated. The combination of large datasets, complex algorithms, and the ability to access machine learning on powerful cloud servers mean that drones are no longer passive functionaries. In fact, they can act as sophisticated and intelligent machines using advanced AI, and respond dynamically to challenges in real time. In this paper, we describe how this newfound capability is being harnessed for new classes of applications and business opportunities. From a strategic perspective, we argue that AI needs to be conceptualized as a meta layer on top of existing technology platforms, that in turn gives the platform new capabilities that were previously out of reach.