You have perhaps used Amazon’s Echo to control some home appliances. You say, “Alexa, dim the lights or play Hindi songs”, and it’s done. Those few words set off a flurry of invisible activity, calling into play technologies such as natural language processing (NLP), the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud native computing. Working in tandem, they deliver the kind of natural, seamless and efficient user experience powered by a small, affordable gadget.

If homes can be smart, work place can be smarter. Employees too want applications that are aware, intelligent and autonomous. They don’t want to be stuck with ticking checkboxes on a web page or tapping screens on a tablet. Instead, they want to be able to say, “Plutus, who are my top clients and how do I serve them better to generate an additional 10 per cent revenue?” Then they want a host of technologies to kick in and produce instant and simple answers. All the heavy lifting such as pointing to the right data sources, selecting a model, and running the analytics occur invisibly inside a metaphorical magic box. Plutus knows exactly which system to go to and what to do in order to make you more

What does it take to create applications that liberate us from following rules and understand us better?

Here are four essential imperatives:

Smart interactions: This is where conversational interfaces — with a combination of inputs and outputs made up of text, voice and gesture, Mixed Reality combining Augmented and Virtual Reality with contextual interfaces — come into play. The end result is almost-human interaction with machines. We don’t need to be “trained” to behave in ways that machines understand. It becomes quite the opposite. In effect, machines become “humanised”.

Smart processes: Workflows are extremely important for applications to deliver slick performance. Instead of sticking to a set process, the application must sense the user’s intent and intelligently re-cast the process. Imagine being able to send pictures of your car’s dented fender over a smartphone to your insurance company. The picture is automatically geo-tagged, a copy of your driving license is made available along with the picture to the surveyor who remotely assesses the damage, your claim is filed and you are directed to the nearest workshop for a replacement. But the process doesn’t stop here — it intelligently looks up your calendar and sets up an appointment with the workshop too.

Smart platforms: As applications become smart they will need platforms that provide computing infrastructure as a service. We can easily imagine cloud-native compute and storage being provided as a service. But there is more. Given the slew of new technologies that can be applied, platforms could provide, as examples, Blockchain, IoT and AR/VR services. Microsoft Azure, Salesforce Einstein and Wipro HOLMES are examples of cognitive platforms that will be supplied as a service. Platforms can be built upon each other and integrated resulting in new types of applications.

Smart security: Smart applications interact with a vast variety of systems, traversing heterogeneous networks and plug into all kinds of data sources and devices ranging from wearables to automobiles. This makes them vulnerable to attacks. An adaptive security architecture can offer the requisite protection. It uses AI to understand the user, the transaction and environmental context (IP address, location, time, type, volume and size of transaction, device used, etc.) and automatically adjusts the security levels. For the user, smart security would manifest itself as a request for a password, a 2-step authentication, voice imprints, facial recognition, biometric inputs, etc. before allowing a transaction to go through.

These four essentials of smart applications are where the change begins. They help businesses bring artificial intelligence into the experiences they provide users.

The writer is Sr. Vice-President & Global Head for Business Application Services, Wipro

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