Multimodal AI emerges as a pivotal player in shaping trends and strategies in 2024 (TechTarget, 2024). This cutting-edge technology uses different kinds of information inputs to deliver more comprehensive insights, making it a valuable resource for businesses.
What is Multimodal AI?
Essentially, Multimodal AI means using AI that can understand and work with different modalities of information simultaneously. “Modalities” are simply different ways of presenting information. In other words, multimodal AI is a system that uses multiple sensory inputs, as opposed to unimodal systems that rely on a single type of input such as text or image.
Key components of Multimodal AI
INPUT
collection on different modes of info: text, image, video, numerical data
preparation for processing in the AI "brain"
with the help of separate unimodal neural networks that handle different modes of data
e.g. NLP to analyze text, computer vision to decipher images, and speech recognition for audio input.
FUSION
consolidation of all information in a way that exploits the strengths of each mode
can be basic or can use innovative techniques to focus on crucial details
e.g. for tech-savvy: attention mechanisms, graph convolutional networks, or transformer models
OUTPUT
produced prediction/insight - meaningful result for the task at hand
based on on all the processed information fused earlier
e.g. if the task is to categorize an image based on its description and what's in it, the output can be a label or a few labels what category the image is likely to be.
The holistic approach of Multimodal AI allows it to process and analyze a diverse range of information, imitating the way humans naturally perceive and understand the world. By combining different modalities processed by multimodal AI, businesses can leverage a richer dataset and, therefore, gain deeper insights and make more informed decisions.
Applications in Business
Multimodal AI has enormous potential for businesses across various industries.
In marketing, it can revolutionize the customer experience by analyzing not only textual data from reviews and social media but also visual content such as images and videos. This comprehensive analysis enables marketers to understand consumer sentiments more accurately and tailor their strategies accordingly. (e.g. content moderation tools - ModerateContent)
In e-commerce, Multimodal AI can enhance product recommendations by considering both textual product descriptions and visual attributes. This results in more personalized suggestions, improving the overall shopping experience for customers. (e.g. recommendation system - Amazon Personalize)
Another notable application is in customer support. By incorporating voice and text data, AI systems can better understand customer queries and provide more effective and personalized responses, ultimately elevating the quality of customer service. (e.g. virtual agents - Uniphore)
Example - Meta ImageBind
INPUT: audio of a car engine + image or prompt of a beach
OUTPUT: new art
Benefits of using Multimodal AI in your Business
When integrated into the business strategy, Multimodal AI then results in:
Enhanced Accuracy: Analysis of diverse data types, allowing for thorough and precise insights.
Enhanced Efficiency: Browsing for the most important information and eliminating the irrelevant one across all modalities, quick.
Enhanced Interpretation: Predictions and recommendations backed up by multiple information sources, leading to more informed decisions.
Multimodal AI is not just a technological advancement but a strategic tool for those looking to stay ahead in a dynamic and competitive business environment of 2024. Embracing this multifaceted approach to AI is key to unlocking new possibilities and redefining the future of business and marketing.