Want Your Next Big AI Idea To Have A Positive Impact? Focus on a Big Problem

Predictive analytics can solve a big problem when applied to workplace safety.

Technology solutions in search of problems are plentiful, but great ideas are not even good ideas if they don't solve a problem. Now, when an idea solves a big problem that helps people, that's a great idea.

Here's a good example of a big problem to focus on: workplace injuries.

Workplace injuries cost organizations worldwide a lot of money.

340M workplace injuries cause 2.3M workplace deaths annually according to the International Labor Organization at a cost of $4 trillion, or 5% of Global GDP, per the CDC Economic Cost of Injury study.

Safety has typically been an a profession of human observation of work sites. Thankfully, most risks can be identified visually by humans, albeit slowly and very inaccurately.

Why thankfully?

Because it means that computer vision can leveraged to do the same. That's huge.

Now, video can be analyzed with AI models to identify behaviors or environmental factors leading to accidents.

Then we can apply data science to create safety analytics reports on the risks that have been identified.

With AI inspection of video feeds, managers can see massively more risks than were ever identified in the past by humans.

Big problem, solved.

So, what's the big problem that your next AI idea will solve? Let us know.

More about Jeff Goldsmith

Jeff is VP of Marketing at CompScience focused on solving preventing workplace injuries with AI. Prior to leading marketing at startups, he created advertising for global brands and wrote journalism. His most well known piece of writing for Wired is called This Is Your Brain on Tetris.