From finance to healthcare and retail to education, AI is transforming applications across various industries. While some apps are already using AI, many companies are still figuring out how or if they should use this exciting technology. If you’re in the latter group, follow these steps to learn how to integrate AI to Your App.
What are the AI integrations?
AI integrations are connections between software that allow AI apps to share data with other apps and vice versa. These integrations help apps work together and give them AI abilities like understanding language and recognizing images to do tasks and processes. Most AI integrations use application programming interfaces (APIs) made by the companies that provide AI apps.
1. Decide if AI is right for your app.
Before you start, think about whether AI will really improve your app. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you decide to add AI:
- How could AI make my app different from others?
- How could AI make things easier for my users?
- What problems could AI help solve?
- How could AI make my app safer?
- How could AI improve customer service?
- How could AI automate tasks and make things more efficient?
When you think about your app, you might find new ways AI could help. It might be the perfect solution for problems you thought you couldn’t fix. AI is great for tasks like analyzing data, organizing information, recognizing patterns, and creating content.
2. Consider Ways to Use AI in Your App
If you’re having difficulties seeing the possibilities, examine these use scenarios. Here are some ways AI can improve your app:
- Summarizing Information – AI can quickly process large amounts of data. You can use AI to summarize things like customer reviews or long documents.
- Generating Responses – Generative AI technologies allow you to use AI to create original text. AI can improve your user experience by sending tailored emails and making custom recommendations.
- Categorizing Information – Use artificial intelligence (AI) to scan and sort data, such as support requests or user-created content. AI can help make sense of various inputs.
- Assess patterns – Another use case for AI is pattern recognition. AI could assist you in identifying fraudulent accounts or providing timely suggestions based on user behavior. Use it to identify behavior patterns and provide a safer, more personalized experience.
- Analyze the text for content and mood. – AI enables you to examine information for sentiment and themes. Try detecting content that breaches platform guidelines or providing personalized suggestions.
3. Review examples of apps that use AI.
When you think of AI and apps, you undoubtedly have a few ideas. ChatGPT, Google Lens, Siri, and Otter AI are just a few examples. There are dozens of more apps that aren’t explicitly “AI apps” but have incorporated AI in other ways. Review the way these apps combine AI to spark your creativity.
Canva
Canva, a graphic design app, uses AI in interesting ways. It lets users turn text into AI-generated images using tools like DALL-E by OpenAI and Imagen by Google Cloud. This function is more than just a novelty for users. It also solves an issue by helping users find the ideal image to accompany their presentation, post, or newsletter.
Amazon
Amazon uses AI in various ways, like generating review summaries for products. AI scans reviews and catches essential themes and words, making content extremely skimmable for consumers. Instead of reading dozens of reviews to choose a product, customers simply read a brief sentence or two.
Snapchat
The tech company Snap and its social media app Snapchat are quick to adopt new technology. So, naturally, AI is no exception. Snapchat’s “My AI” function lets users communicate with AI as if they were chatting with a human. The chatbot uses OpenAI’s ChatGPT to make social media even more sociable.
Calm
Calm, a well-known app for meditation and relaxation, has recently embraced AI. Content customized for each user is queued up by Calm using Amazon Personalize, an AI technique. As its name implies, the feature aids in personalizing the Calm app experience. This helps personalize the app experience, showing users more of what they like and less of what they don’t.
ELSA Speak
AI is used by the language-learning app ELSA Speak to assist non-native English speakers in improving their speech. To assess how closely a user’s speech resembles the proper pronunciation, the app makes use of an AI speech recognition tool. Users are assisted in progressing by AI-generated tips and red, yellow, and green signs.
Even small companies can learn a thing or two from the way these well-known companies are using AI. Luckily, you don’t need to be a tech giant to use AI. With APIs and open-source tech, almost anyone can use AI to make their app better. Also, there’s something called AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS), which is becoming more popular. Platforms like Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud let small teams use AI without much effort.
4. Set clear goals.
Now that you know how AI is used by other apps, it’s time to figure out exactly how to employ it in your own. How will you use AI in your app, and why? What particular business objectives are you hoping to achieve?
The clearer you are, the better. Knowing exactly what you want will help you decide how to integrate AI and choose the right platform, team, budget, and timeline.
Furthermore, you’ll be able to set KPIs once you define what success looks like. Setting a specific goal can also help you avoid wasting time and money on unnecessary tools.
As you define your goals, don’t neglect any data considerations. For example, in order to train your AI models, you might want high-quality data. You must resolve any privacy and ethical concerns you may have if you plan to use user data. Planning for data needs early on will help you get the right data for your AI to work well.
5. Choose a method to add AI to your app.
There are two main ways to add AI to your app. Let’s look at each one so you can decide which works best for you.
1. Custom AI Solutions
Hiring a developer to create a unique AI solution is one way to add AI to your app. This will provide you with more control and alternatives than an off-the-shelf solution. Your AI integration can be customized to meet your unique requirements.
Custom AI solutions do come with certain drawbacks, though. This route is frequently far more costly and requires more time to execute. As opposed to off-the-shelf solutions, you’ll also need to think about support and maintenance.
There are various platforms available for AI development. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are a few. You can choose the best one with the support of your development team, your budget, and the requirements of your project.
2. Off-the-Shelf AI Solutions
As an alternative, you can use an already-existing AI platform to include AI in your app. You can gain from using third-party solutions instead of creating the wheel from scratch. With the help of APIs, certain functions, including speech recognition, may be accessed without the need for specific coding. The benefits of using off-the-shelf solutions are obvious—faster implementation, lower cost, a proven track record, as well as updates and support.
There are a few disadvantages to consider. Out-of-the-box solutions have restrictions. When you employ a third-party solution, you give up some control in exchange for speed and convenience. Nonetheless, this is the quickest, simplest, and often highest-quality way to include AI.
There’s a wide array of AI tools with APIs available for selection. Examples include IBM Watson, Google Cloud Speech to Text, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services, and more.
6. Find a development team you can trust.
Next, you’ll need to find a team of developers to carry out your AI project. Here are some characteristics to consider:
- A track record of success
- Experience in the coding languages necessary for your chosen platform
- Experience with AI and/or API development
- Respect for deadlines
- Deep knowledge of app development.
Your team is crucial for the success of your project, so take your time finding the right one. A trustworthy development team is essential for successfully integrating AI into your app.
7. Test, improve, and deploy your app.
Once you’ve found a development team, it’s time to get started. Your team will assist you with the introduction of your new AI features, including testing and deployment. Soon, your users will be able to try your new and improved app for themselves.
Just because you’ve implemented AI doesn’t ensure your app is future-proof. Return to your goals and evaluate how much AI has helped you reach them. Keep track of your KPIs and be prepared to alter and pivot as needed.
Pay close attention to user feedback to increase your chances of success. How will your new AI features improve your user experience? How could you use artificial intelligence to make your app stronger? You might be able to push the envelope further than you expected.
Final Thoughts on Adding AI to an App
AI has the ability to enhance your app’s user experience and differentiate it from the competition. With careful consideration and a defined goal, you may incorporate this incredible technology into your existing app. Some apps provide a great template for how to utilize AI to assist users and solve problems, but there are many more methods to employ AI that have yet to be discovered.
Ready to integrate AI into your app? We’re here to assist you. Get in touch with us.