It's an exciting time for artificial intelligence. The past few years have seen huge developments in the world of AI, and day by day it's moving in new, far-reaching directions across a wide range of industries - from automotive and entertainment to healthcare and education.

Global spending on AI is expected to more than double between 2022-2026, which means that AI-powered software and tools are set to become more widespread and more accessible. But what direction will they take? What can we expect from AI in the coming years?

Let's take a look at nine AI future predictions that we expect to play out in 2023 and beyond.

1. The healthcare industry in particular will be revolutionized

Looking to the future, AI in the healthcare industry is forecast to generate the most revenue. AI is accelerating the pace of innovation in the industry, and one of the major changes that's expected is a transition from reactive healthcare to a proactive and preventative approach. There will be a focus on early and accurate diagnosis, and a shift is expected in the way we receive medical advice too, with AI enabling personalized medical advice without having to see a doctor.

Whether you work in healthcare or not, the impact of AI on this industry is bound to be noticeable.

2. An estimated 33 million self-driving cars will be on the road

Self-driving cars use AI to operate, and while they're currently not available to the public, they're expected to appear on our roads very soon. According to a report by IHS, the annual sales of autonomous cars is predicted to reach approximately 33 million units by 2040, with nearly 76 million vehicles with some level of autonomy expected to be sold by 2035!

3. Chatbots will become one of the main customer service channels

It's no longer unusual to interact with a chatbot in the early stages of customer support. Gartner predicts that by 2027, AI chatbots will become the primary customer service channel for roughly a quarter of organizations.

The chatbot market revenue is forecast to grow from $4.4 billion in 2022 to more than $10 billion by 2026, which means they're destined to become more sophisticated too. If you're a business owner or responsible for customer support or UX, then deploying a chatbot should definitely be on your agenda for the near future.

4. AI will get emotional

Up until recently, the development of AI has mostly focused on linguistic, mathematical, and logical reasoning abilities. However, with the rising popularity of technology like chatbots, it's become clear that humans are drawn to human-like interaction. Because of this, the next wave of AI advancements is pushing towards developing emotional intelligence.

Future AI systems may therefore be able to distinguish between different feelings, and use those emotions to guide their thinking and behavior. Sounds scary, but this could be extremely beneficial for everything from customer service to advertising.

5. Characters in video games will be able to think for themselves

AI has been prominent in the gaming industry for a while now, but only to the extent of characters following a predetermined script. Developers are taking things a step (make that several steps) forward now, with the aim of creating AI-powered characters that can think, learn, and even develop their own personalities!

6. AI will help with content creation in general

It's not just gaming content that will benefit from AI. AI is having a big impact in the entertainment industry too, helping to create scripts and more lifelike animated characters. And AI content-generating tools can help to create original written content that can be used across the board, for everything from podcasts and blog posts to emails and Facebook ads.

Take the recently launched ChatGPT. It's only in its research phase and it's already making enormous waves. Its use cases are virtually endless already, and as it learns from user behavior and feedback, it will inevitably become more effective.

7. AI could lead to redundancies

It's not all plain sailing, and while AI certainly presents many opportunities, it comes with threats too. AI adoption is causing many industries to cut their workforce - the telecom industry is predicted to experience the biggest cuts, followed by automotive and assembly.

That said, AI will also bring about plenty of new opportunities. A report from MIT's Task Force on the Work of the Future reminds us that more than 60% of the jobs we do today didn't exist a generation ago, and technological change leads to new kinds of work opening up.

8. AI will help in the realms of education, but won't replace teachers

According to Global Market Insights, the market size of AI in education is predicted to reach a whopping $80 billion by 2030. The use of virtual reality will become more prevalent in education to give students first-hand experience in different subjects, and AI apps will become more and more sophisticated, giving students a highly personalized learning experience.

There is some fear that AI technology might replace the role of the teacher altogether in the future, however, there's a general agreement that while AI might be able to teach students math and help them learn a new language, human teachers are irreplaceable when it comes to fundamental aspects like building social and emotional skills.

Find out more about the future of AI in education.

9. AI transcription will get more and more accurate

The global voice recognition market size is forecast to grow from $10.7 billion in 2020 to $27.16 billion by 2026, and this increase in investment will mean an improvement in machine learning. As a result, AI transcription will continue to become faster, more accurate, and more accessible.

Recognition and understanding of different accents and sentiments will improve, as will the ability to differentiate between speakers. As time goes on, AI transcription tools will even be able to perform topic analysis and create summaries, making the software even more valuable in your workplace.

Find out more about the future of AI transcription.

We hope you've enjoyed reading our AI predictions. We'll update this article as time goes on and as AI develops - which we expect to happen at a fairly rapid pace!

In the meantime, check out our guide to the best AI tools for your business, or learn how AI can help your startup succeed.

Written By Katie Garrett