Kumba Sennaar

Dementia (a severe decline in mental ability) is ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and impacts an estimated 5 million Americans. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, health care costs associated with dementia totaled $259 billion in 2017 and are projected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2050.

Depression is a leading mental disorder impacting about 16 million Americans. According to the World Health Organization, the annual global economic impact of depression is estimated at $1 trillion and is projected to be the leading cause of disability by 2020.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and currently affects an estimated 28.4 million Americans. According to a report published by the American Heart Association, in 2016, the economic burden of cardiovascular diseases (category of heart and blood vessel diseases) totalled $555 billion and is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2035.  

Diabetes is a leading chronic disease that affects more than 30 million people in the United States. The disease results from high blood glucose (blood sugar) due to an inability to properly derive energy from food, primarily in the form of glucose. Insulin is a hormone that normally helps process glucose in the body. However, in the case of diabetes, insulin is inadequate (Type 2 diabetes) or obsolete (Type 1 diabetes).

Medical devices sector, part of the $3 trillion healthcare industry in the United States, is an area of growth and innovation where researchers and manufacturers are seeking to integrate accuracy with automation. According to the most recent data reported by SelectUSA, (a program within the International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce), the United States held 40 percent of the $140 billion global medical device market in 2015.

The healthcare analytics market continues to gain traction as the healthcare industry transitions to a value-based care model. Value-based care focuses on quality of care delivery as opposed to volume of patients served. There are great opportunities for data analytics due to the high volume of information that must be routinely collected, tracked and interpreted, particularly in the hospital setting. Examples of value-based care programs in the hospital setting include the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) Program and the Hospital Readmission Reduction (HRR) Program.

Talent sourcing and recruitment are at the center of developing and maintaining the U.S. labor force. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that over the decade spanning from 2016 to 2026, the labor force will increase by 11.5 million. This increase is approximately equivalent to a 0.7 percent annual growth rate.

The U.S. music industry is an economic staple generating an estimated $7.7 billion in retail revenue in 2016, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The year 2016 also marked the first time that music industry revenue was generated primarily from “streaming music platforms.”

The entertainment and media (E&M) industry is a diverse sector composed of multiple segments including film, television and media streamed online. By 2021, the U.S. E&M industry is projected to reach $759 billion in revenue,  increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.6 percent.

The U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) defines renewable energy as an energy source that naturally regenerates, such as solar or wind. In contrast, fossil fuels are considered finite. The EIA reports that in 2016, 10 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. was derived from renewable energy sources. This is equivalent to roughly “10.2 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) —1 quadrillion is the number 1 followed by 15 zeros”.

The application of robotics in surgery has steadily grown since it began in the 1980s. In contrast, the integration of artificial intelligence in this sector is still fairly new. As promising applications, predominantly in the research and development phase, begin to the surface we aim to answer the important questions that business leaders are asking today:

The K-12 online tutoring market is a growing sector and is projected by market research firm Technavio to reach $120.67 billion by 2021. Growing numbers of students are taking college entrance exams such as the SAT and tutoring industry giants such as Khan Academy are helping students meet their test prep goals.

Artificial intelligence is gaining traction in the agricultural industry and is steadily being integrated in robotics developed for this sector. As automated technologies penetrate the market, we aim to answer the important questions that business leaders are asking today:

The U.S. commercial airline system is an economic engine which generated an estimated $168.2 billion in operating revenue in 2016. Ticket fares represented 74.5 percent of operating revenue or $125.2 billion. In 2016, the overall category of transportation represented approximately 2.7 percent of the national GDP.

Facial recognition technology has been traditionally associated with the security sector but today there is active expansion into other industries including retail, marketing and health. By 2022, the global facial recognition technology market is projected to generate an estimated $9.6 billion in revenue with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.3 percent*.

The food service industry is an economic staple generating billions of dollars in annual revenue and representing 2.1 percent of the U.S. GDP in 2016. Technology has made on-demand food ordering possible and the industry is pivoting towards more innovative approaches to meet and exceed customer expectations. As a result, artificial intelligence applications are steadily making their way into the food service industry.

eCommerce is a bustling segment of the retail industry representing an estimated $102.7 billion or 8.3 percent of total U.S. retail sales in 2016. Total retail trade was approximated at 5.9 percent of the national GDP in 2016. As digital transactions become the standard method of purchasing goods and services, leading eCommerce firms are exploring how AI can enhance brand competitiveness and customer loyalty.

The impact of AI on business and the role it may play in improving efficiency of operations and driving revenue is a main focus of the research conducted at Emerj. However, there are also a growing number of altruistic applications of AI that are being leveraged today.

The insurance industry is a competitive sector representing an estimated $507 billion or 2.7 percent of the US Gross Domestic Product. As customers become increasingly selective about tailoring their insurance purchases to their unique needs, leading insurers are exploring how machine learning (ML) can improve business operations and customer satisfaction.

The North American sports industry is a cultural and economic staple generating billions of dollars in revenue each year. Spectator sports fall under the broader category of arts, entertainment, and recreation, representing 1.1 percent of the GDP in 2016. Artificial intelligence in sports may have been rare just five years ago - but now AI and machine vision are making their way into a number of sports industry applications, from chatbots to computer vision and beyond.