AI Apps: What the World Sees vs. What Developers See

Imagine you’re in the market for a new home in, say, Atlanta. And you’re on vacation in a different city. You see an amazing-looking house, whose design you love. You open up your favorite real estate app, snap a picture of this house, and type: “Find me a home that looks like this in Atlanta, in my price range, and within my budget, that’s also next to a park.” Seconds later, you’re served a list of homes that not only resemble this one, but match all your other specifications.

This is what the world—specifically, consumers—expects when it comes to AI-powered applications.

But when developers see the possibilities for these hyper-personalized, interactive, and conversational apps, they also see what goes into building them.

A video showing the behind-the-scenes of an AI-powered real estate app.

To make these advanced apps a reality, developers need to be able to unify operational and vector data. They also want to be able to use their preferred tools and popular LLMs.

Most of all, developers are looking for a platform that makes their jobs easier—while, at the same time, providing a development experience that’s both seamless and secure.

And it’s critical that developers have all of this.

Because as in previous tech revolutions (the software revolution, the birth of the World Wide Web, the dawn of the smartphone, etc.), it’s developers who are leading the new AI revolution.

And it’s developers who will use different kinds of data to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Take for instance audio data. Imagine a diagnostic application that records real-time sounds and turns those sounds into vectors. Then an AI model checks those sounds against a database of known issues: all of which pinpoints the specific sound that signals a potential problem that can now be fixed. Until recently, this kind of innovation wasn't possible.

A video showing an AI-powered advanced diagnostics use case.

This is also just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the types of new applications that developers will build in this new era of AI. Especially when given a platform that not only makes working with operational and vector data easier, but provides an experience that developers actually love.

To learn more about how developers are shaping the AI revolution, and how we at MongoDB not only celebrate them, but support them, visit www.mongodb.com/LoveYourDevelopers.

There you can explore other AI use cases, see data requirements for building these more intelligent applications, discover developers who are innovating in this space, and get started with MongoDB Atlas for free.

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Building Gen AI-Powered Predictive Maintenance with MongoDB

In today’s fast-evolving industrial landscape, digital transformation has become a necessity. From manufacturing plants to connected vehicles, the push towards predictive maintenance excellence is driving organizations to embrace smarter, more efficient ways of managing operations. One of the most compelling advancements in this domain is predictive maintenance powered by generative AI , a cutting-edge approach that will revolutionize how industries maintain and optimize their equipment. For manufacturers seeking maintenance excellence, a unified data store and a developer data platform are key enablers. These tools provide the foundation for integrating AI applications that can analyze sensor data, predict failures, and optimize maintenance schedules. MongoDB Atlas is the only multi-cloud developer data platform available that is designed to streamline and speed up developers' data handling. With MongoDB Atlas, developers can enhance end-to-end value chain optimization through AI/ML, advanced analytics, and real-time data processing, supporting cutting-edge mobile, edge, and IoT applications. In this post, we’ll explore the basics of predictive maintenance and how MongoDB can be used for maintenance excellence. Understanding the need for predictive maintenance Predictive maintenance is about anticipating and addressing equipment failures before they occur, ensuring minimal disruption to operations. Traditional maintenance strategies, like time-based or usage-based maintenance, are less effective than predictive maintenance because they don’t account for the varying conditions and complexities of machinery. Unanticipated equipment breakdown can result in line stoppage and substantial throughput losses, potentially leading to millions of dollars in revenue loss. Since the pandemic, many organizations have begun significant digital transformations to improve efficiency and resilience. However, a concerning gap exists between tech adoption and return on investment. While 89% of organizations have begun digital and AI transformations, only 31% have seen the expected revenue lift, and only 25% have realized the expected cost savings. These numbers highlight the importance of implementing new technologies strategically. Manufacturers need to carefully consider how AI can address their specific challenges and then integrate them into existing processes effectively. Predictive maintenance boosts efficiency and saves money Predictive maintenance uses data analysis to identify problems in machines before they fail. This allows organizations to schedule maintenance at the optimal time, maximizing machine reliability and efficiency. Indeed, according to Deloitte , predictive maintenance can lead to a variety of benefits, including: 3-5% reduction in new equipment costs 5-20% increase in labor productivity 15-20% reduction in facility downtime 10-30% reduction in inventory levels 5-20% reduction in carrying costs Since the concept was introduced, predictive maintenance has constantly evolved. We've moved beyond basic threshold-based monitoring to advanced techniques like machine learning (ML) models. These models can not only predict failures but also diagnose the root cause, allowing for targeted repairs. The latest trend in predictive maintenance is automated strategy creation. This involves using AI to not only predict equipment breakdowns but also to generate repair plans, ensuring the right fixes are made at the right time. Generative AI in predictive maintenance To better understand how gen AI can be used to build robust predictive maintenance solutions, let's dig into the characteristics of organizations that have successfully implemented AI. They exhibit common traits across five key areas: Identifying high-impact value drivers and AI use cases: Efforts should be concentrated on domains where artificial intelligence yields maximal utility rather than employing it arbitrarily. Aligning AI strategy with data strategy: Organizations must establish a strong data foundation with a data strategy that directly supports their AI goals. Continuous data enrichment and accessibility: High-quality data, readily available and usable across the organization, is essential for the success of AI initiatives. Empowering talent and fostering development: By equipping their workforce with training and resources, organizations can empower them to leverage AI effectively. Enabling scalable AI adoption: Building a strong and scalable infrastructure is key to unlocking the full potential of AI by enabling its smooth and ongoing integration across the organization. Implementing predictive maintenance using MongoDB Atlas When combined with a robust data management platform like MongoDB Atlas, gen AI can predict failures with remarkable accuracy and suggest optimal maintenance schedules. MongoDB Atlas is the only multi-cloud developer data platform designed to accelerate and simplify how developers work with data. Developers can power end-to-end value chain optimization with AI/ML, advanced analytics, and real-time data processing for innovative mobile, edge, and IoT applications. MongoDB Atlas offers a suite of features perfectly suited for building a predictive maintenance system, as shown in Figure 1 below. Its ability to handle both structured and unstructured data allows for comprehensive condition monitoring and anomaly detection. Here’s how you can build a generative AI-powered predictive maintenance software using MongoDB Atlas: Machine prioritization: This stage prioritizes machines for the maintenance excellence program using a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system that takes in structured and unstructured data related to maintenance costs and past failures. Generative AI revolutionizes this process by reducing manual analysis time and minimizing investment risks. At the end of this stage, the organization knows exactly which equipment or assets are well-suited for sensorization. Utilizing MongoDB Atlas, which stores both structured and unstructured data, allows for semantic searches that provide accurate context to AI models. This results in precise machine prioritization and criticality analysis. Failure prediction: MongoDB Atlas provides the necessary tools to implement failure prediction, offering a unified view of operational data, real-time processing, integrated monitoring, and seamless machine learning integration. Sensors on machines, like milling machines, collect data (e.g., air temperature and torque) and process it through Atlas Stream Processing , allowing continuous, real-time data handling. This data is then analyzed by trained models in MongoDB, with results visualized using Atlas Charts and alerts pushed via Atlas Device Sync to mobile devices, establishing an end-to-end failure prediction system. Repair plan generation: To implement a comprehensive repair strategy, generating a detailed maintenance work order is crucial. This involves integrating structured data, such as repair instructions and spare parts, with unstructured data from machine manuals. MongoDB Atlas serves as the operational data layer, seamlessly combining these data types. By leveraging Atlas Vector Search and aggregation pipelines , the system extracts and vectorizes information from manuals and past work orders. This data feeds into a large language model (LLM), which generates the work order template, including inventory and resource details, resulting in an accurate and efficient repair plan. Maintenance guidance generation: Generative AI is used to integrate service notes and additional information with the repair plan, providing enhanced guidance for technicians. For example, if service notes in another language are found in the maintenance management system, we extract and translate the text to suit our application. This information is then combined with the repair plan using a large language model. The updated plan is pushed to the technician’s mobile app via Atlas Device Sync. The system generates step-by-step instructions by analyzing work orders and machine manuals, ensuring comprehensive guidance without manually sifting through extensive documents. Figure 1: Achieving end-to-end predictive maintenance with MongoDB Atlas Developer Data Platform In the quest for operational excellence, predictive maintenance powered by generative AI and MongoDB Atlas stands out as a game-changer. This innovative approach not only enhances the reliability and efficiency of industrial operations but also sets the stage for a future where AI-driven insights and actions become the norm. By leveraging the advanced capabilities of MongoDB Atlas, manufacturers can unlock new levels of performance and productivity, heralding a new era of smart manufacturing and connected systems. If you would like to learn more about generative AI-powered predictive maintenance, visit the following resources: [Video] How to Build a Generative AI-Powered Predictive Maintenance Software [Whitepaper] Generative AI in Predictive Maintenance Applications [Whitepaper] Critical AI Use Cases in Manufacturing and Motion: Realizing AI-powered innovation with MongoDB Atlas

June 27, 2024
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The Converged AI and Application Datastore for Insurance

In the inherently information-driven insurance industry, companies ingest, analyze, and process massive amounts of data, requiring extensive decision-making. To manage this, they rely on a myriad of technologies and IT support staff to keep operations running smoothly but often lack effectiveness due to their outdated nature. Artificial intelligence (AI) holds great promise for insurers by streamlining processes, enhancing decision-making, and improving customer experiences with significantly less time, resources, and staff compared with traditional IT systems. The convergence of AI and innovative application datastores is transforming how insurers work with data. In this post, we’ll look at how these elements are reshaping the insurance industry and offering greater potential for AI-powered applications, with MongoDB at the heart of the converged AI and application datastore. Scenario planning and flexible data layers One of the primary concerns for IT leaders and decision-makers in the insurance industry is making smart technology investments. The goal is to consolidate existing technology portfolios, which often include a variety of systems like SQL Server, Oracle, and IBM IMS. Consolidation helps reduce inventory and prepare for the future. But what does future-proofing really look like? Scenario planning is an effective strategy for future-proofing. This involves imagining different plausible futures and investing in the common elements that remain beneficial across all scenarios. For insurance companies, a crucial common thread is the data layer. By making data easier to work with, companies can ensure that their technology investments remain valuable regardless of how future scenarios unfold. MongoDB’s flexible developer data platform offers a distinct architectural advantage by making data easier to work with, regardless of the cloud vendor or AI application in use. This flexibility is vital for preparing for disruptive future scenarios, whether they involve regulatory changes, market shifts, or technological advancements. Watch now: The Converged AI and Application Datastore: How API's, AI & Data are Reshaping Insurance The role of AI and data in insurance Generative AI is revolutionizing the insurance sector, offering new ways to manage and utilize data. According to Celent's 2023 Technology Insight and Strategy Survey, 33% of companies across different industries have AI projects in planning, 29% in development, and 19% in production (shown in Figure 1 below). This indicates a significant shift towards AI-driven solutions by insurers actively experimenting with gen AI. Figure 1: Celent Technology Insight and Strategy Survey 2023 However, there's tension between maintaining existing enterprise systems and innovating with AI. Insurance companies must balance keeping the lights on with investing in AI to meet the expectations of boards and stakeholders. The solution lies in integrating AI in a way that enhances operational efficiency without overwhelming existing systems. However, data challenges need to be addressed to achieve this, specifically around access to data. According to a Workday Global Survey , only 4% of respondents said their data is fully accessible, and 59% say their enterprise data is somewhat or completely siloed. Without a solid data foundation, insurers will struggle to achieve the benefits they are looking for from AI. Data architectures and unstructured data When adopting advanced technologies like AI and ML, which require data as the foundation, organizations often grapple with the challenge of integrating these innovations into legacy systems due to their inflexibility and resistance to modification. A robust data architecture is essential for future-proofing and consolidating technology investments. Insurance companies often deal with a vast amount of unstructured data, such as claim images and videos, which can be challenging to manage. By leveraging AI, specifically through vector search and large language models, companies can efficiently process and analyze this data. MongoDB is ideal for managing unstructured data due to its flexible, JSON-like document model, which accommodates a wide variety of data types and structures without requiring a predefined schema. Additionally, MongoDB’s flexibility enables insurers to integrate seamlessly with various technologies, making it a versatile and powerful solution for unstructured data management. For example, consider an insurance adjuster assessing damage from claim photos. Traditionally, this would require manually reviewing each image. With AI, the photos can be converted into vector embeddings and matched against a database of similar claims, drastically speeding up the process. This not only improves efficiency but also enhances the accuracy of assessments. The converged AI and application datastore with MongoDB Building a single view of data across various systems is a game-changer for the insurance industry. Data warehouses and data lakes have long provided single views of customer and claim data, but they often rely on historical data, which may be outdated. The next step is integrating real-time data with these views to make them more dynamic and actionable. A versatile database platform plays a crucial role in this integration. By consolidating data into a single, easily accessible view, insurance companies can ensure that various personas, from underwriters to data scientists, can interact with the data effectively. This integration allows for more responsive and informed decision-making, which is crucial for staying competitive in a rapidly evolving market. This can be achieved with a converged AI and application datastore, as shown in Figure 2 below. This is where operational data, analytics insights, and unstructured data become operationally ready for the applications that leverage AI. Figure 2: Converged AI and application datastore reference architecture The convergence of AI, data, and application datastores is reshaping the insurance industry. By making smart technology investments, leveraging AI to manage unstructured data, and building robust data architectures, insurance companies can future-proof their operations and embrace innovation. A versatile and flexible data platform provides the foundation for these advancements, enabling companies to make their data more accessible, actionable, and valuable. The MongoDB Atlas developer data platform puts powerful AI and analytics capabilities directly in the hands of developers and offers the capabilities to enrich applications by consolidating, ingesting, and acting on any data type instantly. Because MongoDB serves as the operational data store (ODS)—with its flexible document model—insurers can efficiently handle large volumes of data in real-time. By integrating MongoDB with AI/ML platforms, insurers can develop models trained on the most accurate and up-to-date data, thereby addressing the critical need for adaptability and agility in the face of evolving technologies. With built-in security controls across all data, whether managed in a customer environment or through MongoDB Atlas, a fully managed cloud service, MongoDB ensures robust security with features such as authentication (single sign-on and multi-factor authentication), role-based access controls, and comprehensive data encryption. These security measures act as a safeguard for sensitive data, mitigating the risk of unauthorized access from external parties and providing organizations with the confidence to embrace AI and ML technologies. If you would like to learn more about the convergence of AI and application datastores, visit the following resources: Video: The Converged AI and Application Datastore: How API's, AI & Data are Reshaping Insurance Paper: Innovation in Insurance with Artificial Intelligence The MongoDB Solutions Library is curated with tailored solutions to help developers kick-start their projects

July 18, 2024