Shape-shifting branding shows deep learning AI in action

Artificial intelligence insurance company uses shape-changing blocks to make its work tangible.

Blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) are more common than ever before. Although discussed and used more, they are not, however, in mainstream everyday use. How do companies that work with either topic explain the intricacies to people outside the industry? By making them more tangible, businesses make both AI and blockchain more easily understood. A new jobs site and a supermarket smart trolley are two such examples.

A new international marketplace for expert freelancers, including blockchain consultants, manages all payments via bitcoin. Freelancers send proposals and companies negotiate with their preferred consultants after a job is posted on the site. Additionally, projects are easily managed via the site, with clients setting milestones and freelancers tracking their time. The next example is a warehouse-style supermarket chain that uses an autonomous shopping cart. The trolley has a variety of useful functions. They include self-navigation, automatic payment and smart sensors. The sensors recognize voices so each trolley follows the person using it.

In the insurance world, AI insurance company Cytora uses shape-shifting branding to make its deep learning system more easily understood. The London-based is moving away from static data-capture with a Risk Engine that uses artificial intelligence to learn the patterns of good and bad risks over time.

To translate this innovative process design agency Pentagram created a set of evolving blocks which Cytora now uses as its visual brand. The color and shape of each block indicate the type of risk being assessed. Cytora’s USP is its ability to deep dive into gigantic datasets. Types of risk include natural disasters such as floods, storms and fire and others such as property safety. Cytora’s detailed analysis helps clients more accurately price their insurance. Furthermore, the changeability of the branding blocks reflects the rapid ups and downs that entire industry faces every day. In the future, a bespoke set of blocks could illustrate each assessment made by Cytora. What other intangible aspects of technological innovation could also be made tangible through interactive illustration?