Artificial Intelligence (AI) has risen as a game-changing technology with extensive applications spanning multiple industries, clearly influencing work and society. In the realm of data management, AI presents significant opportunities for automating and enhancing various processes, fundamentally transforming how businesses manage and utilize their data.

At its core, AI entails the emulation of human intelligence in machines, empowering them to execute tasks traditionally reserved for human intellect. AI algorithms have been crafted to scrutinize extensive datasets, identify patterns, and make informed judgments. This technology has been employed in various domains, including healthcare, finance, retail, manufacturing, and beyond.

According to a latest McKinsey survey, one-third of respondents indicated that Generative AI is being utilized in at least one business function, and 40% of organizations reported applying AI, with expectations of increased future investments.

Data management strategies have evolved in response to the exponential growth in data generation. We began with simple relational databases and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, then transitioned to Big Data and unstructured data, paving the way for the development of data pipelines and data lakes. Today, modern data knowledge is highly complex, predominantly unstructured, and must be synthesized from various sources, surpassing the control of traditional technologies.

AI technologies, such as machine learning (ML) algorithms, can accelerate common tasks like data cleansing, classification, clustering, and anomaly detection. Furthermore, they have the capability to handle Natural Language Processing (NLP) and deep learning, simplifying tasks like text analysis, sentiment analysis, image analysis, and more.

Cloud infrastructure not only supports data-driven applications but also fosters the development of Big Data as a valuable resource for training AI/ML models in enterprises. Before the emergence of cloud computing, AI/ML development faced limitations regarding investment in on-premise hardware infrastructure to meet the computational resource needs for model training. Cloud computing has significantly reduced the costs of developing and deploying AI/ML models, making them more accessible to many SMEs.

Cloud architectures (hybrid cloud, multi-cloud, public cloud) excel in providing conditions for rapidly scaling computing resources using the public cloud infrastructure of various providers.

Integrating AI into data management in a cloud environment

1. AI and Data Classification
Data classification is a way to organize data into categories to enhance the efficiency of working with databases. It makes data retrieval easier by allowing users to search within specific sets of designated data categories.

AI models can be used to index the collected metadata, making it easy to search for. ML models can be used to categorize data into different categories based on its metadata. NLP can be employed to extract more detailed metadata from unstructured data sources.

Data classification is the crucial first step in collecting and cleaning data for ML projects. All data needs to be cleaned before it can be used and analyzed, especially when the data is provided through machine learning algorithms. Without applying data cleaning measures, data scientists may conduct analyses and reach incorrect conclusions.

2. AI and Data Extraction
With unstructured data sources like text, PDFs, or images, data extraction has become a challenge for traditional tools. However, data extraction tools supported by AI can process natural language to understand the data fields that businesses need to extract.

For example, if a business wants to extract customer data from invoices or purchase orders, they only need to specify the fields, and the tool will extract that data regardless of the format.

3. AI and Data Mapping
After the data is extracted, it will be connected from the source to the destination. In the past, data mapping was a manual process that involved writing code. Nowadays, codeless data mapping tools have emerged, allowing users to visualize data and establish relationships in the data through drag and drop (e.g., Power BI).

AI has completely transformed the data mapping process and enables the automatic discovery of data sources, attributes, and relationships in the data model. Additionally, AI simplifies data schema because algorithms use pattern recognition and semantic analysis to identify similarities between different schemas.

4. AI and Data Quality
While many businesses have become experts in generating massive volumes of data, they still have to deal with the issue of data quality. According to IBM, the annual cost for bad data quality was $3.1 trillion in the United States alone in 2016. The development of AI will help improve data quality in large-scale databases.

AI algorithms can scan datasets to find errors, inconsistencies, anomalies, and immediately rectify them. The best part about AI algorithms is that they can handle missing data. AI algorithms can detect missing values in data and automatically fill in estimated values without compromising accuracy.

5. AI and Data Analytics
AI can contribute the most benefits to data analysis - the final step in the data management process. With the introduction of GPT, the seamless integration of NLP into data analysis has significantly increased. NLP techniques analyze text data from sources such as social media, customer feedback, and documents. AI can also group similar data using clustering algorithms.

here are 5 levels of data analysis: Descriptive, Diagnostic, Predictive, Prescriptive, and Cognitive. Among these, Cognitive is the highest level of data analysis and involves the most integration of AI/ML algorithms. Cognitive Analytics simulates how humans solve problems. It combines the power of previous analyses with the context of different situations through algorithms. With the power of AI/ML, it is expected to solve many problems better than humans.

Integrating AI to Enhance Data Security in the Cloud Environment

The cloud environment poses numerous inherent security threats to databases and systems. However, AI is poised to be a game-changer in cybersecurity. The application of AI in cybersecurity is rapidly increasing and being adopted by many companies as a key tool in their cybersecurity strategies.

According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global cybersecurity market is expected to grow from $8.8 billion in 2020 to $38.2 billion in 2026, with a CAGR of 23.3%. The report also emphasizes the growing demand for AI application in cybersecurity due to the increasing number of cybersecurity threats and a shortage of highly skilled cybersecurity experts.

Here are some applications of AI in cybersecurity:

1. Malware Detection
raditional antivirus software relies on signature recognition to identify known malware variants. This approach is effective only against previously encountered malware variants, making it vulnerable to detection-evading transformations.

AI solutions employ machine learning algorithms to detect and respond to both known and unknown malware. These algorithms can analyze large datasets to identify patterns and anomalies that are difficult for humans to spot. By scrutinizing malware behavior, AI can uncover new variants that traditional antivirus software might miss.

AI-driven malware detection models can be trained using labeled and unlabeled data. Labeled data is tagged with specific attributes, such as whether a file is malicious or not. In contrast, unlabeled data lacks tags and can be used to train machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and anomalies in the data.

AI models may use various techniques to identify malware, including static and dynamic analysis. Static analysis involves scrutinizing file characteristics like size, structure, and code to detect anomalies. Dynamic analysis, on the other hand, examines behavior when a file is executed to identify patterns and anomalies in data.

2. Phishing Detection
Phishing is a common form of cyberattack targeting individuals and organizations.Traditional phishing detection methods often rely on rule-based filtering or maintaining blacklists to identify and block known phishing emails. This approach has limitations as it is only effective against previously encountered attack types, thereby missing out on emerging attack variations.

AI solutions for phishing detection utilize machine learning algorithms to analyze the content and structure of emails, allowing them to identify phishing attempts. These algorithms can learn from extensive datasets to detect unusual signs and analyze user interactions with emails to identify phishing behavior.

or example, if a user clicks on a suspicious link or provides personal information in response to a phishing email, AI solutions can flag such activities and alert the security team.

3. Security Log Analysis
AI-driven security log analysis employs algorithms capable of real-time analysis of large volumes of security log data.

AI algorithms can detect unusual signs of security breaches, even when these signs have not been previously identified. Organizations can quickly identify and respond to security incidents, reducing the risk of data exposure and other security issues.

This AI solution can also help organizations identify internal threats. By analyzing user behavior across various systems and applications, AI algorithms can detect and highlight threats, such as unauthorized access or abnormal data transmissions. Organizations can take preventative measures against data breaches and other security incidents before they happen.

4. Network Security
AI algorithms can be trained to monitor networks and detect suspicious activities, identify abnormal traffic patterns, and detect unauthorized devices.

AI can enhance network security by identifying abnormal behaviors, including analyzing network traffic to identify anomalies or suspicious activities. This can include the use of unusual ports, unusual protocols, or traffic from suspicious IP addresses. AI can also improve network security by monitoring devices to detect unauthorized devices and notify the security team.

For example, if a new device is detected on the network without authorization from the IT department, the AI system can flag it as a potential security risk. AI is also used to monitor the behavior of devices on the network, such as patterns of abnormal activities to detect potential threats.

5. Endpoint Security
Endpoint devices, such as laptops and smartphones, are often targets for hackers. AI endpoint security solutions use algorithms to analyze the behavior of endpoint devices and detect potential threats.

For example, AI solutions can scan files to search for malware and isolate any suspicious files. It can monitor the activities of endpoint devices and detect abnormal behavior to identify security threat.

A key advantage of AI endpoint security solutions is their adaptability and evolution over time. As network attack methods become more complex, AI algorithms can learn from new data and indicate signs of potential threats, such as the use of unusual ports/protocols or access traffic from suspicious IP addresses. This means that AI security solutions can better protect user device data against new threats compared to traditional antivirus software.

AI can also enhance network security by monitoring endpoint devices. AI algorithms can be trained to identify unauthorized devices accessing the network and raise alerts about potential threats.

For example, if a new device is detected that has not been authorized by the IT department, the AI system can mark that device as a potential security risk. AI can also be used to monitor the behavior of devices on the network, such as abnormal activities.

Integrating AI in Cost Optimization on the Cloud

Instead of having to invest in a team responsible for efficient cloud management, businesses should leverage AI because it can do this job much better. AI can operate continuously to accurately analyze cloud usage and provide ways to minimize or even eliminate inefficient costs on the cloud. Here's how AI supports cloud cost management:

1. 24/7 Cloud Monitoring
IT teams have more critical tasks than monitoring cloud infrastructure. Even if they are assigned this task 24/7, there will still be limitations in the amount of data they can accurately analyze.

AI provides a perfect solution. These algorithms can work 24/7 to measure cloud usage accurately and efficiently in real-time. By using this technology, a business's cloud can be effectively monitored and ensured to operate at optimal capacity.

2. Right sizing of resources
An enterprise's cloud resources are always changing, along with sudden fluctuations in demands. So why should businesses pay for what they don't use? For humans, reacting quickly to such changes is nearly impossible.

When integrating AI in a cloud environment, scaling resources appropriately becomes easier than ever. When the demand for computing resources increases or decreases, AI can assist by monitoring, analyzing, and reacting instantly in real-time. Cloud resources are automatically managed, ensuring the removal or resizing of instances as needed. For instance, AI can detect high traffic and automatically adjust resources (bandwidth, CPU) to optimize the load balancing process.

3. Managing EBS
EBS - Elastic Block Storage, is a complex storage system. A company's cloud resources may include idle EBS volumes, as well as necessary EBS volumes that the business is paying more for than necessary. AI can identify idle EBS volumes, predict resource usage trends, and even automatically consolidate or split blocks when needed to ensure optimal usage.

4. Predictive Analysis and Cognitive Analysis
Machine learning algorithms can easily understand the historical behavior of the cloud and use that information to maximize cloud performance. Typically, a business's cloud usage needs will vary at specific times during the day or specific times during the year. AI can analyze behavior and provide advance forecasting information for the business to know what it needs at a specific time, adapt to sudden increases in database access, or predict which infrastructure will be needed for growth without wasting resources.

Integrating AI into Legal Compliance in the Cloud Environment

Every day, businesses have to handle countless documents while ensuring compliance with legal regulations, including the most recent one, Decree 13/2023/NĐ-CP on Personal Data Protection. This can pose challenges for businesses as policies and regulations are frequently updated, and the volume of data is immense. Additionally, there are complex information security requirements to consider.

AI can support compliance with data security protocols by applying rule-based identification on documents or specific information. These documents may require signatures or review, including personal identification data within customer commitments, confidential documents, or documents that adhere to retention policies. AI technology can identify relevant information categories, apply specific conditions, and automatically rectify errors made by humans or address issues.

Furthermore, AI can summarize information using Large Language Models (LLM) and quickly retrieve relevant information through prompts. This saves employees time when reviewing historical data or conducting research.

The process of integrating AI into compliance in data management starts by establishing an automated information management system. Companies will classify smaller data sets, such as basic personal data and sensitive personal data as per Decree 13. AI then begins to identify patterns within these classifications and learns how to analyze data and carry out accurate classifications.

Throughout this process, the IT company directly guides machine learning algorithms and corrects any misclassifications. The more data is accurately classified, the faster AI/ML models can learn and apply logic to data based on the rules defined during training.

Companies can connect AI with third-party information management software and other existing tools, applications, and document repositories. This creates a unified, automatically updated, and easily maintainable database system.

Final thoughts

The integration of AI and ML into cloud-based data management has revolutionized how organizations handle, secure, and optimize their data. This integration promises to continue advancing, enabling more accurate data-driven decisions, automation of tasks, and enhanced data management strategies. It represents a fundamental shift in data utilization and protection in the cloud, offering unprecedented insights and innovation.