Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a form of machine software that imitates the intelligence of members of the human race in order to get a task done in the most efficient way possible.
AI is taught to be intelligent by the most intelligent species to have been found on this planet, the homo sapiens. We have been able to instill the same use of logic which has given birth to a process of three steps – learn, deduce and self-correct.
Types of Artificial Intelligence
There are two types of AI that have been the base for a course of action that the AI is capable of taking. They are –
- Narrow AI – This is a weaker form of AI. We see it all around us in computers, phones, and other gadgets. This intelligent system can be taught to carry out a specific action without being trained on the how. Our very own virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa come under the category of Narrow AI. In addition to that, language recognition, face recognition, recommended suggestions based on your past searches, etc. also fall under the same category.
- General AI – Artificial General Intelligence is a strong form of intelligence. It uses the cognitive skills found in humans to arrive at the best possible solution without any external interference.
General AI is capable of understanding its internal traits and channelizing human emotions. Let’s say if a General AI system is cut by someone in traffic, it can show emotions of anger and unhappiness. This is an evolved system that is yet to hit the market.
Future of Artificial Intelligence
The term Artificial Intelligence was coined in the year 1956 by John McCarthy. Since then, the world of AI has evolved exponentially, making our lives easier and at the same time, progressing towards a world with an unknown fate.
Imagine an episode of Black Mirror come to life. Battling with the downside of AI can be terrifying. It is definitely not the world we want to live in.
To many, it may seem like AI doesn’t impact our lives, the matter of fact is that the common people of the world are leveraging it without a hint of realization, every day. It has, without a doubt, found its place in our world!
No wonder, AI is one of the most talked about and impactful things in the world today. Many believe that General AI can wreak havoc on our planet and has the ability to destroy humanity, including, Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and the CEO of Tesla. His company has been working on AI and is vocal about the magnitude of its power.
As a result, he also co-founded and funded a non-profit called OpenAI in 2015. It aims to create a world where Artificial Intelligence is used safely to benefit humanity.
Here are some observations made on the future of AI –
- Robots will walk amongst us.
- Robots will replace humans at their jobs.
- A big part of the AI community believes that computers will be as smart as humans by 2040.
- AI may be become smarter than us in the process of learning and implementing. This can lead to circumstances that we can’t even gauge at this point.
- On the upside, our cities will become smarter.
- Automated transportation will be common.
- Home robots will help with the everyday chores.
- AI will facilitate better health care facilities.
- Robots will take up some hazardous jobs like bomb diffusing.
- The AI market was valued at $16 billion in 2017. It is estimated that the Ai market will reach a value of $190 billion by 2025.
While everything comes with pros and cons. AI too, in due course will reveal its real impact. Until then, we should try to make the best and safest use of AI.