Where Things Are & Where They're Headed
What do a Tesla car, Siri, and Rumba vacuum have in common? We'd give you a hint but that would give it away! They all leverage forms of AI, also known as artificial intelligence.
It may or may not surprise you depending on your knowledge of innovative tech, but AI is increasingly involved in our everyday lives. As computers are engineered to be smarter, stronger, and faster, innovators are coming up with ways to use them to make our lives simpler.
Not only do we use software to automate simple tasks daily, such as playing a song or finding out the weather, but AI is integrated now more than ever into the labor market. This may have piqued your interest which is why we're going to be running down some of the most important points when considering where AI is today and where it's going.
What is AI
When you think of artificial intelligence, odds are one of the first things you might think of is robots, right?
Due to the media and cinema depictions of AI over the past couple of decades, humanoid robots and world-ending systems are poster portrayals most people think of when they hear AI. But, artificial intelligence is much more intricate and complex.
In RSnake's interview with Russ Bodnyk, Bodnyk touches on this. He says that AI is such an intricate tool that is always evolving. Bodnyk says that creating a cemented definition can be difficult, especially when considering the idea of consciousness. However, given the developments in artificial intelligence over the past decades, some definitions do exist.
The replication of human intelligence functions by machines, particularly computer systems, is known as artificial intelligence. AI is programming machines to think and act like humans to automate a process or achieve a goal. There are two important subsets of AI that are important to consider, machine learning and deep learning.
Machine learning is the idea that without human involvement, a computer program can pick up new information and adjust. It is the ability of a computer, to recognize data and generate predictions based on that data enabled by a sophisticated algorithm or source code.
Deep learning on the other hand, is a type of machine learning technology, which helps computers to learn by doing what comes easily to people. Machine learning, which is simply a neural network with three or more layers, is a subset of deep learning. This type of AI is different from machine learning because of programming.
A key difference surrounds deep learning being used as a technique for automating predictive analytics. These algorithms are piled in a system of complexity and abstraction, as opposed to conventional machine learning algorithms, which are linear. Digital assistants, voice-activated TV remotes, and credit card fraud prevention are examples of deep learning at work.
With the volume of data and information that is produced online, machine learning is instrumental in ensuring that information is readily available by computed decision-making. Since tech is the leading-edge industry today, machine learning can be applied to a wide array of businesses.
An Overview of AI Today
Artificial Intelligence has come a long way and works within society on so many levels within different spaces and industries. AI is a large focus nowadays with tech companies inventing new ways that it can be used to help businesses and people.
By using artificial intelligence, processes involving decision-making, immediate response, and repetitive actions are streamlined. This means elevated performance and better efficiencies across the board.
Where is AI Being Used?
AI has been integrated into a wide array of industries. Many tasks that would otherwise previously been conducted by humans now rely heavily on AI and machine learning.
Every year billions upon billions of dollars are invested in the development of AI technologies. Some might argue that AI isn't mainstream, yet Amazon Alexa is sitting in millions of living rooms across the world.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are now being used in finance, healthcare, telecommunications, IT, transportation, marketing, and e-commerce, just to name a few. These industries are just a drop in the bucket for opportunities where AI can be used to streamline efficiency.
Transportation, for instance, is one of the areas which has seen immense growth and opportunity. Since the global market for AI in the transportation market is expected to reach $3,870,000,000 by 2026, many in the transportation industry have already recognized AI's incredible potential.
Russ Bodnyk talks about the furthering development of AI-driven vehicles. On a wider scale, collision rates could dissipate and texting while driving could become redundant. It would be at this point where AI becoming integrated into society at a level to governing how people navigate society.
The History of AI
Artificial intelligence has always been an idea that humans have contemplated, from early theorists and philosophers to modern-day authors and researchers. However, Artificial Intelligence has evolved significantly since its inception in the mid-20th century.
The 1950s were the decade where AI developed and gave way to many findings within the field. One pivotal moment in AI history would be Alan Turing's publication of "Computing Machinery and Intelligence". Remember the 2014, film The Imitation Game? That was based on Turing's idea, renamed the Turing Test, which seeks to examine whether a computer can think like a human, or not, or at least convince a human that it does.
This test became a turning point in AI. Following this, American computer scientist John McCarthy held the first AI conference and coined the term in 1956.
Almost a decade later developments were thriving and looming the 1970s the first mobile robot was built. Fast-forward to the late 1990s and the supercomputer Deep Blue was created. In a game of chess, the computer defeated the world champion. The development of this big computer by IBM was a significant accomplishment.
In the 2000s, the world saw the first robotic vacuum cleaner created. Over the past two decades, developments in AI and ML took off. We've seen many forms of speech recognition, like Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa, besides smart home features and self-driving cars.
With such innovation prominent in artificial intelligence, there is much more to come. But many wonder, at what cost will further development come?
Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities vs Obstacles
With almost any invention, with opportunity comes obstacles. In the realm of artificial intelligence, this can mean many things, from funding to development. Russ Bodynk shared his thoughts on where AI is headed in the future. He says at this time we're playing by the benchmarks and that more creativity will be needed.
Pros of AI
Though it is still a developing field of study, artificial intelligence (AI) is already having a significant impact on data analysis, engineering, research, and even medicine. It's no secret that as the scope of AI continues to expand, so do the benefits which will continue to revolutionize industries and sectors alike.
One significant benefit of using artificial intelligence is the reduced the frequency of errors that are made by humans. We've all heard the phrase everyone makes mistakes, but if a computer is programmed correctly, common human errors can be avoided.
Artificial intelligence uses a specific set of algorithms to make conclusions based on information that has already been obtained. This advantage is highly impactful, resulting in minimized errors, and a likelihood of attaining consistency with a greater level of certainty. When you think about it on a grand scale, fewer mistakes leads to cost and time savings, so really you can't go wrong.
Since AIs are programmed to and state machines operate quickly, they make faster decisions more decisively based on their written program. Not to mention AI works with other technologies to make decisions faster, which is advantageous over human decision-making since bias and emotions are often involved. The morality of their decisions is entirely determined by the programmers and inputs the AI operates on, not the machine’s own ethics.
A unique characteristic of artificial intelligence is its capability to continue learning based on previously input information. So really, decisions are made faster, with up-to-date knowledge at any time of the day since AIs don't sleep.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are geared towards streamlining our lives and work. They are programmed to complete a task, so using them to conduct repetitive jobs is an astronomical advantage, especially when considering productivity.
Repetitive jobs and even mundane tasks like sending out scripted emails or spellchecking documents can be accelerated by the application of AI technologies. This is optimal for many fields and industries since it frees up time for other more intricate procedures and increases productivity levels.
On the whole, AI has accelerated our lives in multiple ways but on the flip side, some obstacles can be experienced by AI integration.
Cons of AI
Creativity is needed in businesses, processes, and even research. Sometimes outside the box ideas are what kick innovation into high gear. But it's not something everyone has, including AI. The core of AI is programming directions to carry out a task based on human intent. This is great for simplistic tasks since AI is built to execute linear tasks, but it cannot produce new ideas.
A large majority of the time, emotions and ethics become involved in the decision-making process and creative process. This is where another obstacle to AI surfaces. The absent emotional and ethical range of AI can be problematic considering outputs.
Given that results and outcomes are delivered based on their standing knowledge, unfavorable or exclusive outcomes may occur. In an interview with RSnake, Raymond Kaminski touches on Twitter's bot problem to highlight how misinformation can be spread online.
Yes, the outcomes that AI produce are linear and logical but another obstacle they can also create dependency. Although AI has improved productivity levels and a streamlined life, humans still lose something by letting AI-complete simple tasks.
Before technological advancement and AI, memorizing, problem-solving and strategizing were carried out simply. Now that there are applications to complete the simplest of tasks, some fear that this may create an over-reliance or dependency on AI.
This absence could impact the way future generations operate and if unaddressed it may pose a threat. As long as some care is taken to prevent it from becoming dangerously sophisticated, artificial intelligence can be immensely advantageous for everyone moving forward.
Impacts of AI On The Work Force
When it comes to AIs development, some think that it will lead to a catastrophic unemployment rate, while others believe it may help jobs flourish.
AI is predicted to generate 97 million net new jobs by 2025, according to a World Economic Forum analysis. The majority of these opportunities would be related in some way to working with AI, big data specialists or machine learning specialists, to name a couple.
Artificial intelligence in the workforce can enhance working conditions. In the employment and compensation of employees, AI will reportedly help eliminate both unconscious and conscious prejudices.
Although these impacts are appealing, some fear that the cons outweigh the pros. Data entry clerks, administrative assistants, and even customer service workers jobs will become scarce if they haven't already.
RSnake and Bodnyk discuss both the short-term and long-term impacts of such a transition in the labor markets. Bodnyk explains that the idea of AI dominating the workforce could give people endless potential of what to do with their time. "That's where then you get into free will, right? What do you have to do?", explains Bodnyk.
Why Considering Privacy Is Key
The increasing use of AI raises important questions about data security and privacy.
As AI becomes more sophisticated, we are trusting it more with personal data. There have been concerns raised about how AI could be used to violate privacy.
For example, facial recognition technology could be used to track our movements and collect information about us without our consent. With AI becoming more intertwined in our world, it is crucial to be careful about who is trusted with personal data. Equally important is understanding the risks involved in using AI technology. Bodnyk and RSnake talk dangers of facial recognition and algorithmic AIs.
Data collection can be incredibly invasive when done without user consent. The more personal data that is collected about someone, the easier it becomes for companies to predict what they might like or buy next—and this could result in companies showing you advertising based on your past purchases (for example).
Takeaway
On the whole, artificial intelligence offers us many abilities that once were thought to be impossible.
From self-driving cars to impacts on the workforce, and even privacy concerns, AI is starting to reach into all areas. Being such an innovative field, the possibilities for what AI hold in the future are endless. Who knows, maybe an AI will tell us what the future holds!