What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic right now, and it’s complicated. If you’re just beginning to learn about AI, here are a few points to get you started.
What exactly is AI?
In pop culture, AI is depicted as a computer with intelligence equal or greater than humans. This is one extreme of the technology – in reality, AI is a computer technology programmed with any level of intelligence.
The technology has been around us for decades, already embedded in our day to day lives. It’s part of the checkers game you played on the computer growing up. It’s part of your social media sites advertising gear specifically to you. It’s part of the thermostat that knows if you’re home, changing the temperature accordingly. These are all examples of narrow or weak AI.
The goal of AI development is to increase a machine’s ability to take on much more complex tasks, and draw closer to a computer with human like intelligence.
If AI has been around us for this long, why is it such a big deal now?
The development of AI has accelerated, causing business and academic leaders (Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, Jeff Bozes, Elon Musk) to publicly express various opinions on the progress, and potential pitfalls of AI. This public debate is bringing attention to the subject. There is also heavy public and private investment being committed to further development.
Why is AI development progressing faster than anticipated?
There are several reasons for this, two of which I would like to address. The first is our growing ability to collect, store and process data. Often termed “Big Data”, significant amounts of new technology are rooted or revolves around collecting and using data in new ways to solve problems.
The second is the shift in the function of machine programming. Previously, a machine system would be programmed with a set of identifiable parameters. When these parameters were present, a prescribed function would be executed (narrow or weak AI). Today, machines are being programmed to interpret and learn from new data sources, improving its ability to deliver the desired outcome. This process is often referred to as “Machine Learning”.
As a machine gains access to growing amounts of data, it learns and adjusts its behaviour. This process allows the machine to evolve over time. A prominent example of this is the growing field of self-driving cars. The car uses its original set of data to determine the fastest, safest route to the destination. As the car travels, and consumes new traffic flow data, it changes its projected route without any human interaction. In practice, the more the car learns, the better it will become at determining and adjusting its route.
What’s the impact?
AI is an exciting field, rapidly developing and opening new advantages. It has the potential of impacting almost all aspects of our lives, and will play a significant role in the future of our society.
