Artificial Intelligence made its introduction into the world in the early 1950s through computer pioneer Alan Turing. Turing created the Turing Test, a scenario based on questions designed to determine if the one providing answers was a human or a computer. In short, if the one who was judging the answers was incorrect 50% of the time in determining whether the answers were coming from a human or computer, the computer was considered to be intelligent. While his “test” has brought considerable controversy, leaving some of his opponents to question its validity or relevance, there is no question about the growing impact of artificial intelligence.
AI is in the home, in the car, in our phones, in business processes, and the market is expected to hit $100 billion in revenue by 2025. While the future of AI is certain to be powerful, there are opponents of AI who have concerns about just how powerful it can become. One of the key components of AI is intelligent automation, but the concern lies in just how much a computer can actually automate…all on its own.
Here are some spooky facts about AI:
- Artificial Intelligence can learn. The traditional view of computer technology is that the computer is only as smart as the human who makes it, and it will only respond in the way that it has been programmed. With the evolution of the technology, AI now has the potential for Deep Learning. One of the most recent developments sure to make you shiver in your boots comes from Facebook, after they shut down an artificial intelligence engine after developers discovered that the AI had developed its own language that humans can’t understand. It was an incredible technological achievement that spooked the developers.
- Artificial Intelligence can repair itself. One of the big challenges for robots outside of a factory environment has been their lack of adaptability. Typically, uncontrolled environments are damaging to the computer components. In 2015, a report by Live Science was released on a series of experiments that researchers were running on robots. “In experiments, a six-legged robot could adapt in little more than a minute to keep walking even if two of its legs were damaged, broken or missing. A robotic arm could also learn to place an object in the correct place even with several broken motors or joints.” The ability for robots to “heal” themselves could prove to a powerful tool in future space or deep-sea explorations. But seriously…a robot that can heal itself?
- Artificial Intelligence is starting to understand our behavior. What is likely to be considered the most powerful communication tool on the planet, Facebook uses artificial intelligence to understand how we behave or interact with things. While Facebook “algorithms” seem to be of legendary lore, founder Mark Zuckerberg has discussed the further advancement of AI to further integrate the social juggernaut’s influence on everyday life. We are fed content, ads, and potential experiences all based on what these intelligent bots believe about us. The future of AI seems poised to deliver us experiences and options for our life based on how well it can learn about us, not only as humans in general, but as individuals.
So there you have it! These are just a very few capabilities of AI that might leave you a bit spooked. And while there are some like Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk who have considerable concerns about the future of AI, the reality is that there is tremendous opportunity to make our lives better with such technological advancement. Like any other technology, AI can be used for both good or bad, trick or treat!
