Artificial Intelligence: How much do you know about it?

by Alisha Sharma Go4Customer

Artificial intelligence or AI is the buzzword these days. From Zuck to Musk, everyone seems to be harping (though not always in a good way) about it. But, what exactly is the artificial intelligence? Is it the same thing as machine learning? Will it prove to be our undoing one day? If not, what’s the scope of this revolutionary technology? And, the questions continue.

The problem with AI is not its understanding but the lack of it. Honestly, the concept of artificial intelligence is indeed complicated, but that’s because it is still evolving, and we are still many years away from a detailed certified research paper that will someday document every aspect of this technology. Well, till then let’s try to grasp the essential ingredients of this tech and how it is changing our lives.

What is artificial intelligence?

Simply put, artificial intelligence is simulated computer intelligence, i.e. to program machines to think the way we think. Interestingly, AI learns and adapts just as we do- takes in data, processes it and stores it for future use. Because, a machine cannot be programmed with all the possible answers, so it uses what it has learned to create new solutions.

AI can be classified as narrow or general. Narrow AI is programmed to perform only one task at a time. Currently, most of the artificial intelligence is narrow AI such as voice-based assistants or autonomous cars. General AI, or as the scientists call it the true AI, is much more comprehensive and not domain specific.

Applications and scope

Do you know AI is already an integral part of your daily lives? From YouTube to ride-sharing apps, AI is ubiquitous, changing our lives in more ways than one. It’s used to recommend what you should buy next, or what accounts you should follow on social media. That little chat window saying “Hi, how may I help you?” on various websites is nothing but a well-programmed AI, capable of understanding and responding to human language.

Then, of course, there is the autonomous technology. While self-driving cars may look like the most significant application of artificial intelligence, in reality, you are already using it in forms like GPS monitors and auto-braking systems.

The gaming industry is amongst the biggest beneficiaries of the advances in artificial intelligence. From virtual reality to augmented reality, almost every modern video game has an AI component.

Artificial intelligence has also changed how the modern healthcare industry works. From helping patients with online appointments to assisting doctors in diagnosing potential cancer, AI is making healthcare more inclusive and advanced.

AI-Machine learning-Deep learning

Though artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) are often used interchangeably, they aren’t the same thing.

Machine learning is actually an application of AI where a system is fed large amounts of data. The computer then learns and completes a task based on experience without being explicitly programmed, and get progressively better at that function. Today, machine learning is used across multiple industries including data security companies, music streaming apps, and fintechs.

Deep learning is a subset of ML. It is an AI function that imitates the human brain to process data and creates patterns for use in decision making. While basic machine learning algorithms may sometime need human intervention, if they return inaccurate results, deep learning algorithms can figure it out on their own.

One of the finest examples of deep learning model is Google’s AlphaGo. It is an AI-based computer program which learned to play the ancient board game called Go by playing against pros.

It’s not humans vs computers

Now, coming to the most critical question. The idea of AI possibly becoming smarter than its creator to the extent of scripting our doom is a little far-fetched.  As we noted above, AI is still evolving, and there is still a very long way to go before we can unravel the full potentialities of this tech.

While machines may be replacing humans in certain kinds of jobs, this is also giving us more time to invest in creative and innovative pursuits of life. The future won’t be ‘man’ vs ‘machine’ but rather man and machine working collaboratively for a better world. There are indeed some researches which predict that AI can make workers more productive and will create new jobs that we cannot imagine in today’s scenario.

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Created on Oct 16th 2018 00:29. Viewed 586 times.

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