Artificial Intelligence: an overview

What is Artificial Intelligence?

According to the father of Artificial Intelligence, John McCarthy, it is “The science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs”.

Artificial Intelligence is a way of making a computer, a computer-controlled robot, or software think intelligently, in the similar manner the intelligent humans think.

AI is accomplished by studying how the man's brain thinks, and how humans learn, decide, and work while trying to solve a problem, and then using the outcomes of this study as a basis for developing intelligent software and systems.

Applications of Artificial Intelligence

AI has been dominant in various fields such as −

• Gaming − AI plays a crucial role in strategic games such as chess, poker, tic-tac-toe, etc., where the machine can think of a large number of possible positions based on heuristic knowledge.
• Natural Language Processing − It is possible to interact with the computer that understands natural language spoken by humans.
• Expert Systems − Some applications integrate machines, software, and special information to impart reasoning and advising. They provide explanations and advice to the users.
• Vision Systems − These systems understand, interpret, and comprehend visual input on the computer. For example,
• A spyingairplanee takes photographs, which are used to figure out spatial information or map of the areas.
• Doctors use a clinical expert system to diagnose the patient.
• Police use computer software that can recognize the face of criminals with the stored portrait made by forensic artists.
• Speech Recognition − Some intelligent systems are capable of hearing and comprehending the language in terms of sentences and their meanings while a human talks to it. It can handle different accents, slang words, noise in the background, changes in human noise due to cold, etc.
• Handwriting Recognition − The handwriting recognition software reads the text written on paper by a pen or on-screen by a stylus. It can recognize the shapes of the letters and convert them into editable text.
• Intelligent Robots − Robots can perform the tasks given by a human. They have sensors to detect physical data from the real world such as light, heat, temperature, movement, sound, bump, and pressure. They have efficient processors, multiple sensors, and huge memory, to exhibit intelligence. In addition, they are capable of learning from their mistakes and they can adapt to the new environment.

Advantages of Artificial Intelligence

1. Reduction in Human Error

One of the biggest advantages of Artificial Intelligence is that it can significantly reduce errors and increase accuracy and precision. The decisions taken by AI in every step are decided by information previously gathered and a certain set of algorithms. When programmed properly, these errors can be reduced to null.

2. Zero Risks

Another big advantage of AI is that humans can overcome many risks by letting AI robots do them for us. Whether it be defusing a bomb, going to space, exploring the deepest parts of oceans, machines with metal bodies are resistant and can survive unfriendly atmospheres. Moreover, they can provide accurate work with greater responsibility and not wear out easily.

3. 24x7 Availability

Many studies show humans are productive only about 3 to 4 hours in a day. Humans also need breaks and time offs to balance their work life and personal life. But AI can work endlessly without breaks. They think much faster than humans and perform multiple tasks at a time with accurate results. They can even handle tedious repetitive jobs easily with the help of AI algorithms.

4. Digital Assistance

Almost all the big organizations these days use digital assistants to interact with their customers which significantly minimizes the need for human resources. You can chat with a chatbot and ask them exactly what you need. Some chatbots have become so intelligent these days that you wouldn’t be able to determine whether you are chatting with a chatbot or a human being.

5. New Inventions

AI has helped in coming up with new inventions in almost every domain to solve complex problems. A recent invention has helped doctors to predict the early stages of breast cancer in women using advanced AI-based technologies.

6. Unbiased Decisions

Human beings are driven by emotions, whether we like them or not. AI, on the other hand, is devoid of emotions and highly practical and rational in its approach. A huge advantage of Artificial Intelligence is that it doesn't have any biased views, which ensures more accurate decision-making.

Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence

1. High Costs

The ability to create a machine that can simulate human intelligence is no small feat. It requires plenty of time and resources and can cost a huge deal of money. AI also needs to operate on the latest hardware and software to stay updated and meet the latest requirements, thus making it quite costly.

2. No creativity

A big disadvantage of AI is that it cannot learn to think outside the box. AI is capable of learning over time with pre-fed data and past experiences, but cannot be creative in its approach. A classic example is the bot Quill who can write Forbes earning reports. These reports only contain data and facts already provided to the bot. Although it is impressive that a bot can write an article on its own, it lacks the human touch present in other Forbes articles.

3. Increase in Unemployment

Perhaps one of the biggest disadvantages of artificial intelligence is that AI is slowly replacing several repetitive tasks with bots. The reduction in the need for human interference has resulted in the death of many job opportunities. A simple example is a chatbot which is a big advantage to organizations, but a nightmare for employees. A study by McKinsey predicts that AI will replace at least 30 percent of human labor by 2030.

4. Make Humans Lazy

AI applications automate the majority of tedious and repetitive tasks. Since we do not have to memorize things or solve puzzles to get the job done, we tend to use our brains less and less. This addiction to AI can cause problems for future generations.

5. No Ethics

Ethics and morality are important human features that can be difficult to incorporate into an AI. The rapid progress of AI has raised several concerns that one day, AI will grow uncontrollably, and eventually wipe out humanity. This moment is referred to as the AI singularity.