The year 2022 was full of enthralling inventions and innovations. From tracking ICU patients in the hospital sector to automated rendering in game development, every industry segment got a major upgrade. But out of all the advancements one that caught everyone’s attention: The progress of Artificial intelligence. On November 30th, 2022, a research laboratory with AI development being their main forte mainstreamed ChatGPT.
The Rise of Artificial Intelligence is shifted the way people see technology, until now technology was a helpful resource. A time when smartphones are becoming an essential part of daily life and almost 6 out of 10 things in the world have integrated technology. This is when AI made people realize the potential technology holds, the constant want of sustainability, scalability, and flexibility was achieved through technology integrated with Artificial Intelligence.
A Look Back at How Far We’ve Come
The first paper that introduced people to Intelligent Computing was published in 1950. From that very moment, people started to look at and understand ‘The Possibilities’ differently. The possibilities for humans and machines to work together in synchronization. Experts wanted to explore how far Artificial Intelligence can go. They tried many times to determine the limits through Turing Test and Winograd Schema Challenge (WSC), and somewhere along the way they may succeed or have succeeded.
We saw a plethora of AI tools in the first half of the year 2023. This changed our methods of working, thinking, decision making, and even living. Different industries started to capitalize on this and had to integrate AI-based solutions in their operations too. You may have heard of them or even used them to increase productivity, progress efficiently, and personalize your or your customer experience. The sudden shift also raised questions, people were determining the outcome of human civilization. One of the most important questions was “Will AI replace Humans?”.
Well to answer your questions we need to first determine how far we’ve come as an AI-enabled civilization. Since the integration of AI in our lives we have evolved for sure, but the long run requires exploring scalable resources and attributes of artificial intelligence.
Let’s start from the beginning shall we,
“The concept of AI has influenced and interested great thinkers, philosophers, scientists, mathematicians, and now in modern times of industry experts”
Machine based intelligence that could process information was needed to make AI come true. A machine that could learn the data and derive results, process information at lightning fast speed, and reach conclusions that were only theories.
After Alan Turning the greatest Polymath made the assumption that machines could think like humans do and proved it mathematically, John McCarthy started to educate people. He brought leading researchers of that time together and started developing the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence. Currently, we are in the age that made technology possible.
An example is various AI-based Natural Language Processing software like Bard.AI, Midjourney, Claude, V5, IBM Watson, and ChatGPT. Yet these are standard versions of the technology: it means the AI-enabled solutions that have limitations. Sure they have the ability to approach solutions in a peculiar way, compared to humans but they are limited.
The limitations can be :
- An AI working with limited sets of information.
- It cannot predict the future accurately.
- The full potential of AI cannot be unlocked by the general public.
- There is an uncertainty factor.
- Lack of creativity, empathy, and emotions.
But do these limitations matter? Well they can make a huge difference. Once these hindrances are eradicated we will be able to develop what is said to be a ‘General Artificial Intelligence’.
Also check, What is a benefit of Applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Accenture’s work?
Standard AI vs Generalized AI: The Difference
Let’s learn about this Generalized version through comparing both the types of artificial intelligence.
Standard AI
Definition: A standard artificial intelligence can only perform a specific task. The outcome or method of this task cannot be implemented in any other task. Due to these limited task-performing characteristics, it is also called Narrow AI.
Use case: Online businesses nowadays are using chatbots for customer support. These chatbots are able to provide a specific set of solutions to the input they receive from users. These chatbots are helpful and offer a wide range of assistance to users.
Challenges:
- Cost of Operations
- Data set
- People are not really aware of the capabilities.
Global Impacts: The introduction of Standard AI raised lots of questions but it also opened the door to numerous paths.
- People started to list the threats and explore its potential at the same time.
- Global investors started to invest in AI-based solutions.
- Tech-Giants demanded a regulatory framework for further AI research and development.
Generalized AI
Definition: A self aware machine that could recognize patterns and complete tasks. It can perfectly replicate human intelligence. The decision making process, the problem solving capabilities, and interacting with other humans in a comfortable manner. Due to the qualities that make this version Artificial Intelligence superintelligence, it is also called strong AI.
Use case: To perform tasks in which humans experience limitations. For example space exploration and deep sea exploration for collecting data on minerals and resources.
Challenges:
- The cost of hardware.
- Replicating human emotions and compassion.
- Personalized data set based on every human individual and their choices. An AI can get confused if it gets webbed in unpredictability, randomness and never-ending possibilities.
Global Impacts: The implementation of artificial intelligence will change how the world functions. It would give birth to a new government, economic structure, scientific discoveries, earning possibilities, and much more.
So now that we have differentiated between the two we can estimate how far we have come as an AI-powered society. Once the regulatory bodies make adequate decisions that favor the further development of AI. Maybe it will also need data-building algorithms, or a simple equation that changes the way an AI functions, well the further advancement of artificial intelligence depends on various factors. These factors contribute to the progress in their own way.
One possibility is that AI technology needs to benefit humans in one or multiple ways, this perspective needs a strong variable. You see every brain functions differently, there is no perfect or imperfect intelligence. And in the case of artificial intelligence a perfect intelligence is a variable. There will always be a possibility of an AI going rogue, but on the other hand there is also the possibility of crowning glory. The question is what does it need to reach those results.
“An artificial intelligence is like a near perfect equation, an equation that could lead to perfect results if the variables are correct”.
In the Age of Artificial Intelligence developed Solutions
Artificial intelligence was used even before the 2000s, but the capabilities were not fully explored. In 1966 ELIZA was created that could replicate psychotherapists, but the full fledged AI programs were still far. Other AI based solutions that were invented were STRIPS & SHRDLU, a robot that could solve problems and a natural language processing unit respectively. They were not full-fledged; they only laid the foundation for the ones we have today.
TDIL: A GPS is also a form of Artificial Intelligence. It’s a computer program that could help people to navigate easily. But in early 1968 it was used for Airplanes only.
The year 2023, when investors really started to focus on artificial intelligence as tech developers started to dish out solutions based on it. More refined natural language processors were the first ones that the general public could utilize for various purposes.
AI solutions have become important for us as they make our lives easier. Various verticals are utilizing AI to become smarter, better, and faster.
Near Future Possibilities:
Health Care: AI-solutions are being used for the benefit of patients. To develop personalized care, new treatment, and research about an unknown disease to diagnose without setbacks.
Transportation: Self-Driving cars, smart traffic management systems, smart cameras for reenactment of accidents to gain crucial evidence.
Education: Assisting children to grasp complex theories and personalize their educational materials like assignments, tests, etc.
Scalable Possibilities:-
- Technology can improve quality of life. It can make living smarter, cheaper, and more comfortable.
- It could be used to understand the way the world works. Maybe answer the question “Why do we exist?”. Which has been troubling every single futurist.
- AI can contribute to the seven sustainable development goals of the UN.
Bullet Point Summary
Let’s look back at how far we’ve come:
- We talked about how AI has become an essential part of our lives since its introduction.
- Why today’s AI has limitations that could be surpassed.
- The difference between Narrow AI vs Strong AI.
- How AI is going to change the world and what it will take to further advance the development.
- There is a possibility of developing ‘Pure AI’
Conclusion
The ultimate goal of AI is not a threat to us, that is just a possibility and possibilities tend to change depending on the given circumstances. There exists a possibility where we as a civilization flourish using Artificial intelligence. We need to find that possibility and make it reality. Maybe in the next 3-4 decades or so we could utilize AI like those in movies. If you have ever watched ‘Star Wars’, ‘2001: A space odyssey’, or ‘Her’, you would know the potential AI holds.
One may ask “we know what is next for AI and that it is developing at its own pace, but what about us? What can we do?”. Well we need to be aware about Artificial Intelligence, we need to learn about it. Learning about artificial intelligence can lead us to determine the use and threats. This is one of the many reasons why an artificial intelligence development company goes down the never ending rabbit hole of this future transforming technology. Artificial intelligence is the new atomic energy and we need to understand it to use it for the betterment of humanity. More importantly we need to practically find the result, cause theory could only take you so far.