What is AI?
“Just as electricity transformed almost everything 100 years ago, today I actually have a hard time thinking of an industry that I don’t think, AI will transform in the next several years,”Andrew Ng, coursera cofounder/chief scientist at Baidu.
A.I means Artificial intelligence. The term 'Artificial intelligence' was first coined by a US based computer engineer and cognitive scientist, 'John McCarthy' who called it as the science of making intelligent machines.
AI include Intelligent machines/roberts/ computers trained to execute certain tasks that are beyond the scope of a normal computer.
In other words, AI denotes the ability of a digital computer to perform such tasks which are conventionally associated with Intelligent beings normally humans. The general characteristics of an AI tool/computer are Interpretation, Exploration, Generalization and Logical Reminisce. However, AI's are very specific in nature, as they usually perform specific and determined tasks.
One important aspect that differentiates AI from normal computer is what we give the nomenclature of "Intelligence." This intelligence is not an isolated abstract trait but can be defined as "combination of past learnings linked to real time reasoning that can help perform problem solving and development of certain perceptions by use of language."
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How does AI work?
AI 'simply' works by using algorithms and data that copy the process of intelligent thinking. AI algorithms takes the data, learn from it, and use it to make decisions and predictions.It normally follows two approaches to learning. First is the 'Top down approach', also called 'Symbolic approach' and the second one is 'Bottom up approach', also called 'Connectionist approach.'
Symbolic approach or simply called symbolic AI is a classical model of AI, which has aroused fresh interest lately because it is supposed to be of verifiable and secure nature, given the development of AI and its recent indulgement in high profile domains.
The connectionist approach is relatively new model of AI. In this, a programmer just provides input data and an output sample, the AI itself identifies the rules using best fitting models. An example of connectionist approach is Neural networks.
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| Neural Networks; P.C: Wikipedia |
History of AI:
The history of AI can be divided into three eras. They are as follows:
Turing Era:
The earliest work in the field of AI was done in the by a British cryptoanalyst Alan Turing. In 1935, Turing made what we call universal Turing machine. All modern computers are fundamentally universal Turing machines. |
| Alan Turing; P.C: Wikipedia |
Turing worked on heuristic problem solving in computers to find how it can learn from experience as well as solve new problems. Thus, forming the base for AI.
Besides that, in 1948, he submitted a report titled “Intelligent Machinery” on possibility of a machine that works on experience.
John McCarthy Era:
John McCarthy is considered as the father of AI. John McCarthy was not only a prominent computer scientist but also a cognitive scientist.McCarthy was first to coin the term "Artificial Intelligence" at a conference at Dartmouth College in 1956.
McCarthy also created standard programming language used in robotics and Internet called LISP.
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| John McCarthy, P.C: Stanford Engineering |
John McCarthy later found an AI laboratory at Stanford university, where he worked on early versions of AI, consciousness and free will. His work also includes proto versions of data sharing network.
Geoffrey Hinton Era:
He is a British Canadian computer scientist who did most notable work in Artificial Neural Networks. G. Hinton coauthored a paper on backpropagation algorithm for training of multi-layer neural networks. Hinton is viewed as a leading figure in the AI and deep learning community. |
| Geoffery Hinton; P.C: Wired.com |
The trio, G.Hinton together with Y. Bengio and Y. LeCun, also known as Godfathers of AI and recieved 2018 Turing award for their work on deep learning.
The Applications of AI:
The era beyond 2030 is set to be the era of AI. AI has been and would outperform humans in most activities in the next ten years, e.g; translating languages, industry automation, surgery etc.
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| Applications of AI |
Researchers also believe there are high chances of automation of all human jobs in next 100 years by AI. Given that, following are some current applications of AI.
Healthcare:
In the past few years, AI is showing visible impact on the healthcare industry. Healthcare Industries are applying AI for appropriate and quick diagnosis than humans. AI is helping doctors with application of treatment protocols and follow up. Besides that AI is effective in cancer diagnosis, targetted treatment, management of records, Image reading, digital consultation, automated surgery etc.Examples of AI tools in healthcare include Babylon, Molly, AiCure App etc
Read more: AI doctor
Read more: Sensely
Gaming:
The first ever AI implemented in gaming was in Chess and that too by none other than 'McCarthy' himself, Yes you got it right, same McCarthy who is known as father of AI.Later in 1997, IBM's Deep Blue defeated chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, which did raise some eyebrows about machines overtaking humanity.
The AI can play strategic/ mathematical games like chess, where the tool needs to think of a large number of possible places.
In video games, It can enhance the performance of Non Player characters (NPCs) in the form of graduated difficulty levels, distinct movement, depending on the players input.
Besides that, It also helps in what we technically call 'Pathfinding' and proper decision making.
AI also helps game developers in data mining on player and its behavior. This in turn helps in improvement and monitization.
Examples of AI tools in gaming include modl.ai, Intel gane dev toolkit et al.
Read more: Intel game dev kit
Finance:
The finance industry 'naturally' became pioneer to assimilate and implement AI in form of automation, introduction of chatbot, algorithm trading, and machine learning to enhance financial services and processes.In finance sector, AI helps in personalized banking, profitable trading, adequate risk management, prevention of fraud and cyber attacks.
Examples of AI tools in Finance are Kensho, Alphasense, Erica
Read more: Alphasense
Read more: Kensho
Readmore: Banking Chatbots
Cyber security:
According to Checkpoint research, the cyber attacks have increased by 38% in 2022 as compared to 2021.There have been umpteen instances of malware attacks, ransomeware, remote code attacks etc. on governments, corporations and important individuals.
These attacks are very complicated and some times it take days to surmount such attacks.
According to data, it is believed that approximately 8 lakh more IT specialists are required in cybersecurity area. Hence, AI can come to the rescue in the absence of such technical expertise.
AI tools can provide end point protection, detect threats, identify vulnerabilities within the system that can be used as possible windows of attack and alert on possible breach.
Examples of AI tools in Cybersecurity include Intercept X, Symantec, QRadar, BioHAIFCS etc.
Social Media:
Social Media sites such as Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook contain crores of users, which not only need to be managed in a very efficient way but also ought to be provided a personalized experience. The data generated thereby also need to be analyzed to enhance services.What better than 'AI' can organize and manage such humungous quantam of data.
AI also analyses bulk of data to identify the latest trends, social patterns, abuse, personalized advertisment and what not.
Examples of AI tools in Social media include Lately, Socialbakers, Deeptext of FB.
Travel and Hospitality:
AI is becoming highly imperative for travel industries. AI is capable to perform travel related jobs such as from making time friendly travel itinerary to suggesting best hotels, flights and routes to the users in real time and cost effective way.The increased deployment of AI in the travel industry accounts for enhancing personalization, ensuring a speedy response, and quality services.
AI use in travel and hospitality include AI chatbots to address queries, Voice based IOT systems, automated facial recognition, AI powered self service technologies, robotized staff etc.
Examples of AI tools in travel and hospitality include Edwards Chatbot, Booking.com's personalized recommender, TripAdvisor's sentiment analysis tool etc.
Automobile Industry:
Automobile sector has started using AI to provide various technologies and virtual assistances to their users. Elon Musk's Tesla has introduced TeslaBot, an intelligent virtual assistant, where as MG motors et al are following the suit.AI has changed the way how motor vehicles would be manufactured and driven. The role of AI ranges from AI powered robots manufacturing vehicles to the AI tools fitted in automobiles such as AI personal assistants, Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), Autonomous car navigating systems (self driving cars).
Examples of AI tools used in Automobile industry are Motional, Waymo, Zoox, AutoX, SapientX, CCC Solutions.
Read more: AI tools for automobiles
Robotics:
Robotics means design, construction, and use of machines to perform tasks generally done by humans. Robots are widely used in manufacturing and in industries with hazardous environment.AI has played a remarkable role in Robotics to upgrade them to next level. Usually, Robots are programmed in such a way that they can perform trained set of repetitive task, but with the help of AI, we have created intelligent robots which can perform tasks on their own. Such robots are able to learn, solve, understand, reason or react optically due to AI.
With AI, Robots can detect patterns and process data, have dynamic interaction and environmental awareness. Such Robots are being used in healthcare, agriculture, industry, warehouse management etc.
Recently we have humanoid Robots too such as Atlas, Sophia, Ameca that resemble humans and can talk, express, manoeuvre like humans. AI has powered the humanoid robots multifold and they would be used in hospitality, education, healthcare and defence.
AI tools used in Robotics include computer vision to extract information from multimedia, Natural language processing (NLP) to process voice command given to robot, Complex event processing(CEP) to process multiple events in real time, Transfer learning to apply solutions to multiple related problems, edge computing etc.
Top AI Robot manufacturing firms include Boston dynamics, Skydio, Miso, Hanson etc.
Read more: AI robot companies
Entertainment:
AI has ushered new avenues for the next generation of creators and entertainment. Big corps are using AI to produce high volume of entertainment while maintaining optimum quality.Use of AI in entertainment industry include but not limited to:
Personalization of content and recommendations such as by Spotify, Youtube, Netflix.
Targetted advertising such as by Google Adsense,
Augmented reality and virtual reality technology,
Film production and relevant resource creation.
Subtitles generation and its synchronization; which helps us to relish a south Korean or Latin American web series quite complacently.
Agriculture:
Agriculture is a labour intensive sector, 70% of Indians population is involved in Agriculture and allied work. As the world population is growing at exponential rate, the methods and techniques in agriculture has to change for sustainable future. There is need for the use of various technologies in the agriculture and AI is emerging as an important tool in this field.Besides, the agricultural output is dependent on vagaries of nature and in such scenario, AI and Agritech would play important role.
Powerful combination of agronomic expertise and AI is enabling a farmers to adopt precision agriculture practices, pest and diseases control, crop specific fertigation, yeild boost, track harvest and smart farming including weather and price forcasting.
AI robots also are employed in agrisector to detect quality of crops, control weeds and harvest the crop at faster speed compared to a human. AI can also help in the diseases diagnosis of the crops.
Examples of AI tools in Agriculture sector include Prospera, Blue river, Farmbot, Grotron etc.
Ecommerce:
AI is providing a competitive edge to the e-commerce industry. AI provides dynamic digital experience, personalized shopping, product recommendations, predict and analyze patterns and boost conversion rates.AI can help in implementing smart pricing strategies based on customers, their shopping patterns which are otherwise tedious to do manually.
It can help to stop fraud preventions, secure transactions and shipments.
AI can generate synthetic media (Deep fakes) in the form of images, videos, VR where customers can virtually try and test the products.
AI can provide chatbots, natural language processing technology to help customers search desirable products by vocal communications.
AI can also help in efficient inventory management, segementation and smart logistics of the corporations.
AI tools used in E-com sector include TUP e-com, Seventh sense, Granify, Namogoo, Morphl.io
Read more: TUP AI tools in E-Com
Read more: Seventh Sense
Read more: Namogoo
Education:
Teaching is an art as well as science, it occurs in a certain environment and involves mutual transfer of knowedge between learner and a teacher.Although in past, learning machines had been created to facilitate teaching but they couldn't replace a teacher as it is understood that learning is a psycho-social process and teachers role is indispensable.
Although, AI cannot replace a classroom teacher but it can facilitate him/her in teaching learning process.
AI can be used as a personalized tutor to supplement classroom learning, AI tools can be used in assessment and evaluation to identify learning gaps and achievement of learning outcomes.
AI can be also play important role in student couselling, grading, communicating and supervising child.
Examples of AI tools used in Education include:
Chatbots: Various chatbots such as ChatGPT are used by students to learn his/her topics of interest at their own pace and time.
Virtual reality: ARs include 3D computer generated environment that students can explore and interact with. Such tools can be used to learn natural and social sciences.
AI powered Learning management system: LMS helps in assigning work, communicating with parents, track student progress, mantain records. AI can provide dynamic insights into student learning and reduce workload of a teacher.
The UNESCO too partners and provides technical/financial assistance to firms interested in leveraging emerging technologies like AI to bolster the education sector. It has developed a publication known as "K12" aimed at fostering the readiness of education policymakers in artificial intelligence, within the framework of the Beijing Consensus.
AI tools used in education include Gradescope, Nuance dragon speech recognition, Ivy Chatbot, Cogni etc.
Read more: AI tools in Education
Space Research:
AI has important role to play in the field of space research and exploration. AI helps in foolproof mission designing, development of assistive technologies for astronauts, satallite data processing, Universe mapping and celestial body identification and autonomous smart rovers. |
| P.C: Shutterstock |
The AI tools used in space exploration include NASA's AI assistant Daphne, ESA's Hera planetary defence system, DLR's CIMON, JAXA's Kibo.
Read More: AI space exploration tools
Any new technology that has been ever produced has encountered certain apprehensions and fears from people at large. My 'grandpa' used to say that, during his childhood, when cycle reached their village, the villagers had apprehensions that the object was a Djinns and no one went closer to that object.
Same is the case with every technology and AI is no exception. The fears are also spawned by the statements from the likes of Elon Musk who said that AI is more dangerous than Nukes.
The apprehensions against AI include:
AI will create joblessness.
AI will overtake and enslave humans.
AI will be beyond control of humans.
AI will become tools of evil people.
AI will be dangerous than Nukes.
Apprehensions and Fears of AI:
Any new technology that has been ever produced has encountered certain apprehensions and fears from people at large. My 'grandpa' used to say that, during his childhood, when cycle reached their village, the villagers had apprehensions that the object was a Djinns and no one went closer to that object.
Same is the case with every technology and AI is no exception. The fears are also spawned by the statements from the likes of Elon Musk who said that AI is more dangerous than Nukes.
The apprehensions against AI include:
AI will create joblessness.
AI will overtake and enslave humans.
AI will be beyond control of humans.
AI will become tools of evil people.
AI will be dangerous than Nukes.
AI will give rise to newer crimes.
It is the responsibility of Industry experts and scientists to help people overcome such apprehensions against the technology which is currently valued at $ 300 billion and by 2030 will be $ 2000 billion strong creating millions if not billions of jobs across the globe.
Even the chief scientist at Baidu and Coursera cofounder 'Andrew Ng' discussed about the fears that AI will replace humans and called them 'misplaced.' AI, according to him, is still limited relative to that of human Intelligence.
It is the responsibility of Industry experts and scientists to help people overcome such apprehensions against the technology which is currently valued at $ 300 billion and by 2030 will be $ 2000 billion strong creating millions if not billions of jobs across the globe.
Even the chief scientist at Baidu and Coursera cofounder 'Andrew Ng' discussed about the fears that AI will replace humans and called them 'misplaced.' AI, according to him, is still limited relative to that of human Intelligence.
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| Andrew Ng; P.c: Andrewng.org |
Lastly, I will conclude with the argument of Noam Chomsky who said that we cannot compare the strength of a weightlifter with that of a bulldozer but still bulldozer didn't took over the job of a weightlifter. I think same analogy applies to AI. We must embrace such technology and use it for the benefit of mankind and peace.
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