What Does the Future Hold for Artificial Intelligence?
Short Circuit. iRobot. The Terminator franchise. Sci-fi is full of examples of artificial intelligence going haywire. From 2001’s psychopathic HAL to the murderous replicants in Blade Runner, the story is always the same. In pursuit of technological perfection, humanity brazenly creates artificial life in our image, intelligent and cunning.
However, sooner or later, our creations turn on us, either through ruthless self-preservation or a gross misunderstanding of their mission. Suddenly, we find ourselves locked in a life and death struggle for survival.
But is this all more science fact than science fiction?
Notable figures like Elon Musk and the late Stephen Hawking seem to think so. Both have warned about the dangers of artificial intelligence. Yet, others disagree, proclaiming the incredible innovations in AI as signs of the next industrial revolution.
Who’s right? What does the future hold for artificial intelligence?
What is artificial intelligence?
Not all artificial intelligence is created equal. There are three broad categories: narrow artificial intelligence, general artificial intelligence, and super artificial intelligence. General AI is essentially equivalent to a person capable of comprehending, learning, thinking, and applying its intelligence to solve problems. Super AI is even more advanced, being a technological god for all intents and purposes. Think Skynet on steroids.
However, so far, these two types have remained elusive. We’ve only been able to develop narrow artificial intelligence – also known as weak AI – capable of handling a singular or limited task, like facial recognition or chess.
Nor is that likely to change anytime soon. In fact, experts believe there is as little as a 25 per cent chance of human-like AI occurring before 2030.
So, will AI change our lives? Surprisingly, the answer is it already does.
Examples of artificial intelligence
Just because we’re not about to become slaves to a robot overload doesn’t mean AI isn’t about to disrupt everything about our world.
Here are a few examples of how AI already functions:
1.Ever wondered how Snapchat filters work? That’s AI. Facial recognition and detection rely on AI to spot a face. It can even detect changes in makeup, facial hair, glasses, and more.
2.Social media uses AI to create your personal feed. As your interests adapt, so does the info the AI displays. There’s a reason why it’s so addictive.
3. Search algorithms, like Google, are increasingly reliant on natural language processing to understand your query and provide the best answer available online.
But this is only the beginning. In the early days of tech innovation, robots replaced blue- collar jobs like factory workers; now, it’s coming for the white-collar jobs too.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly gaining proficiency in advanced human skills. Analysing legal documents, sifting through medical research, self-driving cars, and more will render an estimated 800 million jobs obsolete by 2030, according to a two-year study from McKinsey Global Institute.
Already AI can diagnose disease and prescribe medications, write articles, and address lawsuits. Indeed, chances are you’ve read an AI-generated article without even realising it.
Conclusion
Don’t expect humanity’s AI future to be spent battling robots in the far 2040s. Instead, rapid innovation in vision, language processing, and spatial awareness will transform the world of work. Jobs once thought immune to innovation may soon discover that robots can do it better.
As CEO and Director of iRobot, Colin Angle, concluded, “It’s going to be interesting to see how society deals with artificial intelligence, but it will definitely be cool.”
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