Alexa, What is Artificial Intelligence?

When you think of artificial intelligence (AI), do you picture Alexa? Terminator? Rosie, the robot maid? Perhaps you just wish you had one of these robots to answer all your questions about AI technology. Based on the most common searches across the web, we’ve collected your top questions around the growing technology of AI. Our aim: to build a list of questions and answers even Alexa would be proud of.

What is the definition of artificial intelligence?

While you might associate AI with more contemporary applications like natural language processing (NLP) and robotics, the concept itself dates back to the work of Alan Turing in the 1950s. The first definition of AI came from John McCarthy in his proposal for the Dartmouth Conference of 1956:¹

“Every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it. An attempt will be made to find out how to make machines use language, form abstractions and concepts, solve the kinds of problems now reserved for humans, and improve themselves.”

Simply put, AI is represented by a machine with the ability to conquer problems usually solved by human intelligence. The Dartmouth Conference established seven original aspects of AI:²

1. Simulating higher functions of the human brain
2. Programming a computer to use general language
3. Arranging hypothetical neurons in a manner so that they can form concepts
4. A way to determine and measure problem complexity
5. Self-improvement
6. Abstraction: defined as the quality of dealing with ideas rather than events
7. Randomness and creativity

While computer science has advanced since the 1950s and succeeded in creating some of these aspects, others remain out of reach for now. These aspects include self-improvement, abstraction, and creativity. Rather than a machine inherently possessing human intelligence, AI encompasses the efforts within computer science to teach a computer how to think like a human within limited parameters. So while you can ask Siri or Alexa to give a restaurant recommendation based on your established preferences, you might find it difficult to request the same information from your autonomous vehicle.

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What are some examples of artificial intelligence?

The field of AI sets out to create independently-functioning systems that mimic human intelligence and behavior. Let’s break down these AI examples by their human counterparts:

• Speech recognition and NLP are the fields of AI that simulate the human ability to speak, listen, read, and write a language
• Computer vision and image processing mimic your ability to view images and process information based on what you see
• Robotics allows AI to interact with and move around its environment in a physical way
• Machine learning (ML) is AI’s solution to the human learning process, using pattern recognition and classification to help a computer learn independently of ongoing human interaction
• The human brain uses networks of neurons to learn things – computers use neural networks to create similar cognitive abilities in machines
• Deep learning is when computers use neural networks to learn complex things

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What’s the difference between ML and AI?

Even though these terms are sometimes interchanged, ML is a subset of AI; a type of AI code deployed on a computer that allows it to accomplish a particular task.³ When a machine equipped with this technology is fed data, it learns to classify and distinguish between groupings of data. As the machine gathers more data, it gains expertise exponentially and can operate with increasing accuracy.

Humans do this, too. Perhaps you learn to play chess – you start by learning the names of each game piece and the path it follows on the board. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you move on to gameplay with others, and over time you develop strategies to improve your chances of winning. It takes years of practice and strategy to become a Chess Master.

A machine equipped to play chess with ML can fit the learning process into a much shorter space of time – identifying game pieces, mathematically developing strategies for success, and playing infinite games against itself to gain expertise. Machines learn much faster than humans because they aren’t bound by information overload or the need to sleep. They learn faster and can process more data classifications than the human brain.⁴

Is artificial intelligence a threat?

The potential threats of AI are a contentious subject. From Sophia’s infamous “I will destroy humans” glitch at the 2016 South by Southwest Festival⁵ to fears of what happens if AI tech falls into malicious hands, people are asking, “is AI a threat?”⁶

First, there’s the question of misuse: can artificial technology be leveraged for cyber-attacks and terrorism? AI makes it easier for hackers to design more effective software and strategies for cyber-crime. AI-powered drones and driverless cars can be commandeered remotely and used as weapons.⁷

The second concern is more akin to Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: what happens if AI turns against its creator? Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking said the real concern is when “AI becomes better than humans at AI design so that it can recursively improve itself without human help. If this happens, we may face an intelligence explosion that ultimately results in machines whose intelligence exceeds ours by more than ours exceeds that of snails.”⁸

While we’re several years away from this sort of advanced AI, there are lingering questions around what happens when we code a source of AI to perform a particular task. In its infinite logical efficiency, the machine deduces that humans are a hindrance to the mission. As a result, the machine will always do what it was programmed to do, and not necessarily what you want it to do.

The Machine Intelligence Research Institute posits that “a superintelligent machine will make decisions based on the mechanisms it is designed with; not the hopes its designers had in mind when they programmed those mechanisms.”⁹ Even Elon Musk warns against unchecked AI development, calling it “summoning the demon.”¹⁰ In a panel discussion at the National Governors Association, Musk highlighted deep learning in the network as a pressure point of threats.

“And you say what harm could a deep intelligence in the network do? Well, it could start a war by doing fake news and spoofing email accounts and fake press releases and just by manipulating information. The pen is mightier than the sword.” ¹¹

He goes on to cite a hypothetical example where an AI supermachine is tasked with maximizing portfolio stocks. If it calculates that the most efficient way to achieve this goal is by creating a war between two particular countries, what’s to stop the machine from manipulating air navigation systems to reroute Country A’s airplane over Country B’s territory, and tipping off Country B’s systems to pick up enemy aircraft?

The technology isn’t there yet, and it’s a bit premature to pack your bags and move to a smallholding off the grid. These questions are more about due diligence than tangible threats, and they help develop regulations around innovation. For now, AI is like any other weapon – only as dangerous as the powers that wield it.

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What are some pros and cons of artificial intelligence?

There’s a lot of buzz around AI, but what are some of the benefits and risks?

Pros of AI

• AI allows for sophisticated automation which can take over mundane tasks normally handled by humans, increasing overall productivity
• Human error could become a thing of the past with AI taking over data processing tasks
• Combining AI with cognitive technologies can speed up decision-making processes
• Following in the footsteps of the Mars rovers, AI can take on some of the more dangerous tasks involved in research and exploration, reducing the risks to humans

Cons of AI

• There’s a real possibility of job loss, as AI machines take over more tasks traditionally reserved for humans. Beyond the assembly line, driverless cars could displace taxi drivers while MedTech could take over tasks from lab technicians
• AI is intrinsically logical and unable to make judgment calls informed by human compassion or idiosyncrasies – with AI-powered drones, a coding issue can be the difference between bombing a school or a stronghold
• He who holds the tech, holds the power – nations with a greater arsenal of AI technologies can corner the market and cause an imbalance of power

What does the future of artificial intelligence look like?

Let’s take a look at some of the advances in AI, tipped by experts to change our lives in 2022 and beyond:

Automated transportation

Driverless cars haven’t quite reached full maturity just yet, but the technology has been progressing steadily since Google piloted a self-driving model in 2012.¹² The hype around driverless cars has grown rapidly as a result, with many big technology companies supporting the concept.¹³ On the whole, the auto industry is slowly gravitating towards autonomous driving, and the prevalence of self-driving features is increasing with it.¹⁴

Robotics

With advances in AI in robotics, humans could soon hand over complex and dangerous jobs such as bomb defusing and working with toxic substances to their robot counterparts. Today, robotics impact a huge part of our daily lives, from service robots at grocery stores and malls to industrial robots for the automobile industry.

For example, IBM’s Watson has ushered in new possibilities for customer engagement and AI-powered concierge services. By leveraging ML technology, Watson collates data around customer preferences, allowing retailers to create conversational platforms to make insightful purchase suggestions to individual clients.¹⁵

Logistics

Fancy a pizza, delivered to your door by a robot? The Domino’s Robotic Unit (DRU) is a prototype delivery robot that uses sensors to navigate the most efficient path for delivery while keeping food and drink at optimal temperatures, so your pizza is still piping hot when the DRU rolls up to your doorstep.¹⁶

Pizza isn’t the only product that’s in for a high-tech delivery upgrade. Amazon launched a drone delivery solution for small parcels, dubbed Amazon Prime Air.¹⁷ Even grocery shopping is getting a facelift with Amazon Go’s checkout-free technology.¹⁸ Sophisticated sensors track customer selections and charge them automatically upon exiting the store, allowing customers to purchase their daily necessities while avoiding the time-consuming check-out queues.

These examples are merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg. With the rapid growth of AI, there’s no task too mundane to be upgraded with AI innovations. Rest assured we won’t live to witness the rise of the machines, but as businesses find ways to optimize and diversify with AI technology, we can expect some major advances on the horizon.

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