"Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology and a branch of computer science that studies and develops intelligent machines and software. Major AI researchers and textbooks define the field as the study and design of intelligent agents "[1]
Artificial Intelligence is a comparatively new field. Research in AI was practically non-existent / scarce in the early 90’s. Since then it has come a long way. Artificial intelligence today is used in all fields including but not limited to -
1. Cell phones - “Siri” in iPhones, “S voice” in Samsung phones
2. Online advertising – Google and other online search engines as well as other tech bigwigs track all your activity including your online searches carried out on their domains as well as, in case of Google, which tracks your location too.This is done through the Google Maps app which has the permission to fetch your location at any point of time. Facebook, on the other hand, uses your page likes and your normal activity.
All this data is then fed to highly sophisticated AI algorithms which will then come up with suggestions for ads to be served to the user. The revenue from such advertisements forms a major chunk of the money that comes in.
3. Toys and games – The recently introduced “Furby” toy ( See edit ) incorporates AI. The toy is a blank slate with a few basic behaviors coded in. However as time progresses the personality of the toy changes and is shaped by the day to day interactions of the owner with the toy. This is due to the use of AI.
Also in a few games the adversary needs to respond to the actions of the user. This is achieved through the use of AI.
4. Robots – There have been many robots like the robotic dog from Honda, AIBO (Artificial Intelligence Robot) and ASIMO a humanoid robot, also from Honda, which can perform incredibly complex tasks usng Artificial Intelligence.
Here is a demonstration of ASIMO pouring himself a cup of juice.
The movie Terminator envisions a world controlled by “Skynet”, a highly advanced sentient artificial network. Such a network would have its origins in the research being carried out today. Let us hope that AI is developed in a responsible way so that we don’t run into a scenario as is depicted in the movie !!
EDIT - As Matthew Pronge rightly pointed out Furbys have been around since '98.
References –
References –
[1] - Poole, Mackworth & Goebel,1998
Interesting post about AI, but I do have a couple of objections to some of your assertions. First is your statement about research into AI being non-existent in the early 90s. While there were a number of hardware limitations preventing concentrated research into AI, that doesn't mean that nobody ever investigated the concept. Alan Turing in 1950 published his paper "Computing machinery and intelligence", which described a strategy for determining how intelligent a machine is. It is now known as the Turing Test, and is still used today. my last objection is when you talked about the toy Furby. It was introduced in 1998, which was quite some time ago.
ReplyDeleteHi Matthew,
ReplyDeleteI stand corrected on the Furby issue and have made the necessary changes to the most mentioning you.
However I think a one off research into AI can probabaly be categorised into "non - existent / *scarce*".