Artificial Intelligence: What it is, and what it Isn't

When you hear the term artificial intelligence, you might be inclined to think of a robot or android with human-like intelligence and self-awareness. While this is an exciting prospect, AI, as it’s used in the world of technology today, isn’t quite so advanced. Humans have been trying to create machines that mimic human intelligence for many centuries, if not millennia. But only recently have we been able to combine various fields of computer science and other related sciences in order to make true strides towards an artificially intelligent machine. A lot of people are scared that AI will take their jobs, but don’t worry! In this post, you will learn about what artificial intelligence really is and what it isn’t.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence is the ability for computers to learn and adapt to new situations without being explicitly programmed to do so. AI is a broad term that encompasses many subfields, such as computer vision, speech recognition, natural language processing, and so on.

AI has advanced in three major waves. The First Wave of AI was in the 1950s and 1960s, when the field was first established and many researchers explored ideas like the McCullough-Pitts neural network, the Turing Test, and logic-based knowledge representation. When computers started to become more commonplace, the Second Wave of AI emerged. This wave was primarily concerned with symbolic systems: expert systems, rule-based systems, and heuristic systems. During the Third Wave of AI, researchers tried to create neural networks that modeled human cognitive processes, pattern recognition, and autonomous agents.

AI in a Nutshell

Artificial intelligence is a field of computer science where researchers try to create machines that can do things that humans do, but using a different approach. Humans are really good at recognizing patterns and building knowledge from experience, so AI researchers try to see if machines can be programmed to do these things as well.

There are many different types of AI. You’ve probably heard of a few terms like machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. All of these fall under the larger field of artificial intelligence, but each is approaching the problem with a different technique.

What AI is NOT

AI is not a computer virus or a malicious software program that hacks into your computer, deletes files, or otherwise disrupts your normal computer usage. A virus is a piece of software designed to be harmful to computer systems and steal information, whereas artificial intelligence is a computer program designed to mimic human intelligence in a machine.

AI is not a hypothetical future technology. You may have heard of the “singularity”, the moment when machine intelligence surpasses human intelligence. While a lot of scientists and thinkers have discussed this as a possibility, it’s still a long way off, if it even happens at all.

How to define Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a field of computer science that aims to create machines that can do things that humans can do, like think and learn. To do this, researchers have created many different types of AI, like computer vision and machine learning.

Where You’ll Find AI Right Now

You’ll find AI in the basic functions of your computer. For example, your computer can automatically correct your typing if you make a mistake, or select the correct option from a drop-down menu. You’ll also find it in your smartphone, where you might use AI to identify people in your photos or in an online service like Siri or Google Assistant.

Where We’ll Probably Find AI in the Near Future

In the near future, we will definitely see more advances in computer vision, where computers are programmed to identify objects in images and video. We might also see more advances in natural language processing. And of course, we’ll continue to see improvements in existing AI programs.

Bottom line

Artificial intelligence is a fascinating field that holds a lot of promise for improving human lives and making our work easier and more efficient. However, it’s important to understand what AI is and what it isn’t. AI is not a computer virus, nor is it a hypothetical future technology. AI is a computer program designed to mimic human intelligence in a machine.