Artificial Intelligence (AI) And Its Implications For Humankind

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Fundamentally, AI is a software technology that allows machines to imitate humans. AI is rapidly improving its ability to do things previously believed to be impossible, such as comprehending natural language, making trades in the stock market, and finding faces in imagery. If 30 years ago, someone had used the term “artificial intelligence,” the connotations would have been different from today. What many people see today provides a view of what is to come in the future.

Smart Devices

Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity are helping make smart devices both smart and secure. You’ll now find smart capabilities embedded in devices such as cameras, microphones, speakers, internet connections, and many others. A small but growing number of high-end devices, such as connected cars and smart home appliances, are designed and built with touchscreens and other intelligent interfaces. However, Industry still has a long way to go, especially with voice interfaces.

AI and Cybersecurity

Artificial intelligence will make cyber-attacks harder to carry out in the future. According to Yukihiro Miyamoto, director of the New Jersey Institute of Technology Cybersecurity Research Center, “Basically, we will be able to predict, to identify, to block cyber-attacks before they happen.”

Deep Learning

Because of game-changing advances in deep learning and image recognition, AI has come a long way over the past year. Using AI, developers can now create intelligent apps. They can also use bots that can mimic human behavior and conversations.

Artificial intelligence will enhance our conversations. But what exactly does that mean? Although you might think you can press a button and get immediate, perfect answers to questions, that won’t necessarily be the case. You can speak to your iPhone about your day, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to give you the perfect question to ask Siri or Alexa to assist you.

Maluuba, a Montreal-based company founded in 2014, was acquired by Microsoft due to the growing popularity of AI. And DeepMind, a British artificial intelligence company whose goal is to use deep learning to provide computers with a “supercharged” intelligence, has now been bought by Amazon. AI systems can learn in a remarkably short amount of time — about a day — using deep learning systems.

One of the leading companies in this AI-powered technological space is Alibaba, with its “Sesame Credit” product. The company uses its massive collection of consumer and customer data to unlock new digital experiences and offer users a unique digital identity.

AI’s Effect on Management and Labor

The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPAW in Dresden, Germany, conducted a study that showed that using deep learning and machine learning can lead to substantial cost reductions. The study also found that the use of these AI-based tools also resulted in increased productivity and availability.

However, AI-driven management technology could contribute to a significant gap in managerial capabilities because of the automation of labor-intensive activities. Management professionals are essential to ensure the timely delivery of products and services and monitor and improve customer experience. Therefore, these people will need to train themselves to adopt new trends and use AI-based technology in the most efficient, effective ways possible.

How AI is Transforming Society

Artificial intelligence is transforming everything, including transportation, healthcare, and infrastructure. One critical thing a city needs to be considered inclusive is an infrastructure that supports people of all abilities.

“AI can improve the quality of the experience for everyone, including people with disabilities,” according to Andrew Hart, managing director of London’s Government Digital Service. “They often don’t feel part of the system.” The use of AI can go a long way toward addressing this problem.

The Future of AI

Artificial intelligence advances, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, shared economy, and innovation will all play a part in shaping various industries’ future. AI will make our machines think like humans and even solve our national security problems.

America’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is hiring more experts for a task force called Planning for AI, to ensure that the U.S. doesn’t get too far behind the competition in this fast-moving area. Other countries, such as China, are moving ahead along the same lines.

The Danger of Using AI

Although AI should bring humankind a wide array of benefits, there’s a distinct possibility that entities with malevolent intent could use emerging AI technology for evil purposes. The technology for creating useful AI is becoming increasingly accessible and inexpensive. At the same time, techniques for developing malign AI are advancing quickly and becoming more widely available.

Such is the case of autonomous weapons. We need to stay alert for any possible misuse of AI for evil purposes. To help deter this from happening, we must develop proper safeguards and ethical standards for creating and using artificial intelligence capabilities.

Conclusion

The future of artificial intelligence rests with the broader community. We all need to talk about AI and consider its implications.

Katherine Darling, Chief Scientific Advisor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, asserts that AI "has changed and will continue to change the way we innovate and develop."

Artificial intelligence is already altering the way we interact with each other and society as a whole and how we understand and process information. There’s no turning back now on the use of AI. We need to find the best ways to harness its capabilities for the overall good of humankind.

NOTE: The author is a retired corporate executive who spent over 35 years working in the information technology (IT) and services industry.

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