Role of Artificial Intelligence

Role of artificial intelligence

Introduction

Artificial intelligence, also sometimes referred to as machine intelligence, is intelligence that is demonstrated by certain machines and is in sharp contrast to the form of intelligence that is displayed by human beings and animals in their various classes. In computer science, artificial intelligence research is defined as the in-depth study of intelligent machines. AI, therefore, is any device that is able to take readings from its immediate environment and takes actions that increase its chance of successfully attaining its goals. In addition, the term artificial intelligence is applicable when the machine mimics some cognitive functions that people associate with human minds, for instance, learning and solving problems (Russel and Norvig, p.6).

Even as machines are becoming increasingly capable, the scope of artificial intelligence remains disputable. When definitions are put forward, tasks that are considered as requiring intelligence are often put aside, thereby leading to a phenomenon termed as the AI effect. For instance, optical character recognition has become a routine technology in most machines, and is often part of the exclusion. Modern machine capabilities which are generally classified as AI include; a successful understanding of human speech, the ability to compete at the highest levels in strategic game systems like Chess, being able to autonomously operate cars, and intelligent content delivery during military and network simulations.

Artificial intelligence was first considered an academic discipline in 1956 and since then, the subject has experienced optimism, then disappointment and a massive loss of funding. This was then followed by the development of new approaches towards understanding artificial intelligence, success and renewed and intensified funding. For the better of its history, artificial intelligence research has been categorized into segments that fail to communicate with each other. These segments are based on technical considerations, such as particular goals, the nature of tools used, or the existing philosophical differences. There are others that have been based on social factors (Russel and Norvig, p.12).

The goals of AI research include enhancing reasoning, representing knowledge, planning, natural language processing, perception, learning and the ability to manipulate and move objects. General intelligence is one of the long term goals in this field. Some approaches towards this include the application of statistical methods, basic computer intelligence and the foundation of traditional symbols in AI. The tools used in AI include different versions of mathematical and search optimization, probability, economics and artificial neural networks. The AI field also draws from mathematics, computer science, psychology, philosophy and linguistics.

Myths surrounding AI

The main myth regarding the use of higher artificial intelligence lies in the theory that machines may become evil and choose to enslave humankind to do their bidding. The popularity of science fiction movies has done little to allay this fear. They are often portrayed as serving their creators only up to a point. For instance, as is shown in the movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron and, I, Robot. These two scenarios show the robots as taking over the internet and infecting other machines with the codes that are allied to them. The result becomes widespread panic and a high death toll of humans who were entirely dependent on machines run by AI.

Benefits of AI

The main goal of developing AI is to create expert systems which have the ability to display behavior such as learning, demonstrating, explaining and providing relevant information to the various users. Second, developers are looking for ways to come up with systems that cannot only learn but can also think, understand and imitate human behavior. It is their belief that the machines will eventually be able to predetermine human reactions to various stimuli, such as anger, happiness or distress.

Gaming:

Artificial intelligence plays a vital role in strategic games such as Chess, Tic Tac Toe, among others. The machines used are capable of thinking steps ahead and analyzing the possible scenarios that could be played by their opponents. This knowledge is heuristic and characteristically faster than the processing levels displayed by humans. Some well-understood AI techniques are employed in video games where it is used to bring about a purposeful behavior in NPCs (non-player characteristics). This is especially notable in Left 4 Dead that was launched in 2008 and Supreme Commander 2 of 2010, a non-revolutionary training of platoons.

Automotive industry:

The development of AI technology have encouraged the creation of self-driving cars. By the end of 2016, there were over 30 companies that were integrating AI into their new models, thus bringing about driverless cars. These cars incorporate functions such as changing lanes, braking, preventing collisions, mapping and observing navigation systems. All of these are programmed into a car to make it high performance because of the presence of a super computer that analyses all these aspects while driving. In the United Kingdom, the government passed a legislation to allow for the testing of self-driving trucks. It also encourage designers to find out whether it was possible to have a platoon of self non-driving cars (Burgess). The main challenge witnessed here is that the AI powered trucks need the guidance of a driven truck. Meanwhile, Daimler, in Germany, is carrying out tests for a semi-autonomous truck whose functions will be exclusive to the highway.

Mapping is a main factor that allows a driverless car to function. The vehicle would have to be programmed with a map of the area in which it is expected to drive. This includes data such as curbs, street lights and their approximations so that the vehicle can hone in on where to drive and park. Measures have also been taken to equip these cars with brakes so that they maintain a safe environment for passengers and other road users. While making a driverless vehicle, engineers have to program it in a way that it is able to handle high-risk situations like head-on collisions with other vehicles and the possible running over of pedestrians. The main goal of such a car would be to make a decision that would save both passenger and pedestrian.

Natural language processing:

AI allows for the processing of natural language, also known as human knowledge into computer language. These two are inherently different because computer language is in 1s and 0s while human language involves