Have you ever asked yourself how machines work like humans do? That is called artificial intelligence, sometimes called AI. AI is an intelligent system designed to replicate human thought processes. It enables a computer to learn, reason, and make decisions. AI is present in phone applications, cars, websites, and toys.
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How did AI start?
AI started as an idea. The plan was to enable machines to think. What was once a new concept in the 1950s grew quickly. Over the ensuing years, experts began to create faster and better computers, but then developed intelligent programs, that would allow the machines to learn and grow. Today, AI is a part of everyday life.
How does AI work?
AI works with data. AI is good at studying large amounts of data to determine patterns. Initially, AI examines examples, then learns from them, and finally makes decisions. Let’s look at an example. Let’s say you show a computer many different photos of cats. The computer analyzes the photos. When you later show a new photo, it will say, “That’s a cat.” That is AI in action!
Categories of Artificial Intelligence
There are different categories of Artificial Intelligence. Each category operates in a way. Let’s take a look at a few simple categories.
- Narrow AI
This is the most prevalent type. It does one job very well. For example, your phone’s virtual assistant is narrow AI. It helps you set alarms or send messages. It can’t cook your food. Also,it only knows what it was trained to do.
- General AI
This type thinks and learns like humans. General AI doesn’t simply do one task, it can do many. It is important to note that scientists are still working on this category, and it could take a long time to build a true General AI.
- Super AI
This category is based on a dream. Super AI will be smarter than humans. Super AI will do everything better and faster. For now, Super AI lives in movies and stories.
Where Do We Use AI?
AI is becoming ubiquitous today. It is helping in so many ways. Let’s look at some common areas where AI can be found.
In Phones
Voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant are AI programs. They allow the users to speak commands, understand, and provide commands, answers, or perform tasks.
In Healthcare
Doctors are using AI to read X-rays and find sickness or disease. AI helps doctors provide better and faster treatment.
In Cars
Many newer cars have AI built in. Many can drive on their own. Their use of sensors and cameras helps them navigate while keeping them, and others, safe on the road.
In Online Shopping
AI is also at work when you shop online. When you shop online, suggestions would come up for you to consider based on what you have previously purchased.
In Entertainment
Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify have all used AI to recommend videos and songs for you to listen to.
In Schools
AI has also been progressively entering the educational field to help teachers and students. AI can explain lessons and help in testing students and giving them instant results.
Can AI Think Like Humans?
AI can solve problems. AI can learn from data. How important is data? We don’t even realize how much we rely on data. AI can’t feel emotion. AI doesn’t feel love, fear, or joy. It doesn’t “think” like we do. Humans have feelings, emotions, memories, beliefs, and intentions. AI has data and programs. AI takes instructions and then follows them. It may seem intelligent, but AI isn’t alive and has limits.
How Does AI Learn?
AI learns through something called machine learning. One way to teach computers is through machine learning. To begin you show AI many examples. AI first sees examples and then studies them. Over time it makes decisions based on its observations. Sometimes AI makes mistakes. When this happens the AI learns the correct path from its mistake. Over time the AI gets smarter. This is why your phone’s voice assistant keeps getting better.
Can AI Create Anything?
Yes, AI can create things. AI can write stories, make music, and create images. Many apps use AI to create art, write short, long, or even epic poems, or write songs. AI does not have feelings, and can’t feel anything. It copies patterns, images, etc. that it has seen before.
Is AI Good or Bad?
AI can be both. It is dependent on how people use it.
Good Uses
AI can help doctors save lives.
It can help learning easier.
It can help jobs be faster and easier.
AI can help blind people “see” through sound.
Bad Uses
Some people use AI to spy.
It could be used to spread fake news.
AI could replace human jobs.
If used in war it could be dangerous.
So, we need to be careful about using AI.
Can AI Replace Humans?
In some jobs yes! AI can perform the same task as humans in a faster context. For example, factories have robots to build cars. Banks have AI to look for fraud. Joey and Michael can scrape data in a customer service context. But many jobs still require humans. Teachers doctors artists and leaders use feelings and care when doing their job. AI does not have that. So, we should work with AI not fear it.
What Do You Mean When You Say Chatbots?
Chatbots are programs that talk with users. They can answer questions, provide assistance, and guide users. We see chatbots when we visit websites and use apps. Some chatbots are quite smart and useful. They learn from each chat and make improvements.
What Is Deep Learning?
Deep learning is a machine learning approach. It uses networks designed like a human brain, called neural networks. Neural networks can be deep, which means there are multiple layers to help the computer learn more. Deep learning is useful for speech, vision, and even gaming.
Does that mean AI is always correct?
No, it doesn’t mean AI is correct. Whether AI is correct depends on the data which it learns from. If the data is inaccurate the outcomes will be too. This is why people must audit the work done by AI.
Sometimes AI makes unfair decisions. For example, if it learns from inaccurate data, it could produce unequal and biased outcomes. This is why it is important for a person to manage AI and correct errors.
What Will AI Do in the Future?
AI will be world-changing. It will evolve into a product that will keep growing large. It might affect space travel. Furthermore, it might be able to help clean up our planet. It might be able to find a cure for a disease. On the other side, it might produce problems we haven’t even thought of yet. People will need to get ready for the future. They will have to learn new skills. They will have to understand AI, and they will have to learn how to work with it.
What Should We Teach Kids?
Children should learn about AI. They will need to know how it works. Schools can provide training in coding, and logic. These things will help children prepare for AI jobs. At the same time, children will need to learn kindness and care. We may be as smart as machines, but we have hearts, and that is what makes us human.
Can AI Can be Safe?
Yes, but only if we are careful. We will need to govern AI. We will need to form rules and laws. People will need to be prevented from abusing AI. Experts are working on AI safety issues. They will want AI to assist us not harm us. Leaders will need to think carefully. They need to make sure AI is equitable to all people. AI needs to benefit everybody, not just a select few.
Will AI Have Feelings?
No, not for a while yet. AI doesn’t feel love or pain. It can’t cry or laugh. It just seems like it does! Some robots smile and make nice-sounding sounds, but it’s all just a program—real feeling belongs within people.
Why Should We Care?
AI is part of living today. It’s evolving rapidly. Therefore, we need to understand AI. We need to learn the good and the bad about it so that we can use it for better, not worse.
Knowledge creates power. Knowledge empowers fewer bad decisions and bigger successes.
To Close
Artificial Intelligence is not a magic wand; it is a tool to use (just like a hammer, just like a phone). Also, it learns using data and data will always grow on itself. It will also, and does so, get smarter every day it exists because it did not create it; we as humans created it, so we must have human involvement and guide it.
AI can simplify and protect lives, but technology must not replace values and priorities for life as a human. Remember this always: Machines learn very quickly and can develop but only a human being can love, identify, and care, and most importantly only a human can dream.
So learn about AI, learn to use it wisely, share it with others, and if we build wisely together, we can build a strong foundation for the future – with AI with us.
