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Tuesday, July 10, 2018

What Will Artificial Intelligence Be Like In 100 Years?

We have been fed on a steady stream of fictional information and imagery about what wicked aliens and extraterrestrials with extraordinary powers could do to poor hapless human in countless sci fi tales since the days of HG Wells. Of late the attention has turned closer home, what with artificial intelligence technology making an ubiquitous entry into our daily lives, thanks to smartphones, digital assistants, Uber, Google Maps and what not. While many worry about their jobs, there are those who talk about an existential crisis in the works. They fearfully point out the fact that AI is  inching closer to the Rubicon and the day is not far, when they will control us!


Alarmist propaganda aside, there is no doubt about the fact that the induction of AI into all kinds of processes, activities and products is causing  seminal changes in our lives. Of course, we have no choice but to accept these wholeheartedly, on account of the sheer advantages of doing so. But think for a moment, where this wholesale adoption of AI will take us. What will artificial intelligence be like in 100 years?

Let's think this one through rationally and not give in to irrational fear mongering. Till date there has been no evidence to show that artificial intelligence has in any way proven detrimental to human beings, the dire warnings of eminent scientists like Stephen Hawking notwithstanding. Let us assume that AI evolves and ushers in a whole new paradigm of living for us. What would such a scenario appear to be like.

Elimination of every problem known to mankind-  According to some experts computers will equal human level intelligence sometime in the middle of this century. That really will be the tipping point. Artificial intelligence will likely be able to find smart and practical solutions for every major and small problem faced by humans including hunger, disease, environmental degradation, inequitable distribution of economic resources, transportation gridlocks, housing, and everything else that you can think of.

Humans will live in a kinder, nicer, and nurturing environment-  Already social media and digital assistants have shown us how we can leverage technology to emotionally connect with each other.  A hundred years from now  for instance, humans won't face the problem of  having to take care of lonely and neglected seniors. They would likely be quite content in the company of machines that would be their friends, companions and counselors rolled into one.

Work will become redundant- Humans won't have to work in a hundred years of now. The machines using their enhanced artificial intelligence would manage everything in the most optimal manner. For the first time in their history, mankind will experience leisure in the truest sense. What they would do with endless leisure time could be the subject of a PhD thesis? A hundred years from now the machines would probably have figured out what that could be. That in itself is a sobering thought and lends credence to the fears of the likes of Hawking and Elon Musk(who had also expressed his misgiving about unregulated growth of AI) Would we have ceded our control to the machines to decide what is best for us or would we still have oversight?

In any case, it is fascinating to imagine, what mankind would do with endless leisure. Engage in endless sport and gaming, dive deeper and deeper into the realm of philosophy or engage in further scientific research in collaboration with the machines to find out the greatest possible extent of human achievement? Would humans and machines together embark upon inter-stellar expansion and colonization or would they be happy with their earthly utopia?

Humans will integrate with machines- This is not as scary as it sounds. We are already relying on our smart phones for a host of things which needed us to get out of the house and physically take care of- things like banking, shopping, entertainment, even participating in international conferences. Hundred years from now it will be normal for human to integrate with machines on both a physical and mental level. We will have developed abilities and functions that would be truly super human by today's standards.

Technology would have made us oblivious to injury and disease by augmenting and enhancing our limbs and organs, giving us extraordinary physical capabilities. The coming together of augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, neuroscience and a slew of yet to be discovered technologies will bring us as close to an almost god-like existence as is possible. It will be a time when the virtual and real world will merge and become one. All the computer imagery that you might create would be real for you to experience.

Humans will achieve immortality- The eternal human quest for immortality will likely find fruition a century from now, albeit in a virtual form. But then there would be no distinction between the real and the virtual in that world. You would upload your consciousness, the sum of your memories and your very essence into the virtual world and live for an eternity. At to what sort of social consequences that could lead to could be the subject of a sci fi novel! 

Monday, July 9, 2018

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Artificial Intelligence in Daily Life


We hear about how artificial intelligence has become all pervasive making its way into all kinds of systems and gadgets. People view artificial intelligence with a bit of wariness, because of its perceived nature-one that is perhaps autonomous from human control.  People fear that it might somehow make humans a little or totally redundant and that is a feeling they are not very comfortable with! Sometimes the fear of artificial intelligence almost turns into hostility when one perceives that it might take away one’s right to work and earn a livelihood.


Of course most of these fears are unfounded and artificial technology is just another technology created by humans to make their own lives better.  Sure its autonomous nature causes one to think of the best way of deploying it, but these are challenges mankind has always grappled with. From using the first horse drawn carriage to an automobile and finally an aircraft, humans always faced a struggle with regard to accepting a new, albeit better way of doing things. This was because of the perceived threat of disruption that the adoption of any new technology carried. As time went by of course, these so called disruptive technologies became a part of our lives.

Perhaps people would not be as apprehensive of artificial technology making an appearance in their lives, if they realized that the technology is already a part of their daily lives, possibly without their being aware of it. Yet they are safe and sound, and not under the despotic rule of some robotic autocrat!  That should certainly make them feel more accepting of AI in their lives.

Examples of the Use of AI in Our Daily Lives

You probably think nothing of an Amazon making a recommendation about a book or a ride sharing app like Uber organizing a cab and calculating the price that you need to pay in no time?  How does Netflix come to a conclusion that you might want to watch a certain show?
Well that’s artificial intelligence at work for you.  Using algorithms that analyse your preferences and needs, product and service companies can come up with just what you might need or desire at a point in time. This has taken some getting used to by people who are often stumped to receive notifications in their mail or social media about products and services they were at the moment contemplating buying!

However, AI is used not just for pesky marketing approaches, but for things that we would be truly grateful about. For instance by using location data collated from smartphones, Google Maps is able to analyse the traffic situation that is likely to confront you on your daily commute and suggest the optimal route to take saving you valuable time and money.
Aircraft have been flying on autopilot that could be defined as a variant of AI technology for as long as one can remember. Now, that hasn’t resulted in pilots getting laid off in large numbers. In fact, not a single one has been sacked for that reason till date. In fact it has made the airline pilots’ lives a lot easier!

Business Opportunity                            

Companies around the world realize that AI is having a seminal impact upon how businesses will conduct their affairs. It is not surprising therefore to discover that a very large proportion of start-ups these days are centered upon artificial intelligence. In terms of ubiquity you could say that AI s going the way of data. Everybody is going for it.
The way things are panning out, AI will soon be incorporated in literally everything.  From healthcare and logistics to law and transportation AI is increasingly being deployed across sectors that are the pillars of our everyday lives.  By some accounts AI is expected to add a whopping $1.2 trillion to the value of business globally, which is 70% more than the figure for the corresponding period last year. In fact it is estimated that the value derived from AI could well touch $3.9 trillion by 2022.