What is artificial intelligence (AI)?

Back in the 1950s, the fathers of the field Minsky and McCarthy, described artificial intelligence
as any task performed by a program or a machine that, if a human carried out the same activity,
we would say the human had to apply intelligence to accomplish the task.
According to the father of Artificial Intelligence, John McCarthy, it is “The science and
engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs”.

Artificial Intelligence is a way of making a computer, a computer-controlled robot, or a software

think intelligently, in the similar manner the intelligent humans think.

AI is accomplished by studying how human brain thinks, and how humans learn, decide, and
work while trying to solve a problem, and then using the outcomes of this study as a basis of
developing intelligent software and systems.

Philosophy of AI
While exploiting the power of the computer systems, the curiosity of human, lead him to wonder,
“Can a machine think and behave like humans do?”

Thus, the development of AI started with the intention of creating similar intelligence in
machines that we find and regard high in humans.

What are the uses for AI?

AI is ubiquitous today, used to recommend what you should buy next online, to understand what
you say to virtual assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, to recognise who and
what is in a photo, to spot spam, or detect credit card fraud.

Programming Without and With AI

The programming without and with AI is different in following ways

Programming Without AI Programming With AI

A computer program without AI can answer
the specific questions it is meant to solve.
Modification in the program leads to change in
its structure.
Modification is not quick and easy. It may lead
to affecting the program adversely.
A computer program with AI can answer the
generic questions it is meant to solve.
AI programs can absorb new modifications by
putting highly independent pieces of
information together. Hence you can modify
even a minute piece of information of program
without affecting its structure.
Quick and Easy program modification.

What are the different types of AI?

At a very high level artificial intelligence can be split into two broad types: narrow AI and
general AI.
Narrow AI is what we see all around us in computers today: intelligent systems that have been
taught or learned how to carry out specific tasks without being explicitly programmed how to do
so.

This type of machine intelligence is evident in the speech and language recognition of the Siri
virtual assistant on the Apple iPhone, in the vision-recognition systems on self-driving cars, in
the recommendation engines that suggest products you might like based on what you bought in
the past. Unlike humans, these systems can only learn or be taught how to do specific tasks,
which is why they are called narrow AI.

What can narrow AI do?

There are a vast number of emerging applications for narrow AI: interpreting video feeds from
drones carrying out visual inspections of infrastructure such as oil pipelines, organizing personal
and business calendars, responding to simple customer-service queries, co-ordinating with other
intelligent systems to carry out tasks like booking a hotel at a suitable time and location, helping
radiologists to spot potential tumors in X-rays, flagging inappropriate content online, detecting
wear and tear in elevators from data gathered by IoT devices, the list goes on and on.

What can general AI do?

Artificial general intelligence is very different, and is the type of adaptable intellect found in
humans, a flexible form of intelligence capable of learning how to carry out vastly different
tasks, anything from haircutting to building spreadsheets, or to reason about a wide variety of
topics based on its accumulated experience. This is the sort of AI more commonly seen in
movies, the likes of HAL in 2001 or Skynet in The Terminator, but which doesn’t exist today
and AI experts are fiercely divided over how soon it will become a reality.

A survey conducted among four groups of experts in 2012/13 by AI researchers Vincent C

Müller and philosopher Nick Bostrom reported a 50 percent chance that Artificial General
Intelligence (AGI) would be developed between 2040 and 2050, rising to 90 percent by 2075.
The group went even further, predicting that so-called ‘ superintelligence’ — which Bostrom
defines as “any intellect that greatly exceeds the cognitive performance of humans in virtually all
domains of interest” — was expected some 30 years after the achievement of AGI.

That said, some AI experts believe such projections are wildly optimistic given our limited
understanding of the human brain, and believe that AGI is still centuries away.

What is machine learning?

There is a broad body of research in AI, much of which feeds into and complements each other.

Currently enjoying something of a resurgence, machine learning is where a computer system is

fed large amounts of data, which it then uses to learn how to carry out a specific task, such as
understanding speech or captioning a photograph.
What are neural networks?
Key to the process of machine learning are neural networks. These are brain-inspired networks
of interconnected layers of algorithms, called neurons, that feed data into each other, and which
can be trained to carry out specific tasks by modifying the importance attributed to input data as
it passes between the layers. During training of these neural networks, the weights attached to
different inputs will continue to be varied until the output from the neural network is very close
to what is desired, at which point the network will have ‘learned’ how to carry out a particular
task.

A subset of machine learning is deep learning, where neural networks are expanded into
sprawling networks with a huge number of layers that are trained using massive amounts of data.
It is these deep neural networks that have fueled the current leap forward in the ability of
computers to carry out task like speech recognition and computer vision.

There are various types of neural networks, with different strengths and weaknesses. Recurrent
neural networks are a type of neural net particularly well suited to language processing and
speech recognition, while convolutional neural networks are more commonly used in image
recognition. The design of neural networks is also evolving, with researchers recently refining a
more effective form of deep neural network called long short-term memory or LSTM, allowing it
to operate fast enough to be used in on-demand systems like Google Translate.

Applications of AI
AI has been dominant in various fields such as −

 Gaming − AI plays crucial role in strategic games such as chess, poker, tic-tac-toe, etc.,
where machine can think of large number of possible positions based on heuristic
knowledge.
 Natural Language Processing − It is possible to interact with the computer that
understands natural language spoken by humans.
 Expert Systems − There are some applications which integrate machine, software, and
special information to impart reasoning and advising. They provide explanation and
advice to the users.
o Vision Systems − These systems understand, interpret, and comprehend visual
input on the computer. For example,
o A spying aeroplane takes photographs, which are used to figure out spatial
information or map of the areas.
o Doctors use clinical expert system to diagnose the patient.
o Police use computer software that can recognize the face of criminal with the
stored portrait made by forensic artist.
 Speech Recognition − Some intelligent systems are capable of hearing and
comprehending the language in terms of sentences and their meanings while a human
talks to it. It can handle different accents, slang words, noise in the background, change
in human’s noise due to cold, etc.
  Handwriting Recognition − The handwriting recognition software reads the text written
on paper by a pen or on screen by a stylus. It can recognize the shapes of the letters and
convert it into editable text.
 Intelligent Robots − Robots are able to perform the tasks given by a human. They have
sensors to detect physical data from the real world such as light, heat, temperature,
movement, sound, bump, and pressure. They have efficient processors, multiple sensors
and huge memory, to exhibit intelligence. In addition, they are capable of learning from
their mistakes and they can adapt to the new environment.

Artificial Intelligence

Magazine Desk

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines,

especially computer systems. These processes include learning (the acquisition of information
and rules for using the information), reasoning (using rules to reach approximate or definite
conclusions) and self-correction. Particular applications of AI include expert systems, speech
recognition and machine vision.

AI can be categorized as either weak or strong. Weak AI, also known as narrow AI, is an AI
system that is designed and trained for a particular task. Virtual personal assistants, such as
Apple’s Siri, are a form of weak AI. Strong AI, also known as artificial general intelligence, is an
AI system with generalized human cognitive abilities. When presented with an unfamiliar task, a
strong AI system is able to find a solution without human intervention.

Types

1. Reactive machines

An example is Deep Blue, the IBM chess program that beat Garry Kasparov in the 1990s. Deep
Blue can identify pieces on the chessboard and make predictions, but it has no memory and
cannot use past experiences to inform future ones. It analyzes possible moves – its own and of its
opponent – and chooses the most strategic move. Deep

2. Limited memory

These AI systems can use past experiences to inform future decisions. Some of the decision-
making functions in self-driving cars are designed this way. Observations inform actions
happening in the not-so-distant future, such as a car changing lanes. These observations are not
stored permanently.

3. Theory of mind

This psychology term refers to the understanding that others have their own beliefs, desires and
intentions that impact the decisions they make. This kind of AI does not yet exist.
 4. Self-awareness

In this category, AI systems have a sense of self, have consciousness. Machines with self-
awareness understand their current state and can use the information to infer what others are
feeling. This type of AI does not yet exist.

Applications

Artificial intelligence has made its way into a number of areas. Here are six examples.

1. Healthcare

The biggest bets are on improving patient outcomes and reducing costs. Companies are applying
machine learning to diagnose better and faster than humans. One of the best known healthcare
technologies is IBM Watson. It understands natural language and is capable of responding to
questions asked of it. Other AI applications include chatbots, a computer program used online to
answer questions and assist customers, to help schedule follow-up appointments or aid patients
through the billing process, and virtual health assistants that provide basic medical feedback.

2. Business

Robotic process automation is being applied to highly-repetitive tasks normally performed by

humans. Machine learning algorithms are being integrated into analytics and CRM platforms to
uncover information on how to better serve customers. Chatbots have been incorporated into
websites to provide immediate service to customers.

3. Education

AI can automate grading, giving educators more time. AI can assess students and adapt to their
needs, helping them work at their own pace. AI tutors can provide additional support to students,
ensuring they stay on track. AI could change where and how students learn, perhaps even
replacing some teachers.

4. Finance

AI in personal finance applications, such as Mint or Turbo Tax, is disrupting financial

institutions. Applications such as these collect personal data and provide financial advice. Other
programs, such as IBM Watson, have been applied to the process of buying a home.

5. Law

The discovery process, sifting through of documents, in law is often overwhelming for humans.
Automating this process is a more efficient use of time. Startups are also building question-and-
answer computer assistants that can sift programmed-to-answer questions by examining the
taxonomy and ontology associated with a database.

6. Manufacturing

This is an area that has been at the forefront of incorporating robots into the workflow. Industrial
robots used to perform single tasks and were separated from human workers, but as the
technology advanced that changed.

Artificial Intelligence; A curse or blessing.

Outline

I. Introduction
II. The emergence of Artificial Intelligence and famous people's views about it.
III. The blessings of Artificial Intelligence
1. Reduction of human errors
2. Doing of dangerous tasks in place of humans
3. Daily applications
4. Available 24hrs to support humans
5. Precision and accuracy in tasks
6. Fast decisions
7. Medical advancement
8. Agricultural productions
9. Augmenting economy
10. Gaming and entertainment
11. Autonomous chatbox and robots
12. It can save our precious time
IV. The dark side of Artificial Intelligence
1. Artificial Intelligence can supersede human beings
2. Unemployment
3. AI have no feelings and sympathy
4. No original creativity
5. Human’s laziness
6. Falling into terrorist’s hand
7. The existential threat of a life

Essay
Human beings have created lots of small and big things which in return have provided comfort
and ease in their life. Artificial Intelligence is one of them, which changed the lifestyle of a man.
The termed Artificial Intelligence was coined by John McCarthy in 1956. It is a branch of
Computer Science, in which the intelligence of a machine is studied. According to experts, all
those things can be into the circle of Artificial Intelligence, which can think, grow and take
rational decisions alike of human beings. Artificial Intelligence has contributed a lot in human
life so far where the reduction in human errors, taking responsibility for doing tedious, complex
and dangerous jobs are worth noting. However, there are also some dark sides and fears related
to Artificial Intelligence in which the dilemma of future unemployment for human beings and
superseding human’s place are always highlighted. Some experts like Mark Zuckerberg is
supporting such innovations while Elon Musk is against of Artificial Intelligence. Thus,
Artificial Intelligence, if aligned with human will and protect from the evil’s hand, will always
be fruitful for humans. A robot Sophie made an adventure of Hong Kong, which recently was
given citizenship by Saudi Arabia told that if you are good to me, I shall be good for you.
Therefore, it entirely depends on human beings that how they make use of them.
As there are many bright sides of Artificial Intelligence. The reduction of errors and mistakes of
human beings is one of them. Human beings are frail creatures which are confronted with lots of
errors everywhere. Artificial Intelligence, on the other hand, can be sufficient to overcome all
these errors and weakness of humans. Artificial Intelligence works on the advanced and proper
installed programs; therefore, the chances of errors are negligible by Artificial Intelligence. For
instance, the thinking process of human minds can never be stopped, thus doing their duty, they
can be distracted easily and a mistake can be done, however, Artificial Intelligence is away from
such occurrence. Therefore, Artificial Intelligence is fruitful to overcome and decrease the errors
of humans.
Similarly, there are many dangers ahead of humans in day to day life. Humans are faced with
many challenges in daily life routines where some of them can even take the life of humans.
Artificial Intelligence can perform all those jobs instead of humans which are beyond the
human’s approach that might be defusing a bomb, uplifting a hefty steal rod or performing duties
during the earthquake and fire emergency of burning buildings. Thus, Artificial Intelligence can
put into risk instead of humans into the service of humanity and it is predicted that Artificial
Intelligence can perform tasks if they are programmed well even better than that of the humans.
Furthermore, there are numerous daily life applications where the use of Artificial Intelligence is
prominent. It has enhanced the life routines of the people. Nowadays, humans without mobile
phones and mobiles without Artificial Intelligence are just futile. Such as, in Apple’s mobile the
role of Siri, in Microsoft windows the use of Cortona and in Android mobile they magic of
Google cannot be denied. People are so habitual with the use of Artificial Intelligence in daily
life application where the unavailability of such applications creates depressions in them. So,
Artificial Intelligence has contributed up to a great extent into daily life applications for the
services of human beings.
Moreover, the blessing of Artificial Intelligence can be available any hour of the day. Artificial
Intelligence never gets tired, feel thirsty or need foods. Humans where can do their duties only
8hours out of 24hours excluding break time, on the flip side, Artificial Intelligence can be
available at the doorsteps all the 24hours of the day. Therefore, such prolonged duty is very
important in the departments of security and intelligence of a country which are always active
during the entire day and night. So, Artificial Intelligence can perform such tasks into the
security services of a country.
Besides the availability of 24hours, Artificial Intelligence can perform all such tasks with
absolute precision and accuracy which is very essential for the maintenance of the development
and that of security purposes. Artificial Intelligence is error free if the prerequisite is performed
according to the tasks given where 1% chance of error can destruct 99% of the entire structure
and composition of the task. The nuclear collapse of Ukraine is an example of such destruction.
Therefore, it is high time to keep 100 percent accuracy in such sensitive places which can be
gained through Artificial Intelligence only.
In the same manner, there are many places where fast decisions are required in order to enhance
the situation, avoid major destruction and protect the future consequences. However, Artificial
Intelligence can play a pivotal role in such places, As mentioned earlier in the case of Ukraine
Nuclear Plant collapse if proper and prior actions were taken on time. The destruction of the
entire plant might be saved. Thus, Artificial Intelligence is very good for taking fast and prompt
decision on such sensitive issues.
Same likely, the contributions of Artificial Intelligence in the fields of medicine are even more.
Many diseases can be figured out before it gets extended and becomes inevitable. Artificial
Intelligence can predict the breast cancer in advance because of which many women are dying
every day worldwide. Similarly, the most dangerous disease that is a heart attack can be figured
out and cure utilizing modern technologies while using the support of Artificial Intelligence. In
the 21st century, a robot by using Artificial Intelligence has successfully operated human
operations of major organs. Thus, Artificial Intelligence also provided its services in the field of
medical science.
Aside from the medical field, the role of Artificial Intelligence in agricultural is even more.
Today, Artificial Intelligence can be used to figure out which land is better for production and
cultivation and it is used to find the salinity of the soil into the fields. A huge place of crops can
be cut and collected in a matter of hours by using of heavy machinery with the help of Artificial
Intelligence. It can be used to figure out various viruses, bacteria and germs etc. Similarly,
various seeds are sown while using Artificial Intelligence for the better production of the
outcome. In short, Biotechnology while using Artificial Intelligence has contributed a lot into the
services of mankind, therefore, its role in agriculture is equally important for better production
and the result of the crops.
On the other hand, the role of Artificial Intelligence in computer intelligence is far beyond
human complexities. It can be found in various games on the computer where defeating an
automatic player becomes a great challenge for its own master. Therefore, it was found in the 90s
that a well famous chess master was defeated by an automated computer player in the game.
However, In more advanced games like IGI, Medal of Honour and Call of duty all mechanisms
of the games are being controlled by means of the Artificial Intelligence where it becomes very
hard for human beings to confront and play smart in order to defeat enemies side which are run
by Artificial Intelligence. Moreover, it has also contributed to the industry of entertainment in to
order facilitate the humans with its blessings.
In addition to it, there are many websites where chat boxes are based on Artificial Intelligence.
These automated chat boxes are fulfilled the queries of the people in a matter of seconds. Their
response in such a quick and accurate manner that they cannot even be recognised by people.
Similarly, all over the world, many banks, toy shops and restaurants are using automatic robots
in order to facilitate human beings with the latest modern technologies of the century. Therefore,
autonomous chat boxes and robots are the other important inventory of AI.
Last but not least, time is considered to be the most precious resort that human beings can have.
It is said that time is money and this money can be saved and used very well into other creative
activities with the help of Artificial Intelligence. In the contemporary world, Artificial
Intelligence supplies enormous services for human beings through they can save this very
important treasury of the world. Artificial Intelligence assists man in each and every field of his
life. For instance, today he can search the unknown places in the entire world in a few seconds,
call anyone worldwide in no time, set alarm for his future important meeting etc and can
program many online activities through his virtual assistance. Therefore, the role of Artificial
Intelligence while saving the treasury of time for man is really important.
As each picture has two sides, therefore, Artificial Intelligence has also some dark sides. The
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said that it is just an imaginary fear, however, many
people are afraid that Artificial Intelligence in future may supersede human beings and their
capabilities. According to Elon Musk, Artificial Intelligence can be an Immortal Dictatorship
which will erode all the conveniences of human beings and will destroy them in no time.
Artificial Intelligence if gets out of control of human beings, it might enslave its own master and
will sooner kill him. Therefore, many scientists like Stephan Hawking was also against it who
was also using its services to deliver his message. According to him such things are irreversible
and can have the capability to rule the world if once get beyond the control of its own masters
i.e. Human beings.
On the other hand, many people believe that Artificial Intelligence will take the human seats in
the future and the world will observe a huge deficiency in the market of employment. As
Artificial Intelligence can do works promptly, accurately and conveniently, therefore, the job
holders will feel no need of humans for their job vacancies thus the world will be confronted
with collapsed of unemployment. Therefore, people are very concern about their future jobs
paralleled with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence.
Furthermore, human beings are enshrined with feelings of good and bad. However, Artificial
Intelligence cannot recognise such feelings which very against the will of human beings. The
place of Artificial Intelligence in the places of society is rarely encouraged. Thus, owing to the
unfeeling nature of Artificial Intelligence people do want to interact with it with the core of their
hearts
Similarly, in the contemporary run, Artificial Intelligence is capable to do lots of works and
duties, however, on the flip side, all these duties are actually assigned to it. In short, Artificial
Intelligence has no original creativity. It does what is given to them. Artificial Intelligence is
working just in a circle of repetitive jobs where it provides what is given to them, it cannot
produce original and unique ideas, in case if ever it becomes capable of producing such new and
original ideas as well as things then it will surely supersede humans and all those living
organisms on the earth. Therefore, it is also considered an existing thread to human beings.
On the same account, human beings are very addicted to modern technologies. They are doing
each and every activity very easily with the use of Artificial Intelligence by modern means
which, in return, have made them very lazy and futile. Man, as not doing the work and duties
regularly and properly, therefore, he has confronted with many unseen diseases too. The curse of
Artificial Intelligence has made man good for nothing, he doesn’t want to go for daily exercises
due to lots of easiness in his life and consequently, owing to the dependency of Artificial
Intelligence today man is weaker and more fragile than ever.
Last but not least, the greatest thread to Artificial intelligence is that it can be fallen into the
terrorists and enemies’ hands. Artificial intelligence is like fire, it can be used to heat your room,
cook your foods, but it has also the capability to burn your home. Therefore, Artificial
intelligence, if fallen into the hands of your enemy, can easily destroy you. Similarly, the wrong
use of such intelligence is also very destructive. It has lots of benefits, but if used wrongly all
these merits will account and accumulate into destructions. Therefore, the security and protection
of such technologies are the major concern of the world today.
To sum up, Artificial intelligence is the greatest blessing in the contemporary world. However, if
it is not used the way it ought to be, it might be the worst destruction ever. Therefore, it is high
time to recognise the blessing and curse of this very adventure of the world. It is like a double
edged knife which can cut fruit for you, but if it used wrongly it can cut you apart too. Therefore,
awareness about this high and sensitive technology becomes an obligation for the people of the
time. It has lots of benefits if it is used properly and consciously. So, it can do good but it is up to
us.

Artificial Intelligence Pros and

Cons
Advantages of Artificial Intelligence
1. To ‘err’ is human, so why not use AI?
Machine take decision based on previous data records. With algorithms, the chances of errors are
reduced. This is an achievement, as solving complex problems require difficult calculation that
can be done without any error.

Business organizations use digital assistants to interact with their users, this helps them to save
an ample amount of time. The demand for user’s businesses is fulfilled and thus they don’t have
to wait. They are programmed to give the best possible assistance to a user.

For example – Heard of Mars Orbiter Mission, or the movie Mission Mangal, which is based on
it? How are they reaching to such great heights? The first reason being the human brain and the
second being artificial intelligence.

There is no room for error with artificial intelligence. The robots are fed with information that is
sent to explore space. Metal bodies have more resistant and a great ability to endure the space
and hostile atmosphere.

They are created and used in such a way that they cannot be modified or get disfigured or
breakdown in a hostile environment.

2. AI doesn’t get tired and wear out easily

Artificial Intelligence and the science of robotics is used in mining and other fuel exploration
processes. These complex machines help to explore the ocean floor and overcome human
limitations.
Due to the programming of the robots, they can perform a more laborious task with extra hard
work and with greater responsibility. Moreover, they do not wear out easily.

3. Digital assistance helps in day to day chores

Siri listens to us and performs the task in one tap. GPS helps you to travel the world. How can I
forget the basic necessity? Food, clothing, shelter, and smartphone. They are the ones that predict
what we are going to type, in short, they know us better than anyone.

The best is the autocorrect feature, it understands what you are trying to say and present you the
sentence in the best way possible. Have you observed that while you post a picture on social
media, you tag people, but the machine automatically detects the person’s face and tags that
individuals?

Same is when you work on Google Photos. Automatically, a folder is created of the people with
the help of their faces.

Artificial Intelligence is widely employed by financial institutions and banking institutions

because it helps to organize and manage data. Also, detection of fraud uses artificial intelligence
in a smart card-based system.

4. Rational decision maker

Logic above all! Highly advanced organizations have digital assistants which help them to
interact with the users and save the need for human resources.

Right program decisions can be taken if they are worked upon rationally. But, with humans,
emotions come along. When artificial thinkers, there is no distraction at all. They don’t have an
emotional side, and that makes robots think logically.

Emotions are not associated with them and therefore the mood doesn’t hamper the efficiency.
Thus they are always productive.

5. Repetitive jobs
The same old task, a task that doesn’t add value is of no use. Also, repetitive jobs are
monotonous in nature and can be carried out with the help of machine intelligence. Machines
think faster than humans and can perform various functions at the same time.

It can be employed to carry out dangerous tasks and its parameters are adjusted. This is not
possible with humans as their speed and time can’t be calculated on the basis of parameters.
6. Medical applications
This is the best thing that artificial intelligence has done to humans. It’s said that time and tide
waits for none but, with medical applications of artificial intelligence, a wide scope application is
present. Doctors assess patients and their health risks with the help of artificial machine
intelligence.

The applications help to educate the machine about the side effects of various medicines.
Nowadays, medical professionals are trained with artificial surgery simulators. It uses
application which helps in detecting and monitoring neurological disorders and stimulate the
brain functions.

This also helps in the radiosurgery. Radiosurgery is used in operating tumors and help in the
operation without damaging the surrounding tissues.

7. Tireless, selfless and with no breaks

A machine doesn’t require breaks like the way humans do. They are programmed for long hours
and can continuously perform without getting bored or distracted. The machine does not get
tired, even if it has to work for consecutive hours.

This is a major benefit over humans, who need a rest from time to time to be efficient. However,
in the case of machines, their efficiency is not affected by any external factor and it does not get
in the way of continuous work.

8. Right decision making

The complete absence of emotions from a machine makes it more efficient as they are able to
make the right decisions in a short span of time. The best example of this is its usage in
healthcare.

The integration of AI tools in the healthcare sector has improved the efficiency of treatments by
minimizing the risk of false diagnosis.

9. Implementing AI in risky situations

Human safety is taken care of by machines. Safety is vulnerable and with machines that are fitted
with predefined algorithms, this can be used. Scientists use complex machines to study the ocean
floor where human survival becomes difficult.

This is the level of AI. It reaches the place where humans can’t reach. Thus, helps to solve issues
in a jiffy.
Any doubts in the artificial intelligence pros and cons article till now? Share your views in the
comments.

Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence

As it is always said, every coin has two sides and so does AI.

1. High cost
It’s true that AI comes with a high cost, but there is no such thing as a free lunch too. It requires
huge costs as it is a complex machine. Apart from the installation cost, its repair and
maintenance also require huge costs.

The software programs need frequent upgradation and cater to the needs of the changing
environment.

Also, if there is a breakdown, the cost of procurement is very high. With that, recovery requires
huge time too.

2. No human replication
No matter how smart a machine becomes, it can never replicate a human. Machines are rational
but, very inhuman as they don’t possess emotions and moral values. They don’t know what is
ethical and what’s legal and because of this, don’t have their own judgment making skills.

They do what they are told to do and therefore the judgment of right or wrong is nil for them. If
they encounter a situation that is unfamiliar to them then they perform incorrectly or else break
down in such situations.

3. No improvement with Experience

Artificial intelligence cannot be improved with experience, they can perform the same function
again if no different command is given to them. With time, it can lead to wear and tear. It stores
a lot of data but the way it can be accessed and used is very different from human intelligence.

Also, they can’t cope up with the dynamic environment and so they are unable to alter their
responses to changing environments. We are constantly bombarded by the question of whether it
is really exciting to replace humans with machines.

Artificial intelligence doesn’t have feelings and because of which there is nothing like working
with a whole heart or with full passion for them. There is no sense of belonging or togetherness
or a human touch. They fail to distinguish between a hardworking individual and an inefficient
individual.

4. Creativity is not the key for AI

Machines can’t be creative. They can only do what they are being taught or commanded. Though
they help in designing and creating, they can’t match the power of a human brain.

Humans are sensitive and intellectuals and they are very creative too. They can generate ideas,
can think out of the box. They see, hear, think and feel which machine can’t.

Their thoughts are guided by the feelings which completely lacks in machines. No matter how
much a machine outgrows, it can’t inherent intuitive abilities of the human brain and can’t
replicate it.

5. Unemployment
This one is the riskiest and can have severe effects. With capital intensive technologies, human-
intensive requirements have decreased in some industries. If in the future, human beings don’t
add to their skills, then in no time, we can see that they will be replaced with machines.

The major issue of the GDP being stagnant or not growing at the expected rate is unemployment.
People don’t possess the required skills that are in demand. There is a huge demand and supply
gap because of this.

Summary
All being said, the pros and cons of artificial intelligence being evaluated, it is up to the reader,
user, and their perspective. AI and robotics will improve the way we think, the way we explore
new horizons, whether space or the ocean.

As the age-old saying goes, necessity is the mother of all innovations, so is the case with AI.
Human beings know what they need and are getting increasingly better in defining their wants
and quickly transforming this into reality.

In the near future, things will happen so rapidly that we will see major changes and innovation.
Hold your breath Mega disruptions have begun!
Dawn opinion

Focus: Artificial intelligence for the benefit of all

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere. It is omnipresent in our lives. Even when we don’t
“see” it working, it “sees” us, “hears” us and is constantly learning from our behaviour.

When Netflix and YouTube recommend something for you to watch, they use your browsing
history to recommend future watches learning from your past preferences. When Gmail finishes
a sentence you start to type, it also uses AI to predict what you wanted to write out. I often find
that if I Google a potential product to purchase, I start seeing advertisements related to that
product on all the browsers and social media applications on my phone!

While the use of artificial intelligence has helped humans in many ways, the presence of these
technologies pervading our lives has raised privacy and security concerns. There are certainly
reasons to be cautious in the use of artificial intelligence, but, if used correctly, this technology
has the potential to solve the most pressing problems the world is facing today.

AI can be vital in providing equitable solutions to problems of faced by marginalised groups

globally. We all know how technology and artificial intelligence has made remote learning
possible since the start of the pandemic. By expanding access to smart phones for low- income
children, technology can enable learning for students who cannot attend school on campus.
Remote learning through AI technologies can help reduce the drop-out rates, particularly for girls
in middle-school in Pakistan and other developing countries.

AI is already assisting the management of the current global health crisis through its countless
applications for remote medical consultations and contact tracing applications used by
governments around the world. This year, MIT experimented with the use of robot doctors, like
Dr Spot, for monitoring and treating Covid-19 patients in a contact-free manner, thus reducing
the burden on healthcare workers.

I kept thinking how we could use AI to help communities in distress and those affected by years
of conflict, especially children in conflict zones. My heart goes out to internally displaced
people, refugee communities around the world and children in Palestine. In future, when I gain
the appropriate level of skill, I would invent a cheaper version of an Apple Tag and give to all
the children in Palestine, Syria, Kashmir and in other war zones, so that displaced families can
find each other when calamities hit.

AI technologies have the potential to worsen global inequalities, but they also present a valuable
opportunity to make this world more sustainable. The focus of our generation of young people
should be to direct this technology away from just benefitting a select few, towards make a
difference in improving the lives of people in distress.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLEGENCE IN DEFENCE SECTOR
Real life Artificial Intelligence drone technology is making possible the deployment of
autonomous weapons that could do pretty much the same and more.

It will take some time to see whether robots of the future steal all our jobs, but drones are already
stealing the march on the future of war. Based on common understanding, it has almost become
natural to visualise a robot as having a human-like form, fighting off enemies. But essentially,
drones are robotic machines that are capable of executing specific tasks with little or no human
intervention, with speed and precision.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is said to be the first war that was won, at least in part, by the
(Lethal) Loitering Autonomous Weapons (LAW). As this recent war has shown, LAWs can
quickly turn the balance in a hot conflict. Once launched, they can fly for hours or loiter in the
sky till they acquire a target, and then they drop right on to it to destroy it, earning the nickname
‘kamikaze drones’.

Their usefulness comes from the autonomy with which they can operate per a pre-assigned
objective, making it very difficult for the opponent to fight and take counter measures. Imagine a
posse of “fire and forget” loitering drones, taking out air defence systems to clear the way for the
follow-up attack.

Autonomous AI drone technology is bringing us closer and closer to a future that we so far saw
depicted only in films

Advanced Autonomous Weapon Systems (AWS) are expected to benefit hugely from
investments and developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is poised to change the
future of war. According to the International Data Center, the global spending on AI will reach
110 billion dollars in the year 2024.

In 2017, China accounted for 70 percent of the 39.5 billion dollars invested in AI worldwide.
Global military spending on AWS and AI is projected to reach 16 billion and 18 billon dollars
respectively by 2025. These investments point to a rapid proliferation of these weapons with a
concurrent increased military usefulness.

Swarms of drones as autonomous aerial weapons will change the future of warfare

Compared to resource intensive research and production costs of conventional weapons, the
AWS tech proliferation would benefit from Moore’s Law and the declining costs of production,
including 3D printing, enabling acquisition or modification of robotic drones. It is not difficult to
imagine modification of a quadcopter drone, costing less than 100 dollars — used for, say,
filming — to be adapted for a predatory mission. Think about a drone that can come back to
refuel or recharge!

It’s not hard to see that AI offers an investment price point that creates the possibility of
capturing and holding an area without human deployment. This will have implications, which
can be both advantageous and subversive. Security management or target acquisition with a
remote precision tears down the cost structure around such operations for anyone, while defence
against such weapons would have a higher cost.

Unlike nuclear technology, which had very limited commercial use beyond power generation, AI
is multi-use and all-pervasive: its use can be from AWS to smartphone applications. Just to cite
an example, Uber Elevate is an “urban aviation ride-sharing product” that will whisk people
across cities. Dubai is testing the Autonomous Air Taxi which may be the world’s first “self-
flying taxi service”. Quite a few cases that leverage data analytics can be cited. AI is thus the
centrepiece of the future economy and is expected to denominate its resilience.

A batch of drones can also work autonomously as a group based on Swarm Intelligence (SI)
technology. In the Hollywood movie Olympus Has Fallen (2019), a swarm of AI-powered armed
drones quicky overwhelm the protection detail of the president. But it was Star Trek Beyond
(2016) that featured the devastating power of Krall’s Swarm Drones, which destroy the USS
Enterprise with a feisty abandon, while Captain James T. Kirk and crew helplessly fight for their
lives. That technology is no longer the domain of creative movie CGI scenes.

These are highly effective smart weapons, compared to the huge clunky missiles of the Cold War
era. In order to fight these weapons, one would certainly need these very weapons; the speed and
precision of these machines would be beyond human response. Even Israel’s Iron Dome, which
uses AI-based parameters to achieve the interception of missiles and rockets, could be
overwhelmed by more accurate drones and by increasing the number of projectiles or swarms.

Thus, expectedly, drones will have to be deployed to fight drones — which does sound a bit like
video games. The key decisions on the use of force may still be human for some time to come.
However, a mental extrapolation of current capability would lead to the conclusion that it would
be made easier, progressively, for machine and devices to connect and talk to each other, and act
together, based on set parameters or algorithms.

Such communication will have very practical reasons from an aviation standpoint as well. But
now take a moment to think of the internet and 5G capabilities, and instantly one is reminded of
Skynet and I, Robot type scenarios.

The progression, therefore, will be to “autonomous systems” that comprise of various offensive
or response mechanisms. The UN Convention on Certain Weapons (CCW) has worked out
guiding principles as a code of conduct on AWS development according to international law.
The CCW had better luck in coming up with effective policy tools to deal with problematic
weapons such as landmines and cluster munitions.

It is hoped that CCW will be able to take the work further and the discussions would lead to an
international treaty to regulate the development and use of these “certain” fire-and-forget
machines. Expect no bans, however.

The hum of a camera-mounted drone is something we are all used to, having been to weddings or
other events, but the sound of a swarm usually has maleficent foreboding — ask any farmer.
Beyond military use, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Miniature Pilotless Aircraft or Flying
Mini Robots have a variety of applications, ranging from transport and delivery, to photography,
with great value addition to human capacity. Just think of robots delivering food to quarantined
patients.

However, autonomous systems monitoring autonomous systems with a response capacity is not a
comfortable scenario to imagine.