THE FUTURE OF AI: embracing the potiential

When you hear the word ‘artificial intelligence’ the first thing that comes to mind is robotics,
but what truly is artificial intelligence and what does the future hold for it? According to
Wikipedia, artificial intelligence also referred to as machine intelligence, is any device or
machine that mimics cognitive functions humans associate with the human mind such as
learning and problem solving. Examples of artificial intelligence in our day to day lives
include: Siri, Google, drones, advertising and so much more. Every industry is incorporating
artificial intelligence into its back bone in one form or the other, changing the way we think
and live. The future of artificial intelligence is both fascinating and a constant cause of
concern, therefore what will our future look like with the advancement of artificial
intelligence? Here are a few case scenarios.

According to Forrester, in a recently published article ‘The Future of Work’, which gives a
pragmatic view on the influence of artificial intelligence and automation in our job industry, it
predicts that by 2030, job losses will reach a rate of twenty nine percent (equating to roughly
20 million jobs eliminated) with an even lesser job creation percentage of thirteen percent.
Not every company or organization will be able to jump upon the artificial intelligence train
and will risk being overtaken by companies with a firmer hands-on approach to artificial
intelligence. Jobs such as data entry, inventory trackers, proofreaders, receptionists will be
replaced by artificial intelligence. Presently we see patterns of jobs becoming obsolete with
the emergence of self-driving cars, drone and factory automation.

Artificial intelligence will lead to more new and important discoveries in the future, through its
predictive modelling. In 2017, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
reported the discovery of an eight-planet solar system by an AI and in 2019, with the help of
AI, two new planets were discovered by astronomers at the University of Texas.What this
spell for the future of artificial intelligence are new discoveries that will not only lead to
scientific breakthrough but in lesser periods of time. Less back breaking work for scientists
who do not have to pore through thousands of scientific records especially in cases of
emergencies. It can also predict the emergence of any new virus, disease or epidemic and
discover a corresponding drug to treat it. Beyond that with well written and researched
algorithms, AI can also predict preventive measures to stop any such epidemic from
happening.

AI accesses multiple sets of data to reveal patterns in diseases, diagnosis and treatments.
This in turn will help the healthcare industry develop AI algorithms that will improve longevity
and predict the onset of diseases, improve drug research processes and aid doctors in
diagnosis. Drones are already transforming the delivery of medical services by providing
medical supplies, search and rescue operations and medical care. This technology will
benefit countries with poor medical services greatly. Also, nanotechnology combined with
artificial intelligence will create a totally different way in which we treat diseases. By using
nanotechnology, AI can identify bad cells, especially in cancer patients, tumor penetration
and drug delivery.

Remember the movie ‘I, Robot’ and the Nickelodeon TV show, ‘I Am Frankie’? With the
onset of robotics research that focuses on replicating and learning human behavior, we have
robots like Sanbot, Buddy and ASIMO. These robots will shape the robots of the future. They
will do much more than work in factories, they could act as care givers or simply home
companions. A robot that is capable of running searches the same way as your smartphones
can, schedule appointments, respond to questions and run basic human errands. So,
imagine a world where a robot companion can carry on intelligent conversations and provide
information that you will usually seek out on the internet, prepare meals according to your
health needs and perform functions that will smoothen the daily activities of the average
human.

Vladimir Putin, former president of Russia stated that “Artificial intelligence is the future, not
only for Russia but for all humankind. It comes with enormous opportunities, but also threats
that are difficult to predict. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere becomes the ruler of
the world”.

Artificial intelligence is going to change the way we view the world both positively and
negatively. Anyone who hold the power of AI in his or her hands has to be cautious in its
usage. Privacy laws and security parameters should be reviewed to protect everyone from
vulnerability. Beyond that the positives currently outweigh the negatives, therefore if
researches continue to be done with transparency and accountability, the balance would not
tip in favor of the negative.