Artificial intelligence (AI) is a prevalent topic in today’s news and a buzzword used by numerous companies to market their products and services.
Malaysia is getting billions of Ringgit worth of investments from giant tech companies such as Microsoft, Nvidia, and Google in AI. But what exactly is it? This article will delve into the subject.
1. What is AI?
- AI (artificial intelligence) refers to using computer systems to perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence. It involves creating algorithms and models that can analyse data, identify patterns, and make decisions based on that analysis.
2. Key Characteristics of AI:
- Pervasiveness: AI is increasingly ubiquitous, affecting almost all aspects of our lives. It’s used in email systems, maps, phones, CCTV, health systems, and justice systems.
- Invisibility: Despite its prevalence, AI can be invisible, opaque, and sometimes prone to errors.
- Machine Learning (ML): Much of what we refer to as AI is actually machine learning in practice. Machine learning (ML) is a branch of AI and computer science that focuses on the using data and algorithms to enable AI to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy.
Here are some examples of AI that you might be using in your daily life:
- Smart Assistants: Devices like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, and Apple’s Siri use AI to understand your voice commands and perform tasks such as setting alarms, searching the internet, or controlling other smart devices in your home.
- Search and Recommendation Algorithms: Search engines like Google use AI to provide you with the most relevant search results. Similarly, platforms like Netflix use AI to recommend movies, products, or services based on your past behavior.
- Autonomous Vehicles: Companies like Tesla are using AI to develop self-driving cars. These vehicles use a combination of sensors, cameras, and AI algorithms to navigate roads and traffic.
- Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT are capable of emulating human-like responses and can perform a variety of tasks such as writing blog posts, generating and debugging complex code, and answering almost any question you would ask.
- Manufacturing Robots: AI is used in manufacturing robots to increase efficiency and precision in industries.
- Social Media Monitoring: Platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) use AI to monitor content, detect spam, and personalise content for users.
Why Should You Care About AI?
- Opportunities: Basic AI literacy ensures we don’t miss out on opportunities created by AI applications.
- Everyday Impact: AI is already part of our daily lives, from personalised recommendations to video compression. Understanding it empowers us to be conscious and confident users of AI-related products.
How long before humans create a true AI?
Current AI technologies, such as machine learning models, and natural language processing systems, are considered narrow AI. They excel at specific tasks but lack the broad, flexible, and autonomous intelligence that characterises true AI.
They can’t think for themselves and they can only come up with something because we feed them data and algorithms. Experts believe that we might see a human-level AI within the next 100 years.
Like it or not, AI is here to stay
AI is transforming many aspects of our lives, making tasks easier, improving decision-making, enhancing personalisation, and driving innovation.
Its importance lies in its ability to improve efficiency, contribute to economic growth, enhance healthcare, ensure safety and security, support sustainability, and make technology more accessible and inclusive.
As AI continues to evolve, its potential to positively impact society will only grow, making it a crucial component of modern life.
