Drawbacks and Privileges of Artificial Intelligence - Essay Example

Table of Contents Introduction .. 2 2. Body a. Weak arguments against AI 2 b. The main problems with AI ... 3 c. Areas of AI application .. 4 d.Two branches of AI development .. 4 e. Phases passed by AI 4 f. Human-level AI .. 5 g. AI offers endless opportunities 6 3. Conclusion .. 7 4. References .. 8 Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to enhance life in the 21st century. Moreover, AI developments are aimed at making the human life easier and more convenient. The term Artificial Intelligence was introduced by John McCarthy in 1956. Today, AI is widely applied in genetic programming, image recognition, expert systems, scalability, logistic planning, vision systems, and evaluators. AI offers numerous advantages. In particular, machines are empowered to perform the jobs requiring detailed instructions and decision making capabilities. Area of robotics has the potential to simplify heavy construction, exploration of unknown territories and space. AI can be widely applied at privet homes for personal assistance. The more work is done by machines the less work is required by humans. As the result, the number of injuries and work-related stress are reduced. The debate over the need to apply AI in everyday life will persist for many years; however, the advantages offered by AI exceed all possible drawbacks. Only twenty years ago scientists did not dare to imagine computers understanding the human speech, while today the speech recognition programs are widely used. People are able to work with computers and mobile phones by talking to technology. AI made technology usable by people with disabilities, for example. The vision programs made it possible to develop robots that can see and talk. Such robots are already used for exploration purposes. AT is applied to teaching programs; impersonal software is able to adapt to its users. The capabilities of machines are infinite and the future of it is positive and optimistic. The strongest argument against AI is that machines are dead and, therefore, cannot possess intelligence. However, AI is no longer a myth and humans have already created numerous intelligent machines to help in everyday life. The "honorable" mission of AI is not supported globally. "Within a few decades, computers and robots will be cleverer than us and we won't date to unplug them, while the new biotechnologies could transform our species" (Tudge, 2000, p. 23). Humans will not give up the science because they are in need of high tech for day-to-day survival. Undoubtedly, the human brain differs from computers in complexity and quality. Half a century ago, it did not matter whether computers would be conscious or intelligent. Nevertheless, today computers already have calculating power, endless patience, and bottomless memory. With the added consciousness and emotions, computers might become formidable. The main problem with the Artificial Intelligence is the fear that it may turn against the humans. AI has enormous learning capability and can accomplish many complex tasks that humans cannot. "By 2010, computers are expected to match computational capabilities of the human brain, an estimated 3,200,000 instructions per second" (Molitor, 2003, p. 65). Computers, ranging from massive supercomputers to PCs, offer wide range of services that make human life more interesting: cable TV, teleconferencing, electronic fund transfer systems, shopping without leaving the house, magazines on video, automatic home security services, special services for the people with disabilities, etc. This list has no end. The supercomputer developed by IBM beat the chess-player master Garry Kasparov in 1995 and laid the foundation for concerns on reasoning powers and learning potentials of machines. Problems that required teams of people working many years to solve can be solved by AI in a couple of seconds. Voice recognition, in particular, has achieved a 10,000 word-capacity with 98% accuracy (Molitor, 2003, p. 66). The scale and significance of the consequences of AI make it a significant concern of the nearest future. AI deals with replication and enhancement of identity; it relates to human consciousness - the heart of the human identity. Nevertheless, the recent developments in the area of AI point out that the progress made with the help of Artificial Intelligence exceeds all potential drawbacks. AI has made significant progress in the specific application areas. In Genetic Programming, for example, AI can duplicate human invention and find new solutions to solve the most difficult problems. AI empowers law enforcement agents to monitor large crowds with the helps of image recognition. Medical expert systems have achieved the human levels of medical expertise and are used daily around the world. For example, automatic tools for assessing electrocardiograms are routine today. Moreover, the AI systems save millions of dollars a year that can be used for further research in medicine. In 1999, NASA AI agent ran a satellite beyond Mars without ground control. The AI agent reviewed and updated the mission goals according to functioning hardware. Currently, there are two branches of AI development: building more intelligent machines and understanding human cognition. It is possible to predict that developments in AI will result either in hyper-intelligent machines with no consciousness or hyper-intelligent human-machine mergers with consciousness or truly conscious machines. However, machines do not have their own volition, ambitions, or self-awareness. AI developers are working with humans to help people understand the cognitive processes better and to build better machines. Literature promises that AI in the 21st century will be a panacea to numerous problems. AI gives the hope to solve technical and societal problems. It is believed that AI has passed through three phrases: romantic period (1956-1965) with the General Problem Solver performing some mathematical tasks, ice age (1965-1980) with the introduction of programming languages and logical models such as Robinson resolution, and application period (1980-present) with the wide application of AI technologies in medicine, industry, and military (Stedron, 2004, p. 24). What is the future of AI Stedron believes that the next age is the period of merging (2010-2020) with the leading countries investing in high technology: laws rely on AI-based expert systems, intelligent computers allow voice command for all services, telecommunication networks dominate the educational process, direct human-Internet communication is possible, and DNA computers are developed. The age of AI self-reliance (2020-2030) is characterized with the intelligent computers managing their own repairs and production, new materials incorporating high levels of intelligence, direct communication among computers and humans, and recognition of human rights for robots. The non-mysterious age (2030-2040) may result in the new holographic model of the world instead of the geometrical one, AL systems mining information from the environment, new explanation and application for mysterious phenomena, and AI creates copies of any human intellect. The above forecasts are not based on science and are only assumptions; however, the rapid pace of AI development does not exclude such innovations. Moreover, AI has already been integrated into everyday life and has become dominant in e-commerce, broadband, business-to-business, entertainment-on-demand, online finance, e-training, electronic public services, and online publishing. More complex applications such as online voting, virtual universities, e-health, and virtual reality are also under development. AI will result in fundamental institutional changes and new forms of consumer behavior. "In thinking about the world in the mid twenty-first century, we should therefore consider the ramifications of human-level artificial intelligence" (Bostrom, 2003, p. 759). Artificial minds can be copied because it is based on the computer programs. The marginal cost of creating the second artificial intelligence on the basis on the existing one is close to zero. Thus, artificial minds come to exist in great numbers very quickly. In addition, artificial intelligence may lead to greater than human level of artificial intelligence. It is justifiable to predict the development of machines with artificial intelligence that exceeds human intelligence. The speed of artificial intelligence will double at least every two years (Bostrom, 2003, p. 760). Within only a couple of years, artificial intelligence will reach the level of the human; there will be machines that think more rapidly than humans do. Leaving aside the predictions, the arrival of artificial intelligence will accelerate the technological progress in other fields. In particular, scientific and technological research will be done more effectively when conducted by machines that are cleverer than humans (Bostrom, 2003, p. 761). Artificial Intelligence has endless possibilities and leads to cloning and genetic engineering. AI makes it possible to imagine a world when the traits of the children can be chosen, when the copies of humans can be created, when people can live forever. AI makes life simpler and easier; however, over-dependence on it may lead to such problems as unemployment and creation of identical human life. Despite of all optimistic predictions, the capacity for machines to learn and think independently is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, "Ray Kurzweil, a software engineer and futurologist, said that technology was advancing so fast that it would transform the way that people lived by the middle of the century, extending life spans, protecting against disease and even improving the biological hardware of the human body and brain" (Henderson, 2008, p. 1). The early developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence were based on the premises that the computer is a brain and thinking is computing. AI pioneers aimed at providing computers with the sophisticated programs and developing the artificial mind similar to the human one. In 1970s, the idea of creating machines with the general intelligence of an average human being was equated to myth. Today, the machines able to read, drive a car, play politics, tell a joke, and have a flight are part of everyday life. However, machines are still not able to educate themselves. The AI researchers are pioneers exploring new territories. They aim at creating the computer computation equal to the human intelligence. As the literature reveals, this aim is achievable. In conclusion, the Artificial Intelligence has already changed the life of all humans and it will further shape the everyday activities. Artificial Intelligence contributes to improvements in healthcare, reduces the impact of aging, and offers unlimited space for advancements and innovations. The fear of Artificial Intelligence is based on the false understanding of its essence and purpose of development. Artificial Intelligence will not replace the human mind, but rather contribute to solution of current problems in all areas of human activities. In addition to enhanced life, Artificial Intelligence provides an opportunity to explore new territories, including the space, to find medicine for numerous diseases, to maintain global peace, and to solve the problem of poverty. Undoubtedly, all of the forecast concerning Artificial Intelligence and its potential are based on assumptions; however, the empirical evidence supports the conclusion that AI is highly beneficial for humankind. Word Count: 1703 References Bostrom, N 2003, 'When Machines Outsmart Humans', Futures, vol. 35, no. 7, pp. 759-764. Henderson, M 2008, 'Get ready for a scary new world of life-enriching robot implants', The Times, viewed 16 March 2008, ttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article3378805.ece Moliton, G 2003, 'Communication Technologies That Will Change Our Lives', USA Today, vol. 131, no. 2692, pp. 60-71. Stedron, B 2004, 'Forecasts for Artificial Intelligence; Artificial Intelligence May Become Not Only Smarter, but Also Wiser and More Independent. We Must Now Look Ahead and Prepare for the Impacts of Machines That May Merge with Us Manage Us, Mimic Us or Leave Us in the Dust', The Futurist, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 24-26. Tudge, C 2000, 'Can Humanity Stay on Top' The New Statesman, vol. 129, no. 4479, p. 23. Read More