Artificial Intelligence in our Daily Life: Intertwined Destinies

Mankind has made significant leaps to get where we are today. Since becoming civilized, we have looked for different ways to build, study, and spread knowledge. We can help a civilization flourish like never before if we apply our human intelligence with artificial intelligence. People have started to use AI more often, making their daily tasks easier. Due to AI, we have been able to advance our way of life and make new discoveries. Only some people know what AI is, and it is debatable if it could be safe or not.

If we were to abandon the idea of using artificial intelligence, that could set us back. With this type of technology, we have to be smart and cautious at the same. To do that, we must understand how it works and how much it can do.

AI’s Impact on Daily Tasks

Hollywood and science fiction shows describe AI as human-like robots that usually end up taking over humanity; the current evolution of AI is not intelligent and scary. Artificial intelligence is known today as narrow AI or weak AI; it is designed to perform a single small task, for example, facial recognition, internet searches, or only driving a vehicle. The term artificial intelligence started in 1956. AI has become more advanced and popular due to increased data volume and improvements in computing power and storage. The early AI explored simple topics like problem-solving and symbolic methods.

The Rise of Neural Networks

One of the first steps that started the AI was neural networks. Neural networks are computing systems with interconnected nodes that work much like neurons in the human brain. Using algorithms, nodes can recognize hidden patterns and correlations in raw data and, after a period of time of continuous learning, can improve. The first neural network was created by Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts in 1943. They wrote a paper on how neurons may work and modified their ideas by creating a simple neural network using electrical circuits. AI research advanced quickly, with Kunihiko Fukushima developing the first multilayered neural network in 1975. The original goal of the neural network was to create a computerized system that could solve problems like a human brain. Neural networks are important because they can learn, store and process data. As a result, neural networks can improve in multiple areas, from credit card and Medicare fraud detection to ecosystem evaluation and many other areas.

Machine Learning’s Transformative Role

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence based on the idea that systems can learn from data, also identify patterns, and make decisions with almost no human intervention. Machine learning today is not what it used to be in the past. It started with pattern recognition and the theory that computers can learn without being programmed to do certain tasks. This is important because as models are exposed to new data, they are able to independently adapt. Another big reason why machine learning is important is that it can quickly and automatically produce models that can analyze bigger, better, and deliver faster and more accurate results. Deep learning is a type of machine learning that trains a computer to perform human-like actions. Some of those actions can be recognizing speech, identifying images, or making predictions. Deep learning sets up parameters about the data and trains the computer to learn on its own. Deep learning has improved its ability to understand due to its ability to classify, recognize, detect, and describe. Systems like Siri use deep learning. The long-term goal of multiple research is to create general AI, AGI, or strong AI. While the simple AI may outperform humans in the specific task given, the strong AI would outperform humans at nearly every task.

AI in Health Care

With the capabilities an AI can do, it can unleash the full potential of data to solve some of our greatest health challenges and change the way health care and therapies are done. With more data and statistics, it can empower physicians with more accurate diagnostics and prevent diseases. It can help ensure medication safety by helping manufacturers know the quality and safety faster than they would without an AI. Accelerated clinical trials using data sources can occur. It would also help control the operational cost of hospitals by making sure hospitals are adequately staffed and to make sure patients are treated well enough so they don’t have to make another hospital visit. Machine learning is playing a role in the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative by collecting data from patients, accelerating the diagnosis of the disease, and the results will hopefully lead to more accurate predictions, which will enable the physicians to start treatment earlier and it can have a better impact. There’s an AI in the making named SAS, and it has the experience and expertise to deliver cutting-edge AI capabilities at scale with health and life science organizations. They provide more intelligent, automated solutions that help you unlock new possibilities and solve your most complex problems. SAS is a long-time pioneer in machine learning and natural language processing and a quality reference for both hospitals and FDA submissions (AI for Health Care & Life Science). Not everyone will be on board to transition to AI being used in hospitals and other medical facilities. A concern with using AI in hospitals and clinics would be the increased cost of insurance and the prices for visits for patients; however, the benefits outways the risk. Increasing prices on insurance and visits could be an outcome, but it’s not a guarantee. Not every insurance would increase their prices just to take advantage of something beneficial. Also, hospital visits charge the patients base on what they go for, meaning the tests and procedures that are done. This is change, but it changed for a better and healthier future. There aren’t many ways to avoid the price increase per hospital visit, so it won’t go well with some people. While the majority of people will be on board to pay a little extra for better and more accurate treatments, surgeries, medications, and other medical procedures, for some people, it won’t go well do their income perhaps or other issues. Keep in mind, though; this is to build for a future. It’s not something that will take place within a couple of years. There is still a lot of work to do and many things to improve before just installing a new system in our medical facilities. Multiple questions come to mind when this type of technology is involved in big things like our health and safety.

Ensuring AI Safety

The impact of the AI is a great one. The main goal is to be able to control the AI at all costs. A huge concern that always comes up is it’s safe. We all have seen movies where machines try to overtake humanity. However, the odds of that happening are not big or close. An actual concern would be if someone can hack your personal AI. Especially since’s involved your personal devices, but it’s also being used in the newer vehicle models, especially the ones that drive themselves. Another concern that is more important is the AI being used in autonomous weapons. Autonomous weapons are a big concern since they are programmed with artificial intelligence and are used to kill. Something that powerful in the wrong hands would definitely not be a good day for anyone. Also, another security measure is that AI misinterprets us. Not necessarily hearing people wrong or writing the wrong word, more like if you were to ask it to complete a task and it would do everything it can at all costs just to complete the task. Imagine you were to ask your vehicle to get you to your destination, and you are already running late, so you tell the AI to get you to point B fast as possible. While it will do that, it might also lead you on a speed chase due to the fact you gave the command to get you there as fast as possible. Both of those examples are reasons why AI safety is important. A strong AI would be great and beneficial for us, but it would also be great at accomplishing goals, but we have to be on the same level of understanding. The key goal of AI safety is to not harm humanity in order to accomplish its goal. Safety is the biggest concern, but one thing to keep in mind is that there are those ways to prevent harmful AI systems from being created. Each time scientists find a way to develop the system even more, the rule of not harming humanity should always be expressed greatly.

Responsible Implementation

A great way to avoid malicious software from harming the AI is to just pay close attention. If something starts to seem suspicious, shut it down immediately. Scientists are prepared to take action when something of that nature starts to happen. Last year Facebook developed two bots, and they were told to negotiate between themselves with the items they were given; each item had a different value. Somehow both of the bots developed their own language, and they were able to finish the negotiation, but Facebook decided to shut down that program, not because of the bots developing their own language but because the programs weren’t doing the work required. At the end of the day, they shut down the program because they weren’t satisfied with the results the bots were producing. They took a safety precaution and decided to put that project to rest.

Embracing the Future with Caution

Something people are afraid of is that we have never created something that can outsmart us wittingly or unwittingly, and that creates theories of how it could lead to evolution. Humans control the planet because we have become civilized and smarter. It wasn’t because we were the strongest or fastest. It was because we were the smartest. Our civilization will continue to flourish, but we can’t do it alone to get to the next step; we will need advanced AI, but we always have to support AI safety research. We just can’t become paranoid about things we have seen in movies or stuff that we have read in articles or books. There are individuals that would prefer if we just stay how we were a decade ago when we didn’t really depend on technology as much as we do now.

What could be the outcome if we were to just abandon the AI? Would we still be able to get the same amount of work we do in a day? Would our tasks become more complicated, or would they become easier to achieve? As you may have noticed, technology helps us each day, and now that we have AI, things are easier to do and get done, and it also helps us stay safe. We can give specific commands to our phones, and they’ll do the task that it was given. That’s a great perk, especially when it comes to driving. Well, if we didn’t have that on our phones, people could become more distracted while they’re driving because they might need to make a call or send an email to someone.

Reference

• 1. Muller, V. C. (2020). The Ethical and Social Implications of Artificial Intelligence. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

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