Essay About Artificial Intelligence And Gigantic Leap

Artificial Intelligence: Near Future or Fantasy Nightmare
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Artificial Intelligence: Near Future or Fantasy Nightmare
Technology definition
Artificial intelligence (AI), is a discipline within the field of computer science, it is a
computational device made to act in a way that we would call intelligent, either hardware or
software or a combination of both, designed to perform a specific task that might be very simple
or very complex in nature (wiseGeek). Regardless of the designated tasks complexity, the
underlying functions of the intelligent agent is to solve problems (whether they be mental or
physical) using observation and analytical processes (Copeland). Matching a humans intelligence
has only had limited successes in the decades since its commencement over 50 years ago.
AI came to the mainstream
when the IBM computer system
known as Deep Blue beat the
reigning world chess champion Gerry
Kasparov in 1996, even though
Kasparov came back to beat the
machine in a best of 6 match, it was
proven that the computer could learn
and adapt.
According to wiseGeek, the primary goal is to create an intelligent machine, that is
capable of observing, analyzing and adapting to the environment which is at hand. Computer
scientists have categorized artificial intelligence into two general areas: strong AI and weak AI.
Strong AI refers to computational intelligence that matches or exceeds human intelligence in a
precise area. Weak AI refers to computational intelligence that is not designed to match the
intelligence of a human being for any given task.
The first successful fully AI machine was a checkers game created in 1952 by
Christopher Strachey in the United Kingdom. It was too slow to be competitive or even useful
but it was a gigantic leap forward for research into the Artificial Intelligence field.
Some insects may seem intelligent with their actions such as the digger wasp. According
to Copeland, the female digger wasp carries food to the nest for the young to feed on, before
entering, she lays the food at the threshold and goes inside to search for intruders. She then
comes out to retrieve the food and carry it inside. If the food is moved a slight amount she will
repeat the process of clearing the nest of intruders upwards of 40 consecutive times. Her
behavior doesnt have the ability
of adaptation to different
circumstances which is a sign of a
lack of intelligence.
“AI has focused mainly on
the following components of
intelligence: learning, reasoning,
problem-solving, perception, and language-understanding” (Copeland).
Learning
Learning is simply remembering what happens from trial and error, for example. When
children are first learning what tastes good they spend a lot of time inserting different objects
into their mouths. If something like lemon juice is tasted, they seldom forget what the taste is and
tend to offer a face of dissatisfaction before it even touches their tongues. This form of
memorization is known as rote learning.
Reasoning
Reasoning is the process of forming conclusions, judgments, or inferences from facts or
premises. There are two types of reasoning, deductive and inductive, an example of deductive
reasoning is, “if the apple isnt in my right hand, it must be in the left hand”. An example of
inductive reasoning is “the light burned out last month so, it must be out this time because it is
burned out again”, in this instance we (as intelligent beings) would check the light switch first.
Problem Solving
There are four basic steps in solving a problem
Defining the problem.
a. Search for and deal with the problem, not a symptom of the problem
Generating alternatives.
a. Use creative alternatives derived from
1. Trial and error
2. Systematic and logical and analytical problem solving
3. Use other peoples ideas (literature or web)
4. Research and gather all data before making a decision
Evaluating and selecting alternatives.
a. Evaluate and compare different solutions
b. Seek cost effective/best/favorable results
Implementing solutions.
a. Select a step by step solution for solving the problem
b. Identify resources needed for implementation
c. Communicate the strategy for others to follow
d. Implement the timeline for completion
Language and understanding:
“Language is the expression