The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence

By: Syed Wasim Jafar, Vice President (Service Delivery) –  Xavient Information Systems

The importance of artificial intelligence (AI) has been vouched for since the 1950s. Yet, it’s only within the last five years that a great buzz has been generated, owing to its allegiance to ‘deep learning’. This is where artificial systems imbibe information and in turn attune themselves to ‘learn’ by repeatedly working through large numbers of similar parameters. The constant feeding of ‘similar set programs’ built, what can be referred to, as intuitive framework. What insight is dawning upon us is that we are witnessing an upwards trend in the number of things happening within artificial systems; with increasing levels of capabilities.

The humble beginnings

Artificial intelligence has had one of the most unlucky origins. American cognitive scientist Marvin Minsky had spearheaded the AI torch and co-founded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AI laboratory in 1959, where AI had emerged from. Stanley Kubrick famed magnum opus “2001: A Space Odyssey,” gave mankind of the best representations of AI in the form of HAL 9000. Also to be noted, the personal computer in the 1980s sparked even more interest in machines that incorporate intuition in its functioning.

However, it took a couple of decades for people to warm up to the optimal capacity of AI , with modern-age high profile investors and physicist like Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, and Stephen Hawking propagating the conversation about the potential for AI technology . There is consensus perception that when used for good, AI could radically change the course of human history. Here is how AI is set to change the world as we see it-

Governance

•Implications of AI for geo-socio-politico life of any nation is vital. Conscious effort to foster adoption of AI for growth and development is being enshrined by countries, large and small.
• Challenge for policy makers to harness the power of AI for rapid yet all-encompassing growth, remains. National bodies are focusing on building the right infrastructure platform to incentivize private initiative for future growth.
• The demand for a constructive partnership amongst e-governance and industry-government needs to be facilitated, in the behest of identifying the exact initiatives with effective funding models
• Questions on national security are in the process of being answered through high encryption of big data to privatise sensitive information.
• Realignment of Human capital growth, empowering for developing knowledge infrastructure can be made possible through advisable incorporation of AI.

Industry

•AI aids organisations in developing new business models entailing growth focus on non-linear revenue growth and pioneering channels to bring in visibility
• AI is one of the foremost drivers of innovation and incorporating in it marketing frameworks ensures an increase of revenue per employee, with continued focus on creating technology based work opportunities
• Diversification in AI skills help optimize talent as more AI-centric positions open up. AI streamlines the continued focus on manpower, linked model of IT, ensuring growth of the IT industry as a profitable entity

Although technological innovations are set to augment the industry, it is far-fetched to expect a machine-based takeover any time soon. As easy as it is for machine-learning technology to self-improvise, what it lacks is the human push to challenge. The insurgence of gut instinct is impossible to be replicated via algorithms, making humans an important piece of the puzzle. Only with human guidance will AI be able to garner the coveted position of a superpower.