Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence in machines which can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and solving problems.
There are 2 types of Artificial Intelligence
- Artificial Narrow Intelligence — (Lots of Progress)
- Artificial General Intelligence — (No Progress)
Today, all the developments we are seeing in Artificial Intelligence are examples of Artificial Narrow Intelligence. There has been no progress in achieving Artificial General Intelligence so far.
We have to understand these two types.
- What is General Intelligence?
- What is Narrow Intelligence?
Narrow Intelligence: In the narrow branch of intelligence, we create a model, agent, robot, or something similar — those that will specifically perform a single task.
General Intelligence: There is a single model which is intelligent and works in every way. It operates similarly to the human brain and processes all information within the same mind. Despite efforts, most progress is currently in artificial narrow intelligence.
Artificial Narrow Intelligence
These are AIs that do one thing such as:
- Smart Speaker
- Self-driving Car
- AI to do a web search
- AI applications in farming or a factory
These types of AI are one-trick ponies but when you find the appropriate trick, this can be incredibly valuable.
Artificial General Intelligence
That is the goal to build AI
They can do anything a human can do or maybe even be superintelligent and do even more things than any human can.
Achieving General Intelligence will take time
It is an exciting goal for researchers to work on, but it requires many technological breakthroughs before we get there and it may be decades or hundreds of years or even thousands of years away.
Progress in Narrow Intelligence vs General Intelligence
The rapid progress in narrow intelligence has caused people to conclude that there’s a lot of progress in AI, which is true. But that has caused people to falsely think that there might be a lot of progress in general intelligence leading to a few irrational fears about evil clever robots coming over to take our humanity anytime now.
Applications of Artificial Intelligence
AI is being used in a wide range of industries to improve efficiency, enhance decision-making, and create new opportunities. Here are some notable applications:
- Healthcare: AI is revolutionizing healthcare by enabling more accurate diagnoses, personalized treatment plans, and efficient patient data management.
- Finance: AI is used for fraud detection, risk management, and automated trading. It can analyze vast amounts of financial data to identify patterns and make predictions, helping financial institutions make better decisions.
- Transportation: AI is driving innovation in transportation with the development of autonomous vehicles. Self-driving cars use AI to navigate roads, avoid obstacles, and make real-time decisions, potentially reducing accidents and improving traffic flow.
- Customer Service: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are transforming customer service by providing instant responses to customer inquiries. These systems can handle tasks from answering common questions to processing orders and improving customer satisfaction and efficiency.
- Retail: We use AI for personalized recommendations, inventory management, and demand forecasting. AI can suggest products likely to buy, helping retailers increase sales and improve customer experience by analyzing customer data.
- Entertainment: Streaming services like Netflix use AI algorithms to recommend shows and movies based on user preferences. Also used in video game development to create more realistic and engaging experiences.