What Is Artificial Intelligence?
With the help of AI, we can make amazing software that could improve healthcare, help people overcome physical limitations, create amazing entertainment, and even save the planet.
To put it another way, artificial intelligence (AI) is the development of software that simulates human behaviors and capabilities.
The following are key elements of AI:
- Making decisions based on data and previous experience
- Detecting anomalies in data, network, speech, and visuals
- Interpreting visual input
- Understanding written and spoken languages
- Engaging in casual conversations
The other two broad categories into which we fall are weak artificial intelligence (also known as “narrow AI” or “specialized AI”) and strong artificial intelligence (also known as “artificial general intelligence”).
Strong AI
An AI system that can mimic human behavior and capabilities is considered “strong.” Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is intelligent in the same ways that humans are, able to figure out solutions to problems and pick up new abilities quickly. A strong AI is able to generalize its knowledge and apply it to new situations, anticipate future events based on the available data, and adjust to new circumstances. Because AGI doesn’t exist yet, the only true examples are in science fictions like Star Trek: The Next Generation, WALL-E, and Her, and they usually depict a futuristic or fictional version.
Weak AI
Weak AI is often referred to as “specialized AI” due to its limited capabilities and focus on a narrow set of tasks. When referring to these AI systems, the word “weak” can give the impression that they lack the power to complete practical tasks, which is not the case. So far, all of the AI applications we’ve seen are examples of narrow AI. Weak AI is able to outperform humans at a single task because it is narrowly focused and operates under more restrictions than even the most basic form of human intelligence. Its limited abilities make it perfect for automating that specific task, and its laser-like focus has led to many technological advances in recent years. Deep Blue, an IBM computer, beat world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997. (Kasparov won their first match a year earlier.) Deep Blue chose from hundreds of millions of moves and “saw” 20 moves ahead of its opponent, a feat no human has yet accomplished.
Examples of Weak AI
- Google Maps
- Apple autocorrect
- Chatbots
- Smart assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and Cortana