Learn about Artificial Intelligence (AI)

So let's break down artificial intelligence into its simplest terms. Let's learn how AI works and how it is used through the following article!

The simplest explanation of AI

Artificial intelligence is like teaching computers to learn like humans, thus simulating the way humans think. AI does this by looking at lots of data or examples and then using that data to make decisions or predictions.

Imagine you are learning to ride a bicycle. After falling a few times, you begin to understand how to keep your balance. That's how machine learning, a part of AI, works. It looks at a lot of data and then learns patterns from it. Another part of AI, natural language processing, is similar to teaching computers to understand and speak human languages.

But even with all this, computers still cannot think and understand fully like humans. Modern AI systems have no consciousness, emotions, or common sense.

More details about AI

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that aims to create machines capable of imitating human intelligence. It involves creating algorithms that allow computers to learn and make decisions or predictions based on data instead of just following clearly programmed instructions.

Machine Learning (ML)

Machine Learning (ML), a subset of AI, involves systems that can "learn" from data. These algorithms improve their performance as the number of datasets they learn from increases.

Deep Learning, another subset of Machine Learning, uses artificial neural networks to make decisions and predictions. It is designed to mimic the way the human brain learns and makes decisions.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is another important aspect of AI, handling interactions between computers and humans using natural language.

This typically involves an AI system processing a natural language request, analyzing it, figuring out the context, and then generating a natural language response.

For example.

1. Human: "Can you find me some examples of poisonous plants in South America?"
2. Chatbot AI: "Sure! Here are some examples of poisonous plants in South America." [etc]

Artificial neural networks are used in NLP and come in many different forms.

The ability to understand and respond to human language is critical to many AI applications, such as virtual assistants and AI chatbots.

Artificial intelligence can be classified into two main types: Narrow AI, which is designed to perform a narrow task (such as facial recognition or Internet searching), and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). , is an AI system with general human cognitive abilities. It can do better than humans at the most economically valuable jobs.

However, despite many advances, AI still does not possess the full range of human cognitive abilities and we are still far from achieving true artificial general intelligence. Current AI technologies are task specific and cannot understand context outside of their specific programming.

How is AI being used today?

AI has potential and applications far beyond the technology sector.

1. Chatbots

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Even if you're not much interested in technology, you've probably heard of the name "ChatGPT". ChatGPT (short for Chat Generative Pre-transformer) is a generative AI chatbot. But this is not like the chatbots you may have used before. ChatGPT uses artificial intelligence to process natural human language, find data, and provide feedback.

ChatGPT's capabilities make up a long list, including fact checking, spell and grammar checking, creating schedules, writing resumes, and even language translation.

HuggingChat, Claude, and Gemini (formerly Bard) are other examples of AI chatbots. All of these services are different in certain ways. Some are free, some are paid, some specialize in certain areas, while others are better at general tasks.

2. Analyze data

Data analytics is an important part of our world, whether in research, healthcare, business or another field. Computers have been analyzing data for years, but the use of artificial intelligence can take things to the next level.

AI systems can detect trends, patterns, and inconsistencies more effectively than a conventional computer (or human). For example, AI systems can more clearly highlight users' less obvious habits or preferences on social media platforms, allowing them to display more personalized ads .

3. Production and design

When designing a product, many factors must be considered. Raw material costs, raw material origins and product performance are just some of the factors companies need to keep in mind, and this is where AI can help.

Because AI can learn and discover new things based on the information it is given, it can be used to create more sustainable, cost-effective materials and production methods for businesses. For example, the AI ​​system can list more environmentally friendly materials that can be used in a product's battery based on a comprehensive set of data to work with.

4. Create art

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AI-generated art took the world by storm in 2022, with products like DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney becoming wildly popular. These AI text-to-image tools take text-based prompts and create artwork based on the request.

For example, if you type "purple sunset on the moon" into DALL-E, you will get many results. Some artwork creation tools also let you choose a style for the generated image, such as vintage, surreal, or anime. DALL-E has evolved a lot since its first release and now has a third version, DALL-E 3. You can use DALL-E on ChatGPT Plus to create AI images in your chats .

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Some artists have objected to AI art creation tools. Artists claim this is copyright infringement and contributes to the theft of original artwork, a problem that has spread online.

The future of AI

AI has been used to develop new drugs, highlight more sustainable business practices, and even make our daily lives easier by making tasks like cooking or clean up.

However, many people believe that the future of AI is dark. This assumption is not surprising, as science fiction books and movies have created some scary stereotypes about AI and its possible consequences.

AI can indeed be abused or mishandled, but this is true of any technology. We've seen cybercriminals exploit WiFi, VPNs, emails, and even flash drives to spread malware and scams. However, concerns center on artificial intelligence because of its capabilities.

In January 2023, an individual posted to a hacking forum claiming to have successfully created malware using ChatGPT. It wasn't overly complicated malware, but the ability to create malicious code via AI chatbots got everyone talking. If less advanced AI is currently being abused, what will happen if super-intelligent computers are exploited in the future?

Currently, there is no AI system that can think on par with humans. Many people have predicted what such a machine would look like but it's all just hypothetical. While some think we will create machines with human-level cognitive abilities within the next decade, others think it will take much longer.

If AI is managed correctly, its development and use can be controlled to prevent bad actors from gaining access to advanced technology.

Licenses, laws, and general rules all play a role in keeping AI out of the wrong hands. However, this will need to be done without restricting the development and access to AI technology too tightly, otherwise things will backfire.

David Pac

Update 30 March 2024