Artificial intelligence is quickly evolving, and it impacts nearly every field. Here are some of the most important things to know about how AI works and the various types of artificial intelligence that your business may use.
What Is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence involves teaching computers to perform tasks at a similar level to humans. AI can be as basic as responding to one specific situation or as complex as being able to use advanced thinking to complete complex tasks with minimal human assistance. It can be used to improve customer experience and a variety of internal aspects of your business.
Artificial Intelligence FAQs
Here are some of the most important things to know about how artificial intelligence works and what humans should be aware of when considering the future of AI.
How Does Artificial Intelligence Work?
Artificial intelligence works by using data and algorithms to complete various types of tasks. Many AI uses involve thinking and processing that are far lower than human intelligence, but some potential future uses of AI are pushing the limits of what is possible when it comes to the complexity of the data AI can synthesize. Conversation intelligence is one of several ways artificial intelligence tools can mimic human intelligence.
Is Artificial Intelligence a Threat to Humans?
At its current capacity, artificial intelligence is generally more helpful than harmful to humans. It makes many workplaces more productive, although this has begun to result in the reduction of certain jobs as AI becomes just as capable of performing certain tasks as humans. AI could pose a potential threat to humans if it were to reach the superintelligence stage, although the likelihood of this occurring is unknown, which means that it is important to use caution when increasing the capabilities of AI to keep it from surpassing human intelligence.
Is Machine Learning a Type of Artificial Intelligence?
Machine learning is considered to be a subset of AI, rather than completely interchangeable with artificial intelligence. It functions similarly to other types of AI because it involves using certain types of data to help computers learn, but it generally does not expand to other uses of AI.
What Are the Seven Stages of Artificial Intelligence?
Understanding the evolution of AI is key when it comes to differentiating between basic and complex forms of artificial intelligence.
1. Reactive Machines
At its earliest level of development, artificial intelligence is capable of understanding and responding to very specific situations that align well with rules they have been taught. However, AI’s ability to think for itself or respond to other types of situations is very limited.
2. Limited Memory
This slightly more advanced form of artificial intelligence has a somewhat higher capacity to make predictions based on scenarios and data it has used in the past. It is not yet capable of making complex decisions based on this data or analyzing it at an advanced level.
3. Theory of Mind
At this stage, artificial intelligence begins to understand that the people or other AIs it interacts with have different opinions and feelings about the same topics and it needs to adjust how it responds based on this information. This stage is based on the psychological concept of the same name.
4. Self-Awareness
The self-awareness stage builds upon the theory of mind stage by allowing an AI to form its own opinions based on the information it learns about others’ opinions. It begins to recognize itself as an individual and develop its own ideas that set it apart as something more than a piece of machinery.
5. Narrow AI
At the narrow AI stage, an AI reaches its earliest ability to perform a task on its own without assistance from a human. This capability is limited to a specific task, and the AI must have been taught all the information it needs to know to complete a task based on that information.
6. General AI
General AI builds upon narrow AI by increasing the AI’s capacity to complete multiple tasks on its own. While it still initially needs to learn information from a human, it becomes more capable of thinking for itself and using the information it learns in multiple ways.
7. Superintelligence
Superintelligence refers to AI that is more intelligent than all human beings. Although artificial intelligence has not yet reached this stage, it is important to be aware of the potential negative impact highly advanced AI could have on humans.
What Is the Future of AI?
AI will likely continue to impact nearly every industry. Artificial intelligence advancements will continue to improve the efficiency of a wide range of processes as it becomes capable of performing more and more tasks, which can free up a wide range of resources that can be used to advance other areas.
What Are Some Examples of Artificial Intelligence Uses?
Artificial intelligence is already used in a wide range of ways, many of which involve everyday products that users rarely consider the technology behind. Some common uses of AI include:
- Google Maps and similar apps
- Autocorrect, Grammarly, and other built-in editing tools
- Facial recognition tools
- Chatbots and digital assistants
- Computer players in video games
- Athena AI and other workflow tools
Contact us today to learn more about how your business may utilize artificial intelligence!