The Benefits Of Artificial Intelligence And How It Will Change The World
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a topic that has caught the attention of society in a big way. Some are excited about the many promises this technology holds for humans and the planet and others fear that in its advancement lies mankind’s inevitable demise.
What is AI?
John McCarthy, who coined the term in 1956, defines AI as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.” Here intelligence refers to the ability to do tasks humans can do.
The technology has infiltrated all spheres of life, from cool home gadgets to ride sharing apps and automated kiosks for shopping. AI is being applied to fundamentally improve healthcare, finance, education agriculture, transport, business, entertainment and much more. In addition, it is hoped that AI will be able to help us solve many of the world’s most pressing problems like poverty and climate change.
While many fear that the onslaught of clever machines will ultimately be detrimental to humanity, there are innumerable ways in which AI is already proving beneficial to society.
- Precision Medicine
A da Vinci Surgical System at Addenbrooke’s Treatment Centre during the 2015 Cambridge Science Festival.
An explosion of patient data has given health practitioners a clearer picture of individual patients’ health conditions and enabled treatments tailored to their precise needs. Pharmaceutical corporations, universities and government-funded research collectives are using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop treatments and medicines targeted at specific diseases. They are doing this by analysing massive data sets to gain insights into what makes patients healthy or sick at an individual level. In the future, the doctor won’t prescribe a drug to “see if it works”. It will work because it was designed for you.
2. Disaster Prediction
One of the results of climate change is the devastating fires that California has experienced in recent years. An increasing number of organisations, including NASA, is now using artificial intelligence to fight disasters by developing early detection systems.
A NASA computer engineer is running an algorithm on NASA satellites, which can process images in a matter of minutes with 98% accuracy. An AI-based system like this can observe the earth, notice possible fires and send near real-time alerts to emergency responders on the ground. In this way, the AI-aided early detection systems could help prevent the spread of wildfires and curtail the extent of these types of disasters.
3. Disaster Response
AI systems can operate in environments where humans can’t. AI systems aren’t affected by hostile environments and in the future, will be able to endure situations that could seriously injure or kill humans. AI systems housed in their robotic regalia can operate productively in extreme conditions such as the high temperatures of active volcanoes, freezing conditions in the Arctic and chemically contaminated industrial environments. These systems can be deployed in dangerous situations to conduct rescue operations or scientific experiments.
4. Automation Sets Humans Free And Increases Productivity
Advances in technology have changed the nature of manufacturing. Machine learning, deep learning, machine vision and other AI technologies are increasingly being adopted to automate tasks in manufacturing, and other industries. AI can perform complicated, backbreaking labor in no time and without breaking a sweat. What’s more, these systems can perform their tasks to perfection without the need for human intervention. Automation means higher productivity and lower costs, after all, robots work 24/7 and don’t insist on payment for their labor.
5. Lifestyle Enhancement Through Home Automation
The ever-expanding applications of AI also have implications for our living environments. Already, a smart home automated with AI can notice your arrival from work, open your front door and start the coffee. The room temperature will be perfect, the lights will be turned on, your favourite music will be playing and the oven is preheating as you asked.
But that’s not all. If you have incorporated security and surveillance features in your smart home network, your home security will be top notch. You’ll be able to receive security notifications on your mobile device and monitor activities at your home in real-time no matter where you are. In addition, a smart home saves on energy by noticing your absence and turning lights and other appliances off.
Conclusion
AI is a technology that is transforming every sphere of life. It is a wide-ranging tool that allows us to analyse data, integrate information and use the resulting insights to improve our lives and living conditions. It is not something of the future, it is here today, being integrated into the very fabric of our lives, transforming education, finance, agriculture, healthcare, transportation, criminal justice, national security, and the natural and urban environment.
