Intended and Unintended uses for Artificial Intelligence
With so many fields of technology progressing so rapidly it can be easy to forget what purpose they may have originally served. Today we well be going over not just the intended uses of Artificial Intelligence, but also it’s unintended uses so that anyone can have a better understanding of this somewhat misunderstood technology.
To fully understand the intended uses of AI, one must first understand the ways in which we divide the different types of AI. You may ask yourself “wait isn’t all AI the same?” Well the answer is a most definitive no. When we speak of modern AI we are actually encompassing several different types of algorithms, all with different intended uses, as a a single overall grouping. The different algorithmic functions that we have included in the AI group are known as machine learning, natural language processing, and robotic processing. In order to better come to grips with all of AI’s intended and unintended uses we are going to go through each one of the above listed and share what we found out about them.
First we will begin with the algorithmic function known as Machine Learning. When we think about machine learning one conjures up the image of a robot somehow beginning to understand a human concept but that actually is not what machine learning is at all. Machine learning is using patterns to predict choices or make decision. One of the intended uses of this technology was to make predictions on what your going to type while you type it. This use of Machine learning has already entered our lives from the GPS in our cars and phones, to autocorrect and predictive text messaging. Another intended use of machine learning is the creation of voice recognition software. While still in it’s starting stages, this technology has the capacity to radically change the way we interact with the networks we have created. In fact, if you have used Google home or Alexa then you are already using this interesting new technology. One of the more controversial unintended consequences to machine learning is facial recognition tech which all over the globe is coming under fire for its ability to be misused by governmental authorities.
Next we will go over the intended and unintended uses of natural language processing. While perhaps not the most exciting field of Artificial intelligence technology, it has produced some of the most life changing uses in our day to day lives. An intended use of NLP and probably the most used of all the technologies mentioned today is search results. NLP is responsible for the processes in which a search key term is checked against the rest of the internet and search results are brought to the for. It is hard to imagine going back to a time when we did not possess this ability and we have AI to thank for it. One of the unintended uses of NLP is also a possibly dangerous one. NLP is sometimes used to target people based off where they have been, what they have watched and even what they have bought. An example of this is political operatives targeting the information of people who attended rallies in order to send out biased information to sway their vote. While we may not know the full consequences of this unintended use, we can see that it will most likely be long lasting.
Last but not least we come to the black sheep of AI technology and funny enough the one that people often think of first when pondering on this kind of technology. Robotic process automation is actually not an artificial intelligence at all but a closely related field with the purpose of automation of simple and often monotonous tasks. Today we think of robots and the movie reels start playing but the field of Robotics as exploded recently. One intended use of Robotics is in the health care field where simple robots can monitor patients vital signs to more complex Robots even taking the place of Surgeons on the operating table. Needless to say this technology has already made a significant impact in our lives. One of the unintended uses of this technology is the creation of two legged ambulatory Robots. What this means is a robot capable of adaptation and using two legs. This technology by itself is not inherently dangerous but coupled with an advanced machine learning algorithm and some questionable programming and we have the stage set for a very real Terminator like situation coming to your own living room.
While AI has many obvious uses, many of which we all utilize on daily basis, there are plenty of uses that only a master programmer would be able to do. This is because of the complexity of the technology itself and how we as end users are really kept apart from the inner workings of much of this technology which might be for the best. Some of these features that the layman may not be able to access include analysis, programming of the AI and even changing the function of High earning AI such as Google. As time goes on and AI progresses I hope to see all the new wonders we will create and hopefully, all the problems we will solve.
