101 Questions and Answers about Artificial Intelligence: Part 2 — AI is Everywhere
Welcome back to my blog series, where we delve deep into the world of artificial intelligence using Hannu Toivonen’s book What is Artificial Intelligence? 100 Questions and Answers* as our guide. The book is structured so that after each question, a clear and concise answer is provided. I aim to examine these questions from my own perspective, offering additional information or supplementary insights, as Toivonen has chosen to focus on the most essential and easily understandable answers in his book.
The second question in Toivonen’s book is: “Where can you try out artificial intelligence?” His answer to this is simple: just about anywhere. Artificial intelligence has infiltrated our lives in various ways, becoming a part of many programs and systems that make our daily routines smoother. For instance, when we take selfies with our smartphones, we use artificial intelligence to focus the image, adjust its tones, and even share it on social media platforms. Toivonen emphasizes that artificial intelligence is often so seamlessly integrated into our systems that we don’t even notice its presence.
Toivonen gives many everyday examples to support his argument. For example, when we search for affordable plane tickets online, search engines utilize artificial intelligence to select the best results. Artificial intelligence also influences ticket prices and the optimization of flight routes. These examples demonstrate the extensive reach of artificial intelligence and how it impacts our daily lives, often in inconspicuous ways. Toivonen highlights that the applications of artificial intelligence often go unnoticed, and artificial intelligence becomes the center of attention only when it enables something new and groundbreaking, such as the first chess program that defeated a world champion, bringing artificial intelligence to the awareness of many people.
Reading between the lines, it can be deduced that artificial intelligence has been a part of our daily lives for much longer than the current hype around chatbots, for instance, would suggest. Artificial intelligence is not merely a new trend or phenomenon; it has its roots dating back decades. In the 1950s, pioneers in artificial intelligence envisioned machines that could think and learn like humans. Alan Turing and John McCarthy were among those who created the first algorithms and laid the foundation for what we now recognize as the cornerstone of artificial intelligence.
The beginning showed promise, but the development of artificial intelligence proved to be complex. Computing power of machines was limited, and AI researchers faced numerous challenges. This led to the first significant challenge in the history of artificial intelligence, known as the “AI winter.” Funding for AI research decreased, and many projects were left unfinished.
Nevertheless, many researchers did not give up. They continued their work in the background, and over the decades, their efforts began to yield results. Today, we have reached a stage where artificial intelligence is an integral part of our daily lives. Large volumes of data, affordable and fast computers, and advanced machine learning techniques have enabled artificial intelligence applications that we could not have imagined earlier. Artificial intelligence has come a long way and continues to evolve, unlocking new opportunities and challenges along its journey.
It’s interesting to ponder why chatbots and text generation, in particular, have brought artificial intelligence into the headlines and discussions so prominently. One explanation for this could be that reading comprehension and text generation are skills commonly regarded as signs of intelligent thinking. When a chatbot is capable of producing fluent and coherent text, it feels closer to human intelligence than more complex but mathematically oriented AI applications, such as playing chess or search engine algorithms.
While the ability of machines to play chess or optimize search results is impressive, these applications may seem distant and abstract to many. In contrast, text generation is a concrete and more approachable skill directly related to how we communicate with each other. When a chatbot can respond naturally and comprehensibly to questions or even create high-quality content, it sparks interest and enthusiasm.
Furthermore, chatbots offer practical benefits in various areas of life, such as customer service, information sharing, and even writing. They can enhance productivity, save time, and provide new opportunities. For these reasons, chatbots have generated tremendous excitement and raised questions about how far artificial intelligence can go in text generation and communication.
Lastly, I’d like to revisit Toivonen’s initial inquiry: “Where can you experiment with artificial intelligence?” Examples of modern chatbots include OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. These chatbots are based on advanced language models and enable smooth conversations with artificial intelligence. Bard garnered significant attention upon its introduction, as it was built on the LaMDA language model, and it is now widely available in many countries, although initially, it had limited availability.
If you want to explore the diverse applications of artificial intelligence and see what AI is capable of, the website “There’s an AI for that” offers an intriguing perspective. On the website, you can unleash your imagination and envision various uses for AI bots in different scenarios. This illustrates that artificial intelligence is being utilized across various fields in versatile ways, with new applications constantly in development.
The key to harnessing artificial intelligence lies in your creativity and vision. Ask yourself: What do I want AI to do? Combining various existing technologies can bring significant benefits to streamline various processes. The most important aspect of applying AI amidst the abundance of current applications is to consider the purpose for which you want to use AI. When your needs and objectives are clear, you can embark on building an AI-based solution to fulfill them.
In closing, I appreciate your company on this insightful journey into the world of artificial intelligence. Your curiosity and engagement are truly valued. If you found this blog interesting, please consider liking this post and sharing it with others as well as following my account, as this is part of a series exploring the book “Mitä tekoäly on?: 100 kysymystä ja vastausta.” You can also catch up on the previous part of this series AI as a Metaphor here. Thank you for reading!
*) The book “What is Artificial Intelligence? 100 Questions and Answers” by Hannu Toivonen is actually only published only in Finnish as “Mitä tekoäly on?: 100 kysymystä ja vastausta.” Those who are interested to read the whole book can read it, for example, on platforms like Storytel.
