A look back at AI innovations throughout the 2010s | The Burn-In

Story by Cody DeBos

It’s hard to read about a new advancement in tech these days without it mentioning artificial intelligence (AI). That’s because AI has, without a doubt, been one of the defining technologies of the 2010s. History books (probably e-books by then) will one day look back on this decade as the one which gave birth to widespread AI technology.

Moving forward, it’s impossible to predict where AI will take humanity. However, it is interesting to look back and see how far the technology has come in the past decade. Since the start of 2010, AI has beaten professional gamers, sparked a new age of digital innovation, and is now powering the self-driving car movement. These are some of the biggest AI accomplishments of the decade.

A New “Jeopardy!” Champion

The massively popular trivia game show “Jeopardy!” has been on since 1964. Back then, no one even dreamed of AI becoming so influential, let alone having it come on the show. So, when IBM’s Watson crushed former “Jeopardy!” champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, it came as a surprise to most people.

Though attention-grabbing AI spectacles are commonplace these days, this victory was something different. “Jeopardy!” isn’t as predictable as a game like chess with a limited number of moves. Moreover, the trivia questions often contain language that isn’t straightforward and is riddled with puns. Watson’s ability to decode these questions and beat the two winningest “Jeopardy!” players of all time was a signal that AI was ready to start making waves.

Jennings said, “I had been in A.I. classes and knew that the kind of technology that could beat a human at ‘Jeopardy!’ was still decades away… Or at least I thought that it was.”

Welcome, Deep Learning

To be fair, the concept of deep learning didn’t originate in the 2010s. In fact, it was first suggested in a 1943 paper from Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts. Theoretical advancements followed for the next several decades. However, it wasn’t until this decade that deep learning launched into the mainstream.

Without it, today’s AI systems wouldn’t be nearly as powerful as they are. Deep learning algorithms enable AI to extract complex information from simple inputs by putting different “layers” of understanding together. For example, it powers image-recognition algorithms by allowing them to identify an entire image based on simple lines, colors, and shapes.

Alongside the meteoritic rise of Big Data, deep learning became invaluable in the 2010s. With massive libraries of raw data, AI systems were able to learn more (and faster) than ever before without the need for human programming.

Rise of The Internet of Things

There’s a good chance that an Internet of Things (IoT) gadget is sitting somewhere in the room with you. Whether it’s an Amazon Echo, a smart outlet, or a Nest Thermostat, these connected devices are everywhere. Though most people remember 2011 as the year that Steve Jobs passed away, it was also a big year for Apple for another reason. It released its digital assistant, Siri, at the same time.

At their core, digital assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa are all AI-powered tools. They communicate with users in plain speech and make controlling other devices simple and easy.

Thanks to this innovation, the IoT sector has blossomed. The rise of AI assistants has propelled a wave of voice-controlled smart home devices that work together and can be commanded with a single phrase. Just ten years ago, no one had access to these tools. Today, it’s hard to go a day without asking Google for directions or for Alexa to set a timer. All of this is made possible by AI that can recognize what a user is saying, process that information, and respond appropriately.

With the massive advancements that have been made in this decade alone, it’s incredible to think of how far the IoT will spread in the 2020s.

DeepMind for the Win

When Google spent a whopping $500 million on a little-known AI startup called DeepMind in 2014, people thought that the tech company had lost its mind. Now, half a decade later, that move is paying dividends.

DeepMind is best known for its game-playing AI systems that are capable of repeatedly taking down professional gamers. A notable achievement happened early this year when a DeepMind-powered AI defeated gamers in “Starcraft II.”

The strategy game is notorious for being extremely complex and difficult to master. Yet, DeepMind vanquished pro gamers without a problem. The level of “thought” built into that AI is mind-boggling.

Though game-playing AI systems aren’t exactly changing the world they do serve a purpose. By making the public excited about the technology and demonstrating what’s possible, these feats will get more bright minds into the AI field in the years to come.

Age of Automation

At the very beginning of the decade, in 2010, Google launched its first autonomous car program. That has gone on to become Waymo and is leading the way for countless other companies to follow suit. Though the 2010s might be the decade of AI, it isn’t unreasonable to think that the 2020s will be the decade of self-driving cars.

The technology is already reaching impressive heights, including some cars that can fully drive themselves in test scenarios. In all likelihood, carmakers will have fully autonomous cars on the market within the next few years. Though it will take some time to catch on the future of driving looks very hands-off, literally.

However, self-driving cars wouldn’t be possible without AI. Not only does it tell them where to go, it also detects obstacles, prevents accidents, and constantly monitors a vehicle’s surroundings. Thanks to AI something that once seemed like science fiction is almost a new human reality.

A Bright Future

Despite the world-changing advancements of AI in the 2010s the technology still has a bright future ahead of it. There is no end in sight to the development of AI or its applications.

With that in mind, it will be very interesting to see how it influences the technology of the next decade. Look for more self-driving cars, humbling AI supercomputers, and a growing IoT to shape the 2020s.

Originally published at https://www.theburnin.com on December 28, 2019.