- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE — AI — TIMELINE
AI — FLASHBACK
Human imagination knows no bounds and the endeavor to materialize his ideas have always reshaped human civilization .
Man always fantasized of acquiring superhuman powers with the aid of devices as evidenced in our epics/fables like the Pushpakavimana (flying chariot) in Ramayana, The Magic Mirror in the Snow White or The Flying Carpet of Arabian Nights.
AI — BEGININGS
The term Artificial intelligence (AI) was put forth in the 1950s by a group of scientists with an aim to invent a machine that could mimic human intelligence. ELIZA the first chatbot was developed in 1966. The main obstacle at that point was an inability to store data.
AI — RECENT PAST
With advancement in computing in the 1970s and 1980s, this concept gathered momentum and many devices were invented. Lisp Machines were developed during this period with development of “Deep Learning” techniques aided by invention of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor CMOS technology.
AI — PRESENT
We have witnessed a boon in AI largely propelled by access to huge amount of data. There are 4.66 billion internet users in the world today. These users activity are collected by various companies This data is transformed to Information, information to Knowledge which can be harnessed in various disciplines.
Artificial Intelligence Is all about Data and Algorithms. AI needs data to recognize patterns to provide insights and make predictions .
There are a plethora of AI products in the market today, virtual assistants, chatbots, and recommender systems to name a common few. Al revolution is being witnessed in all disciplines one can think of. Please find a few mentioned here:
The financial sector relies on accuracy, real-time reporting and processing high volumes of quantitative data to make decisions, and AI excels in each of these aspects. AI is proving to be a game-changer in healthcare from robot-assisted surgeries, drug discovery, helping pathologists make accurate diagnosis and safeguarding private records. Also, there are a host of AI enabled smart-home products .
AI — FUTURE
Artificial intelligence is bound to penetrate every commercial sector. The evolution of AI could see the emergence of a wide range of fully automated businesses including banks, travel agents, and insurance companies. The technology is likely to be deployed across all government agencies and legal systems. Emergence of self-aware and self-replicating software systems and robots are also expected in the future.
Like any other invention, AI too carries risks and challenges that the policymakers, scientists, industrialists and public must address them aptly.
