Artificial Intelligence

There is no universal definition of intelligence. In this case, theories are abundant, disagreement is the norm, and the subject is highly complicated. Intelligence has been defined and categorised from different disciplinary perspectives. From these theories, multiple types and sub-types of intelligence emerge. We have Gardner's multiple-intelligence that includes musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, linguistic, kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. Sternberg's triarchic-intelligence provides analytical, creative and contextual intelligence, and many other types, such as business intelligence, cultural intelligence, emotional intelligence, etc. Therefore, the term intelligence has to be understood in its context.

Once upon a time intelligence was believed to be a feature distinguishing humans from other forms of life which is now proven wrong. Legg & Hutter, by extracting common elements from about 70 odd definitions of intelligence proposed that intelligence is the "ability to achieve goal in a wide range of environment" which involves interaction and adaptation to changing environment. Intelligence is a relative concept. For example, both humans and chimpanzees are intelligence, but humans are more intelligent than chimpanzees. Even amoebas are found to be intelligent enough. If we follow the chain starting from the amoebas to humans, the latter is at the top of the hierarchy of intelligence. The common element in this chain of intelligence is that every intelligent being receives sensory information and responds to it. Just like our five senses, sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, collaborate and enable us to perceive this world. Our brain processes, electromagnetic radiation (light), acoustic waves, touch signals through skin, olfactory signals, and signals from taste buds. The world in which we live, of which we are conscious, is the result of this continuous computation of the huge amount of data we receive through our sensory organs. Intuition, creativity, consciousness, emotions are all essentially involved in human-level intelligence. Our consciousness, the way we perceive this world, is different than that of an amoeba. Obviously, amoebas receive less data from nature, so its world must be simpler than the world we perceive. The exact mechanism, how our brain produces the conscious world in real-time is still beyond human knowledge. The way we respond to the world determines how intelligent we are; at the same time, our response is dependent on the computation of the data we receive from the external world. If we walk down this line of thinking, we will find that intelligence has a close affinity with the processing of data and making meaning out of it. That's intelligence simpliciter in this context; making meaning out of data and act accordingly.

AI is an umbrella term that refers to any process of decision making or action, which is the result of simulation of human intelligence. Technologically we are nowhere near simulating human intelligence as a whole. Simulating human emotions or consciousness is yet to be achieved. Presently we can simulate only a fraction of human intelligence, and that fraction is enough to change the future. Simulation of only a fraction of human intelligence coupled with increased computational power is the end result of artificial intelligence so far.

AI can be seen as part of the process of evolution of intelligence. AI helps us to outgrow the limitations of our brain, mainly in terms of computational and processing ability. AI aid human intelligence at this point. With the help of AI, we optimise our goal more efficiently and effectively. For example, it is theoretically possible for any human being to predict the course of a superstorm by analysing data received from multiple satellites, but that is not feasible in terms of time. The conscious human mind is not capable of dealing and analysing such a massive amount of data in real-time. With the help of AI, we are now able to predict the exact path of superstorms with a superior level of satisfaction. AI helps us to break through the limitations of human intelligence in one way or other. Unless we reach the point of technological singularity when the baton of the evolution of intelligence will be taken over by artificially intelligent machines or cognitively enhanced biological intelligence, which according to some scientists may not occur at all, artificial intelligence is expected to aid the human intelligence.

Weyl & Lanier argued that AI is more an ideology than a technology. Be it an ideology or a technology; AI uses the human knowledge base to aid human decision in response to a problem it faces. So, in simple term, AI solves a problem. What is a problem then? "A problem is a situation preventing something from being achieved". The more efficient way a problem is solved, more intelligent is the process. It is easy to understand AI if we take this problem-solving approach. Artificial intelligence is a tool for solving problems.

What AI can do depends upon how humans want to use it and how creative its' application is. AI has started taking vital decisions on important aspects of human life. From genetics to astronomy at present, AI is everywhere. Todays' algorithms have the ability of self-training from a massive database. Technologies, such as Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Blockchain, Neural Network, together are shaping the field in such a way that it changes the traditional pattern of human interaction with machines. Leaving aside the speculative part what AI will do in future, with the advent of natural language processing and natural language understanding we can bet on one thing for sure. It will revolutionise the way we communicate with machines.

Especially after the success of open AI's GPT-3, its high time to say,

"Hi Computer, I have written this article. Can you please copy edit this? Oh yes, one more thing, please check for plagiarism too."

Don't be surprised if you get a reply, "What a waste of time. I could have written it in no time."

 

Author’s Bio: Jewel Chanda [LLB, LLM, MBL, MA(Env. & Dev.), MA(Sociology)] is a Doctoral Research Scholar of O.P. Jindal Global University.