Artificial Intelligence is a topic of much interest these days. I did a search to know more about it, and I hope the information provided in this article will be of interest to you.
What is Artificial Intelligence? Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a computer program or a machine to think, learn and to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.
Artificial Intelligence machines are designed and programmed in such a manner that they think and act like a human. Many of them have incredible precision, accuracy, and speed.
They are not affected by hostile environments, thus able to complete dangerous tasks, explore in space, and endure problems that would injure or kill us.
Table of Contents
The Begining of Artificial Intelligence
How long has artificial intelligence been around
Artificial Intelligence started in the 1940s and 50s when a handful of scientists from a variety of fields (mathematics, psychology, engineering, economics, and political science) began to discuss the possibility of creating an artificial brain.
John McCarthy (Massachusetts Institute of Technology or MIT) is one of the “founding fathers” of artificial intelligence, together with Marvin Minsky, Allen Newell, and Herbert A. Simon. McCarthy coined the term “artificial intelligence” in 1955 and organized the famous Dartmouth Conference in Summer 1956.
The field of artificial intelligence research was founded as an academic discipline in 1956.
In the early seventies, the capabilities of AI programs were limited. Even the most impressive could only handle trivial versions of the problems they were supposed to solve; all the programs were, in some sense, “toys”.
Limited computer memory or processor speed was one of the major issues in the seventies. The agencies which funded AI research such as the British Government, DARPA, and NRC became frustrated with the lack of progress and eventually cut off almost all funding for undirected research into AI.
Why Is AI Important?
Artificial intelligence forms the basis for all computer learning and is the future of all complex decision making. As an example, most humans can figure out how to not lose at tic-tac-toe (noughts and crosses), even though there are 255,168 unique moves, of which 46,080 ends in a draw.
Computers are extremely efficient at calculating combinations and permutations to arrive at the best decision. AI (and its logical evolution of machine learning) and deep learning are the foundational future of business decision making.
It is impressive indeed to see how important AI has become for our civilization, as the examples below will show
Impact Of AI in Societ
Artificial Intelligence has become an important part of our daily life. Our life is changed by AI because this technology is used in a wide area of day to day services.
AI reduces human effort at home, driving and now in many industries, people are using this technology to develop machine slaves to perform different activities. The introduction of AI brings the idea of an error-free world.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of AI
How Does AI Work
Examples Of AI
How Are Robots Used In Medicine
Finance and Economics
Banks are using AI technology to handle numerous activities in the bank. They handle work like financial operations, Money investing in stocks, Managing different properties and much more. Using AI to handle this activity beat a human in trading challenges.
Using AI in the bank helps the bank to handle their customer needs and give them a quick solution, like withdrawing money from an Automated Teller Machines (ATM), Online services, Automatic Payments, and QuickPay and/or Transfer Money over your phone using applications like QuickPay with Zelle among others.
Those services allow us to realize the majority of our transactions from our home or work without having to drive to a bank.
Robots In Stores
Many stores are already using Robots in their day to day operations, here are some examples of what Robots are doing:
Inside 50 of Walmart’s U.S. stores, robots resembling vacuum cleaners affixed with small, sleek towers, patrol the aisles, checking whether the shelves are stocked with enough toilet paper and that laundry detergent has the correct price tag.
Walmart is testing the robots, built by Bossa Nova Robotics, to see if they can monitor store inventory more cheaply than human workers.
This reflects the increasing introduction of technology by the big retailers as they try to keep up with online retail giant Amazon, which uses robots in some of its warehouses in addition to other cutting-edge technology.
Every day, one of Walmart’s robots rolls down every aisle three times, to check that over 150,000 products are where they should be on store shelves.
The robot will keep a record whether there isn’t enough toilet paper, or if an item doesn’t have the right price tag. Later, a human store clerk will either re-stock the aisle or put the right price tag on the product, because the robots are not physically capable of doing so.
Target and Lowes as well are using robots their stores to scan shelves and aisles.
Robotics In The Food Industry
The food industry is changing. As the global population reaches over 7.5 billion, food demand continues to rise. Food suppliers are under pressure to work more efficiently, and not only that, consumers want better quality, sustainable food available at their convenience.
Robotics and automation are a key part of the solution. The food manufacturing sector has been slow to adopt robotics compared to other industries, but, over the last couple of years, robotics has started to make its way into almost every link in the food supply chain, from the field to the kitchen.
- Robotics in Agriculture – Applications include autonomous feeding and milking, egg collection and sorting, and autonomous cleaning.
- Robotics in Food Manufacture – The value of the global food automation industry is expected to double in the next five years reaching $2.5 billion in 2022. Robotic applications for Primary processing include butchery, and fruit and vegetable sorting. For secondary processing, Robotic applications include product sorting, defect removal, and mixing.
- Food Packaging. – The entire packaging process can be automated.
- Food Delivery –
Automotive Industry
Car manufacturing robots reduce part-to-part variability. Highly repeatable, they never tire or get distracted, so every cycle is performed the same way. Neither do they drop parts or handle them in a way that causes damage.
That reduces waste previously caused by human error, and it also means less variability in car assembly. Equipped with vision systems, automotive robots can even detect variation in incoming materials and adapt their programmed paths to suit
Six Robotic Applications in Automotive Manufacturing
The following Robotic applications are the most common in the Automotive industry:
1. Collaborative Robots
These collaborative robots are built to work together with other robots, on enormous assembly lines. Robots must collaborate between handling and welding robots to make such assembly lines function properly.
2. Robotic Painting
Professional painters are difficult to find and the job is a highly toxic one. This makes it perfect for robots because the paint job needs to be highly consistent over a large area of paint, and reducing the amount of wasted material can add up to quite a bit of saving over time.
3. Robotic Welding
Robotic welding has been the top robotic application in the automotive sector for a long time, as every car needs a high number of welds before it’s complete. Given the high value of the finished product, productivity from automation is enormous.
4. Robotic Assembly
In many automotive plants, robots are assembling smaller components like pumps and motors at high speeds. Often, robots are performing tasks like windshield installation and wheel mounting to increase throughput.
5. Material Removal
High consistency and repeatability make robots perfect for material removal processes like trimming and cutting. This could be in the form of cutting fabrics, trimming plastic moldings and die castings or even polishing molds.
6. Part Transfer and Machine Tending
Pouring molten metal, transferring metal stamps, and loading and unloading CNC machines are all best completed by a robot as they are dangerous. When completed consistently with little downtime they can also be a source of major productivity.
Some Features of AI Are Already In Most New Cars
Some of the most known features used in many of the modern vehicles are:
- Adaptive Cruise Control – It allows you to mentally relax as your vehicle matches the speed of slower traffic as you approach, eliminating those heart-pounding moments when you suddenly find yourself able to read quite a few of the stickers on the back of a tractor-trailer.
- Automatic Emergency Braking – The system uses the same sensors as adaptive cruise control, so it’s common to have both systems bundled together.
- Blind-Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert – The blind-spot monitor, in some applications, will actually look far behind your vehicle for vehicles that are approaching you at a much higher speed, allowing it to alert you if someone is flying up in that open lane you’ve just decided to merge into. The other is the rear cross-traffic alert, which is a boon in parking lots when you’re backing out and have zero visibility in either direction.The system can alert you if a car is going to cross your intended path, hopefully saving you from those who decide texting and speeding are good joint activities in the mall parking lot.
- Keyless Entry/Ignition
- Remote Start – Remote start is often paired with the passive keyless entry system, and in cold regions, it saves you a trip out in the cold to start the car. Instead, it’s warmed up when you get there
. - HID/LED Headlights – There’s a lot of innovation going on in this area in addition to the superior lighting these systems provide over traditional headlights. Many advanced headlights are also adaptive systems, which means they turn with the roadway and can light up curves or turns more effectively.
- Internet Connectivity – Internet connectivity is available on quite a few new cars, and if it is, you should make sure to get it. It’s cheesy, but for tasks such as distracting the kids or appeasing the teenagers, you’ll be glad you could offer them a connection to endless entertainment.
- USB Ports – USB ports: useful for playing music from your phone or thumb drive, indispensable when charging your devices, and much easier to use when it’s in a logical position.
- Automatic Engine Shutoffs – The technology exists, and some carmakers, including the Detroit Three, offer versions of the safety technology on most of their vehicles. Toyota announced that it will add automatic engine shutoff and automatic park technology to its 2020 model year lineup in North America.
- Self-Driving – Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO said the electric car maker’s full self-driving feature will be completed by the end of 2019. And by the end of 2020, he added, it will be so capable, you’ll be able to snooze in the driver’s seat while it takes you from your parking lot to wherever you’re going.Meanwhile, General Motors’ Cruise has said it will roll out its own AV taxi service this year, but it has stayed mum on when and where that might plans are in flux as it recovers from last year’s testing crash that killed a woman in Arizona.And companies like Nuro and Aurora are taking the slow and steady approach, telling reporters and investors that they’re building their tech with caution and without fanfare. Musk, however, has never been a fan of sticking to talking points or saying any less than what’s on his mind.
How Are Robots Used In Medicine
What is medical robotics?
Medical robotics is an advanced discipline within the field of robotics which involves the development of robots that can perform various medical tasks.
Many people think specifically of surgical robotics when they hear the words “medical robotics,” but robots can do a wide range of things in hospitals and medical clinics.
In the healthcare sector, robots help in making medical procedures less costly and safer for patients. It also helps in performing surgery with acute precision, relieves the medical personnel from their chores, transport dangerous or exotic substances.
Below are a few ways in which robots are changing healthcare:
- Nurse Robots – Healthcare robots are not only for providing physical assistance, but they also provide companionship and monitor safety and health.For instance, Pearl is a new mobile autonomous device created by Carnegie Melon University in order to act as a nurse to the elderly at their homes.Peal performs the functions of a nurse, guides elder people around the vicinity, gives them medication on time and reminds them about future medical appointments. Pearl is also able to adapt to individual problems like hearing aid, walking troubles or speed.
- Robotic medical assistants – These help in relieving the nurses from their tiring job. The robotic assistants help in monitoring the vital statistics of the patient and immediately alert the nurse in case of an emergency. They give a much-needed break to the nurses for taking a rest.They also enable the nurses to monitor several patients at once since most of the work is being done by the designated medical assistant. They give physical therapy to the paraplegics along with helping them to move around.
- Nanorobots – Nanorobots or smart pills are they are commonly called, is the latest invention in the healthcare sector. They are inserted into the patient’s body for fighting the problem on a cellular level.They are equipped with wireless technology which enables them to easily monitor the internal problems and reactions. They can also be ingested as pills. For instance, ViRob, made in Israel, is a nanorobot which enters the human body to attack a tumor with drugs.
- Improved robotic prosthetics – Improvement in the field of prosthetics has become a major research topic for various research institutes. For instance, brain chip has been implanted in various prosthetics on the patients which allow the patient to move their artificial limb at the command of their brain.They no longer have to feel that there is something amiss. The thought-activated system uses artificial intelligence for moving the limbsPharmacy and delivery robots or Pharmabotics – They monitor the medicine stock and inform whenever a medicine and other necessities are over. They provide for the medical help within the given time window.They also help in supplying medical goods inside the hospital. For instance, RIVA is a robot which mixes IV solutions in the pharmacy labs. The patients who suffer from STDs and other contagious diseases can be treated by disinfection robots.
- Surgical robots – robots have more precision over humans. In clinical procedures, robots are being used extensively for performing surgeries. They allow for conducting the surgery by making a tiny incision rather than a long one.Their precision is extremely to the point, which makes the work of human surgeons easier.
Why is the Robotic Surgery Important
Robot-assisted surgery Robotic surgery is a type of surgical procedures that are done using robotic systems.
Robotically-assisted surgery was developed to try to overcome the limitations of pre-existing minimally-invasive surgical procedures and to enhance the capabilities of surgeons performing open surgery.
Robotic surgery may be used for a number of different procedures, including Coronary artery bypass. Cutting away cancer tissue from sensitive parts of the body such as blood vessels, nerves, or important body organs.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the da Vinci Surgical System in 2000. The technique has been rapidly adopted by hospitals in the United States and Europe for use in the treatment of a wide range of conditions.
How the da Vinci Robot Works
The da Vinci device is a robot used to perform surgery. It is a computer-operated device designed to help a surgeon perform surgery using a minimally invasive approach.
It is controlled by the surgeon and allows the surgeon to perform invasive surgeries without physically coming into contact with his or her patient’s body
The da Vinci robot has revolutionized the way that surgery has and will be performed globally. Thousands of patients have benefitted from the use of this technology.
It provides improved visualization with enhanced high-definition (1080p) imaging with 10x magnification and 3D vision.
One of the uses of the da Vinci Surgical System is for Prostate Surgery, also known as prostatectomy.
For this procedure, the surgeon sits at a control panel in the operation room and moves robotic arms to operate through several small incisions in the patient’s abdomen.
An advantage of robotic surgery is its enhanced precision while also reducing the trauma and pain for the patient.
The smaller the incisions the less the pain for the patient. With surgery performed with the help of surgical robots, making small incisions, patients would experience less trauma, pain, and bleeding, ensuring a quick recovery.
Artificial Intelligence And The Military
Military Artificial Intelligence
Some current uses of artificial intelligence by the military include systems in non-combat roles. DART, a planning tool, utilized A.I. and was used in Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Training simulators are being developed that incorporate A.I.
The U.S. Air Force is working with private industry to develop systems for faster collection and examination of information.
The goal is to improve reaction and decision-making time to implement more effective military actions. Like many of the military’s uses of A.I., it involves information management and decision making.
Additionally, AI improves self-control, self-regulation, and self-actuation of combat systems due to its inherent computing and decision-making capabilities.
Key Military Applications For Artificial Intelligence
- Warfare Platforms – Using AI in systems based on these platforms has enabled the development of efficient warfare systems, which are less reliant on human input.It has also led to increased synergy and enhanced performance of warfare systems while requiring less maintenance
- Cybersecurity – However, systems equipped with AI can autonomously protect networks, computers, programs, and data from any kind of unauthorized access.
- Target Recognition – These techniques allow defense forces to gain an in-depth understanding of potential operation areas by analyzing reports, documents, news feeds, and other forms of unstructured information.Additionally, AI in target recognition systems improves the ability of these systems to identify the position of their targets.
- Battlefield Healthcare – The US is involved in the development of RSS, RGPs, and various other systems for battlefield healthcare. Under difficult conditions, systems equipped with AI can mine soldiers’ medical records and assist in complex diagnosis.
- Logistics And Transportation –
- Combat Simulation & Training – The US is investing increasingly in simulation & training applications.
- AI And Data Information Processing – AI is particularly useful for quickly and efficiently processing large volumes of data in order to obtain valuable information.It can assist in culling and aggregating information from different datasets, as well as acquire and sum supersets of information from various sources. This advanced analysis enables military personnel to then recognize patterns and derive correlations.
- Threat Monitoring & Situation Awareness – Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – also known as drones – with integrated AI can patrol border areas, identify potential threats, and transmit information about these threats to response teams.
Artificial Intelligence in Video Games
In video games, artificial intelligence is used to generate responsive, adaptive or intelligent behaviors primarily in non-player characters similar to human-like intelligence.
Artificial intelligence has been an integral part of video games since their inception in the 1950s. The role of AI in video games has expanded greatly since its introduction.
Modern games often implement existing techniques from the field of artificial intelligence such as pathfinding and decision trees to guide the actions on NPCs.
Examples of Artificial Intelligence in Video Games
- NPCs – Artificial Intelligence controls NPC’s behavior based on different surrounding situations.
- Board Games – Board games are a great example of how useful artificial intelligence in video games is. Artificial intelligence is like a human, they learn new things based on past experiences.
- Combat – AI has great influence in action and adventure games due to its ability to make combat more real. Back in old games combat was pretty simple, player position will determine enemy reactions.The manner of their approach used to be extremely defensive or completely offensive. In modern games, their approach is based on our previous actions, sounds, weapons we are carrying which makes combat more real life.
- Evolving Surrounding – AI can easily turn a game into a real-life simulation and RDR 2 is merely just an example of how AI can improve our gaming experience. Below are some examples of the varying environment from RDR 2:
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- The moon operates on exact lunar cycles.
- If you leave the bodies of animals where you killed them, they will attract scavengers and their Carcasses will decompose over time.
- Wildlife ecosystem where predators will hunt their prey for there living.
- The newspaper will cover the events that occur throughout the storyline.
The Bad Side Of Artificial Intelligence
Despite all the marvelous developments and advantages that AI has provided, there are of course disadvantages:
- What is going to happen to all the persons that are without a job around the world because of os the new technologies?
- Will retailers like Walmart, Target be able to survive from the economic pressures from online stores like Amazon?
- What the working force should adjust?
- Many jobs will be taken away from the working force by robots
- The human race will have to evolve to survive and confront the future with optimism, looking for new horizons as it has always done.
Resources:
netapp.com, globussoft.com, fortune.com, blog.robotiq.com, genesis-systems.com, justscience.in, techwalla.com, blog.marketresearch.com, wikipedia.org
