What Is Artificial Intelligence And Why Is It Important?
Artificial intelligence is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines. And usually when you think about this definition, you think about intelligent computer programs. This is also related to a similar idea of using computers to understand human intelligence.
The intelligence part of this equation refers to the fact that intelligence involves mechanisms. Artificial intelligence research has figured out how to make computers carry out some of the mechanisms, but not others. For instance, if performing a task requires only well understood mechanisms, computer programs can perform amazingly well for these tasks.
Many people think artificial intelligence is supposed to mimic human intelligence, when in actual fact nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the research in artificial intelligence revolves around studying problems the world presents to intelligence, rather than studying people or animals. In fact, artificial intelligence researchers use methods not even observed in people or that involve much more computing than people are capable of doing.
Artificial intelligence (as a term of reference) was actually first used by John McCarthy who used it to mean the science and engineering of making intelligent machines. These days, artificial intelligence is studied in a wide variety of fields including computer science, psychology, philosopy, neuroscience and engineering. It needs to be understood though that artificial intelligence research is mainly driven by a desire to make machines that automate tasks that require intelligent behaviour. So, that could include things like planning and scheduling, handwriting, natural language and speech, among other things. Now you might want to consider these tasks as "nice to automate, but who really needs them". That brings us to the meat and potatoes - artificial intelligence that has become an engineering discipline. A discipline that is focussed on providing solutions to real life problems like knowledge mining, and software applications. So great, artificial intelligence can do amazing things, but is there any level of comprehension? Answer is a minefield of opinions. Some say there is no demonstrated comprehension in tasks performed. Others insist that for the computer to perform the task in the first place, it has to have comprehension. Hold that thought, then add this one - an adage many computer programmers and those who work with computers daily know very well - "A computer is only as good as the person who programs/runs it". Here are some of the areas artificial intelligence is used in to resounding success: pattern recognition (think crime computers that recognize patterns of serial killers), optical character recognition, handwriting recognition, speech recognition, face recognition and artificial creativity. And we can't leave you without telling you THE most famous use of artificial intelligence - email spam filtering. Don't we all just love that!
Knowledge Management
| 
