Overview of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a way of creating a computer, computer-controlled robot, or software that intelligently thinks in a manner similar to the human mind. AI is achieved by studying the patterns in the human brain and by analyzing the cognitive process. The results of these studies develop intelligent software and systems. A computer program must be able to calculate, plan and learn to achieve artificial intelligence. The computer’s interaction with the outside world and the computer hardware restrictions must also be considered when developing an AI system.
Strong and Weak AI
Strong AI (True AI) is a term used to describe a certain concept for the development of artificial intelligence. Strong AI’s goal is to develop artificial intelligence to the point where the machine’s intellectual ability is functionally equal to or exceeding a human’s.
True AI can also be called superintelligence. The term describes a hypothetical artificial agent that would by far pass the intelligence of the most gifted human minds. This means that such an agent would excel over humans in virtually all domains of interest.
One proposed way of evaluating AI systems is by using The turing test. The test is a game created by Alan Turing in 1951 which determines if a machine is considered intelligent. The game is a test of a computer’s ability to demonstrate intelligence, as measured by whether a human judge can reliably distinguish the computer from another human being by conversing with both in natural language over a terminal.
Weak AI (narrow AI) is a category where most current AI systems you have created lie in. This means that the AI is only knowledgeable in a specific area and can not handle other areas unless it is programmed to do so.
Search and Planning
Search is an important component of problem solving in AI. There are several search algorithms that use different search techniques to find a way or the shortest way from the starting point to the endpoint . Some of these are A* search, Beam search, Best-first search, Bidirectional search, Breadth-first search, Depth-first search and Dijkstra’s algorithm . These algorithms are used today in several everyday gadgets or computer programs such as computer games or GPS applications. For example, when you want to drive to an address and use a digital map on your phone, a search algorithm is then used to find the fastest route to the destination.
Planning is about decisions made by intelligent creatures like robots, people, or computer programs when trying to achieve a certain goal. It’s about choosing a sequence of actions to meet the goal. When planning, search is an important part of the process. By planning the way to the goal, search is used to find the shortest path to the goal. When the shortest path to the goal is found, we also have to schedule the order in how to do it — we cannot just define the steps needed to get to the goal. We also have to complete them in the right order — we cannot perform tasks in any order we please when dealing with certain conditions.
The ethical dilemma with Artificial Intelligence
Fundamental AI problems may be ethical questions, among others, that may arise. What will we do at the end of our jobs, when automation completely takes over? Will everyone have a purpose in life, when there is almost no work to be done? How will wealth be distributed, since people will no longer be receiving salaries for work that is done by robots? Will the owners of robots be the wealthiest, while others receive a base salary and live with their families? How do we stay in control of a complex intelligent system that exceeds human intelligence? These are some issues mentioned in the World Economic Forum, which mentions some of the top ethical issues in artificial intelligence.
Will automation lead to unemployment?
Many predictable jobs are being replaced by robots. Many factories are run almost entirely by robots, which will only continue to increase with the advancements of AI. The trucking industry in the USA will soon be faced with the self-driving trucks being developed by Tesla (among others), which may cause millions of Americans to potentially lose their jobs to automatic vehicles. How will people be spending their days? Will all people be content with staying home with their families, spending time within their communities, and finding ways to contribute to human society? How will humanity as a whole be impacted, once there are no jobs left? Only time will tell. One possible solution, that is also currently being tested in some states in the USA is the concept such as a “universal basic income”, which gives people a set amount of money each month.
References
- Artificial Intelligence:A Modern Approach, 3rd ed by Peter J.Russell, 2009. ISBN: 978–0–13–604259–4 (electronic bk.)
- https://hackernoon.com/search-algorithms-in-artificial-intelligence-8d32c12f6bea
- https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence/Search
- https://users.aalto.fi/~rintanj1/jussi/planning.html
- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/top-10-ethical-issues-in-artificial-intelligence/
- https://medium.com/@jackkrupansky/how-close-is-ai-to-human-level-intelligence-here-in-april-2018-9a6ceaff2f9d
- https://www.techopedia.com/definition/32874/narrow-artificial-intelligence-narrow-ai
- http://intelligence.worldofcomputing.net/ai-search/a-star-algorithm.html#.W9n58pNKiUk
- http://www.psych.utoronto.ca/users/reingold/courses/ai/turing.html
- Bostrom, Nick (2014). Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford University Press
- http://www.psych.utoronto.ca/users/reingold/courses/ai/turing.html
