Artificial_Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence The Past, Present, and the Future Artificial Intelligence What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Artificial Intelligence' Robots' Computers' Future Technology' Most of us think of futuristic humanoid robots and computers that are able to talk to you and respond accordingly. Would you be surprised if I told you the future is here' Artificial Intelligence technology is all around us and we use it in many of our very day activities. Many of times we are unaware it is Artificial Intelligence because it has become so common. Looking back at the beginning of Artificial Intelligence we can see how far the field has come in just a few generations and we can look ahead to the future to see that the things of science fiction are becoming reality. The History of Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence can be traced back to Ancient times. Greek mythology has stories of mechanical devices with intelligence. Hephaestus, the god of the smiths, was said to have made mechanical servants. It was not until 1941 when Alan Turning, a British mathematician, designed the first operational electronic computer which brought artificial intelligence within our grasp. The first computers were as large room and required the separation of thousands of wires to get a program up and running. In 1949, computer programing became simpler with the invention of the stored program computer. Because of the electric means of being able to process data made Artificial intelligence possible. The computer delivered the technology to make Artificial Intelligence possible but it was not until the 1950’s that human intelligence and computers was observed. One of the first American’s to make such observations was Norbert Wiener. Wiener is regarded as the originator of cybernetics, a formalization of the notion of feedback, with many implications for engineering, systems control, computer science, biology, philosophy, and the organization of society. (Wikipedia, 2010) Much of the early development of Artificial Intelligence was biased on his feedback theory. An example of feedback would be your house thermostat, the ignition control in your car, or even the water level control lever on the toilet. In 1955, what many consider to be one of the first Artificial Intelligence programs was developed by Herbert Simon and Allen Newell called “The Logic Theoris”. It was the first program which was created to simulate human problem solving skills. Simon and Newell also created The General Problem Solver or GPS in 1957. The program was built upon Weiner’s feedback theory and was able to solve more complex problems. The term “Artificial Intelligence” was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy at the Dartmouth Conference in Vermont. John McCarthy is looked upon as the “Father is Artificial intelligence”. He created the LISP language in 1958, which is still used today. LISP stands for LISt Processing. Over the next several years there were many programs developed. Some of the most notable were SHRDLU , STUDENT, and SIR. In the 1980’s, AI development really took launch. The computer was no longer just for a few select research laboratories. First National Conference of the American Association of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) held at Stanford. Commercial success of expert systems reached more than a billion dollars in 1985. But the good luck of Artificial Intelligence success was about to have a negative turning point with the collapse of the Lisp Machine market in 1987. Despite these unpromising events, the AI field gradually recovered. The 1980's introduced to its place in the corporate marketplace, and showed the technology had real life uses, ensuring it would be a key in the 21st century.(“The history of AI” n.d.) Approaches used to create Artificial Intelligence In the beginning, researchers believed that to create intelligence they would just create a program to simulate each type of intelligence. Once they began this undertaking is was easy to see that even the most simplest of functions was way beyond their programming skills. Researchers understood that to create Artificial intelligence they must explore natural intelligence first. Researchers divided into different approaches, but they had the same goal of creating intelligent machines. They are divided into two main approaches: the bottom up and the top down approach. The bottom up approach tries to create intelligence by mimicking the human brain. Researchers are attempting to build a silicon-based electronic network that is modeled on the working and form of the human brain! (Pilgrim) The human brain is a network of billions of neurons, each connected with the other. One single neuron is not intelligent but connected together the neurons are able to create intelligent behavior. This approach has its limitations because it is so complex. It is hard to create a replica of the human brain as the neurons number in the millions! It is also hard to understand exactly how the human brain works. Most people have trouble knowing and describing how they do things. Human intelligence includes unconscious thoughts, instantaneous thoughts and other mental process that are difficult or impossible to understand and describe. (George Beekman, 2009) It is often better to try to create Artificial Intelligence in a different manner than trying to reconstruct the human brain but rather take advantage of the way a computer can do things. The top-down approach tries to copy the brain's behavior through the use of computer programs. The expert system is such a program. It stores large quantities of information and uses set rules to manipulate and assess data for the purpose of providing analysis and sometimes even solutions to correct the problems it detects. (The Expert Systems Approach to Artificial Intelligence, 2010) They have expertise in a specific area. . Their tools are like those of a detective. They are programmed to use statistical analysis and data mining to solve problems. Both approaches are advancing the field of Artificial Intelligence although the top-down approach is much more common. One of the most famous Bottom-up creations is Honda’s Asimo, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot. Applications of Artificial Intelligence The ways in which artificial intelligence is used today is extensive and abundant. In fact, artificial intelligence has become common in countless ways in our world today that much of it is taken for granted by many of the people who use it often. Air conditioners, video games, cameras, traffic lights, medical equipment: all function in a way of smart technology. The applications of Artificial Intelligence have reached many fields but have been overlooked. "A lot of cutting edge AI has filtered into general applications, often without being called AI because once something becomes useful enough and common enough it's not labeled AI anymore." (AI set to exceed human brain power, 2006) We can observe Artificial Intelligence hard at work in many fields. Computer Science: Many tools have been created by AI researchers to solve the most difficult problems in computer science but many have become mainstream that they are not considered to be AI anymore but they were created in AI laboratories including: * Time Sharing * Interactive interpreters * Graphical user interfaces and the computer mouse * Rapid development environments * Automatic storage management * Symbolic programming * Functional programming * Dynamic programming * Object-oriented programming Medicine: The medical field is undergoing a revolution. Even though most of us do not realize it, Artificial Intelligence has invaded the medicine world. In contrast to the negative concerns and assumptions some may have, the medical field has a lot to gain by allowing Artificial Intelligence into the workplace. There is software out there that’s helps doctors to diagnose an illness and select a treatment. Artificial Neural Network or ANN is one of those programs that are on the frontline. ANN—a new type of software that uses the combined knowledge of its network connections to help lower patient risk and decrease costs. Fashioned after the biological brain, the software boasts the ability to learn from observed data, upping the ante for making logical decisions and avoiding mistakes. (Torre, 2010) Another way in which AI has made its way into the medical field is in artificial limbs. The Rheo Knee, Power Knee, and Proprio Foot prosthetics all carry onboard artificial intelligences that help amputees use their bionic limbs with security and accuracy. (Saenz, 2009) There are many ways in which Artificial Intelligence has made an impact in the health care profession and so many more to come. Heavy industry: Robots have become very popular in many industries; Often taking on jobs which are considered to be too dangerous for humans. Not only can they withstand radioactive elements but they also work better in places where there is confined space and little oxygen to breathe. This replacement will eliminate unwarranted deaths due to potential accidents and unsafe conditions. (Implications: Why Create Artificial Intelligence' , 1998) . These robots have also decreased errors and increased efficiency. Finance: I would venture to say that all financial institutes now use some form of Artificial Intelligence. Banks use software programs to detect fraud, organize operations, manage properties and even invest in stocks. In 2001, robots beat humans in a simulated finance trading competition. Games and Toys: There is a huge variety of Artificial intelligence toys on the market. One of the first biggest hits was the Furby. (Yes, I had one!) Toys have come a long way; from robot dinosaurs to doll that act alive. Aviation: The AOD (Air Operations Division) has use for artificial intelligence for surrogate operators for combat and training simulators, mission management aids, support systems for tactical decision making, and post processing of the simulator data into symbolic summaries. (Applications of artificial intelligence, 2010) There are so many more uses of Artificial Intelligence in our everyday lives. Just look around and you will see ways in which Artificial intelligence is affecting your life. In just a couple decades, Artificial Intelligence has made leaps and bounds and continues to do so. Robotics: Although robots are far from taking over the world; it is not so farfetched to imagine robots helping with house hold duties assisting in hospitals or going on space missions. Honda has created an advanced humanoid robot, ASIMO. ASIMO is the culmination of two decades of humanoid robotics research by Honda engineers. ASIMO can run, walk on uneven slopes and surfaces, turn smoothly, climb stairs, and reach for and grasp objects. ASIMO can also comprehend and respond to simple voice commands. ASIMO has the ability to recognize the face of a select group of individuals. Using its camera eyes, ASIMO can map its environment and register stationary objects. ASIMO can also avoid moving obstacles as it moves through its environment. (The history of ASIMO) ASIMO may be able to assist disabled or in dangerous situations in the future. ASIMO is paving the way for the development of Artificial Intelligence. The Future of Artificial Intelligence What does the future of Artificial intelligence have in store' Well that question is largely unknown but there are many predictions being made and new technological advancements being created which are pushing the limits of what is fictional. Imagine with me for a moment, a world where you can not only talk to the search engine, you can discuss with it what you are looking for; there is an unmanned lunar base for humanoid robots; Robots have become so human-like, having intelligent conversations, displaying emotions and responding to human emotions, that they are very much like a new race of people; Cars drive themselves; misdiagnosis is a thing of the past and robots work alongside of humans. Sounds like a science fiction movie but research is underway now that brings us ever closer to this world. A new hospital is opening in Scotland that will employ robots to haul materials to and from rooms and will be able to be summoned by staff members using PDAs. A robot pharmacy will dispense needed prescriptions. There will even be robotic cleaners for the operating rooms.(Saenz, The Robot Hospital of the Future, Coming Soon To Scotland, 2010) JAXA, Japan’s space program, plans on landing humanoid robots on the moon by 2015 and full-fledged robot space-base by 2020. (Mick, 2010) We will have to keep your eyes to the sky to see if this one flies. Cars are becoming more futuristic every day. We have cars which can parallel park and switch lanes for us, we have GPS in our vehicles and some cars have a built in computer which can understand spoken commands, warn of vehicle problems, even read and e-mail aloud. IBM is developing an “artificial passenger” to make long drives safer. This artificial passenger can carry on a conversation with the driver and detect signs of weariness. If fatigue is detected, it might change the radio station, open a window or even spray the driver with cold water! (George Beekman, 2009) Researchers are trying to develop a car which would enable the blind to drive. The National Federation of the Blind and Virginia Tech plan to demonstrate a prototype vehicle next year equipped with technology that helps a blind person drive a car independently. The technology, called "nonvisual interfaces," uses sensors to let a blind driver maneuver a car based on information transmitted to him about his surroundings: whether another car or object is nearby, in front of him or in a neighboring lane. (Group to Show Car That Can Be Driven by the Blind, 2010) As Moore’s law states, technology will double in complexity every two years. As we take a look at where we are now with our technology we can begin to imagine our world in the near future. Artificial Intelligence has come a long way since the development of the computer. In just a few decades we have seen the computer develop from a room size monster to hand held devices. Artificial Intelligent machines are helping people, enhancing jobs, and improving our lives. The improvement and progress of Artificial Intelligence does not show any signs of slowing down. “Exponential growth looks like nothing is happening, and then suddenly you get this explosion at the end,” -Ray Kurzweil- Reference Page Implications: Why Create Artificial Intelligence' . (1998, April 19). Retrieved June 29, 2010, from Psybersite: http://www.units.muohio.edu/psybersite/cyberspace/aisurge/implications.shtml AI set to exceed human brain power. (2006, August 9). Retrieved June 28, 2010, from CNN.com: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/07/24/ai.bostrom/ Applications of artificial intelligence. (2010, May 6). Retrieved June 29, 2010, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applications_of_artificial_intelligence Group to Show Car That Can Be Driven by the Blind. (2010, July 8). Retrieved July 8, 2010, from Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/02/group-car-driven-blind/'utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fscitech+%28Text+-+SciTech%29 Norbert Wiener. (2010, June 25). Retrieved June 26, 2010, from Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NorbertWiener The Expert Systems Approach to Artificial Intelligence. (2010). Retrieved July 7, 2010, from ISCID Encyclopedia of Science and Philosophy: http://www.iscid.org/encyclopedia/cite/The_Neural_Network_Approach_to_Artificial_Intelligence George Beekman, B. B. (2009). Tomorrow's technology and you. saddle river: Pearson Prentice Hall. In the future. (n.d.). Retrieved July 8, 2010, from impact lab: www.impactlab.com Mick, J. (2010, June 1). Japanese Robots to Take Over the Moon by 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2010, from Daily Tech: http://www.dailytech.com/Japanese+Robots+to+Take+Over+the+Moon+by+2020/article18572.htm Pilgrim, G. (n.d.). Application of Artificial Intelligence. Retrieved July 7, 2010, from Buzzle.com: http://www.microsofttranslator.com/BV.aspx'ref=IE8Activity&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzle.com%2Farticles%2Fapplications-of-artificial-intelligence.html Saenz, A. (2009, August 27). Bionic Limbs With Artificial Intelligence. Retrieved June 29, 2010, from Singularity Hub: http://singularityhub.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/ Saenz, A. (2010, July 1). The Robot Hospital of the Future, Coming Soon To Scotland. Retrieved 1 2010, July, from singularityhub: http://singularityhub.com/2010/07/01/the-robot-hospital-of-the-future-coming-soon-to-scotland/#more-18548 The History of Artificial Intelligence. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2010, from Think Quest: http://library.thinkquest.org/2705/ The history of ASIMO. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2010, from ASIMO The world's most advanced humanoid robot: http://asimo.honda.com/AsimoHistory.aspx Torre, C. d. (2010, May 10). The AI Doctor Is Ready To See You. 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