In the modern world, artificial intelligence is a growing part of people’s lives. Online ordering, voice-controlled assistants, self-driving cars; A.I. is everywhere we look, and, soon enough, it may be the only thing we see.
A.I. is the brain behind computer software and its potential is awe inspiring and terrifying. A.I. gives machines the ability to interact with and interpret human beings and their actions; thus, robots will have the ability to join the workforce.
According to a survey conducted by the University of Oxford and Yale University with 352 A.I. researchers, there is a fifty percent chance that A.I. will be able to exceed humans in every task in 45 years. Additionally, they predict that all human jobs will be fully automated throughout the upcoming 120 years.
Moreover, a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study found that about 38 percent of U.S. jobs are at risk of being replaced by robots. Jobs in the fields of travel, real estate, and even caring for the elderly all have the potential to be replaced by a machine that can probably get the job done more efficiently.
At this rate, we’ll be seeing machines translating languages in a split second, producing high-school essays, driving semi-trucks, writing books, and performing surgery. Recently, two A.I.’s, one by Alibaba and the other by Microsoft, were the first to beat a human score in a Stanford comprehension test; Alibaba’s surpassed the score first and Microsoft’s followed the day after.
A.I.’s use information they have already gathered to predict future actions, preferences, and decisions. For example, Amazon uses A.I. to suggest a bookshelf for someone who just bought dozens of books. Netflix uses A.I. to recommend movies and shows that someone may enjoy. Facebook and Instagram use it to show ads and to recommend posts that the user may enjoy or be interested in. The more information it is fed, the more accurate its results will be.
With this much power given to machines, the genius minds of today have been vocal in their opinions on the growing technological advancements in the world of artificial intelligence. For example, Stephen Hawking, the household genius physically crippled by ALS, expressed his concerns.
“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race….It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.”— Stephen Hawking told the BBC.
His view on the impending artificial intelligence epidemic humanity will endure has become widespread and a number of Hawking’s well-rounded peers, such as Elon Musk, James Barrat, and Nick Bilton also agree with Hawking’s beliefs.
With all these intellectuals coming to a consensus and the already prominent involvement of artificial intelligence in humanity’s everyday life, there is no doubt that one day artificial intelligence will run the world. If that’s good or not, we’re going to have to wait and see.
