The usage and dangers of artificial intelligence
In fantasy movies and novels, it is not uncommon to find robots that think like humans. Sometimes they seem even more human than their creators. However, scientists have long dreamed of making such technology a reality and have already made significant progress.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, as it is often called, is used quite extensively these days and is available in everyday life. But how AI works, in reality, is quite different from the description in science fiction. Artificial intelligence can be seen even in online slots for real money and similar entertainment. Artificial intelligence is now more a program than a mind. Such programs can already solve relatively complex problems found in everyday life, but AI technology is still far from human intelligence.
How Artificial Intelligence Works
Imagine the human brain. It consists of many individual elements – neurons which can exchange information. Artificial intelligence also has “neurons” – mathematical models that mimic the workings of the human brain. Some “neurons” receive information from outside, helped by our senses; others process the received data, and others – give a ready result.
But for a machine to come close to a human in its intelligence, it must be trained. So, for artificial intelligence to cope with new information without constant programmer control, “machine learning” technology was invented. Thanks to this technology, AI can independently develop: search for missing data, find patterns, and add to its database – just like a human. Also the need for this technology has increased dramatically, this is the reason nowadays a lot of people learn Artificial Intelligence certification for impressive job offers.
Who creates artificial intelligence or five approaches to AI?
Now about the main directions in creating AI and AI-related systems. To date, there is a conventional division into five different approaches:
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Symbolists – reverse deduction (drawing ideas from philosophy);
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Connectionists – reverse error distribution (neurobiology, physics);
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Evolutionists – genetic programming (genetics);
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Bayesians – Bayesian inference (statistics);
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Analogists – reference vector method (psychological and mathematical optimization).
These methods individually allow us to solve some problems better or worse, but no generalized concept would allow us to create at least a Strong AI. These algorithms are good for some tasks but only suitable for some. Therefore, these approaches are tried to combine them. It happens that systems use several different directions at once if some more complex problem needs to be solved.
To create AI systems, you need knowledge in several fields and a comprehensive outlook. It is not enough to be just a programmer, computer scientist, or computer scientist to step beyond the application problem. The notion that programmers are the ones who create artificial intelligence is a myth.
The impact of technology on human beings
With the development of high technology in society, tendencies to regression and degradation of human personality in the mental plane became noticeable. It would seem that modern information technology gives us unlimited opportunities for self-development and self-education. Still, we see a phenomenon that has already been called “digital dementia”. It mainly affects members of the younger generation. Why does this happen?
Relief for the brain
It used to be that our brain was constantly processing all kinds of tasks, such as navigating, counting in our minds, and remembering all types of information. With the development of gadgets, the brain began to work less and therefore become less stressed because many brain functions and tasks were taken over by the smartphone, affecting our cognitive abilities. It’s hard to imagine now, but people often used to perform arithmetic operations in their heads and remember phone numbers by heart.
A large flow of unstructured and often “garbage” information considerably loads our short-term memory, resulting in absent-mindedness and forgetfulness. For example, a person wanders for a long time on the Internet and can not even remember most of what he saw there. It also affects life when a person cannot concentrate on something for a long time, and his attention constantly wanders from one thing to another. When such a person still manages to focus, he is not enough for a long time, as he begins to feel tired.
The use of all kinds of gadgets forms a new format of thinking. The fact is that a person who often uses new technologies interacts more with images than with symbols. Therefore, visibility suppresses informativeness. Appearance is more important than substance. That is why picture books are even being produced for adults, where serious scientific things are told through images, forming a superficial impression. All this hurts human mental abilities – it is the desire for simplification and primitivization of thinking. A person wants everything to be brief, precise and without unnecessary words. Therefore, impressions are at the forefront, not the text’s semantic content. It is a clear sign of chaotic clip thinking, which forms a superficial fragmented knowledge.
Impact on character
Information technology also reduces the volitional qualities of the person. The modern user of gadgets is often passive, and he wants entertainment, not a strenuous mental activity, which tires him a lot.
That is why, by the way, Stories on Instagram have become popular. It meets the needs of the younger generation’s thinking – imagery as a format and disappears after 24 hours as information that has no meaning and can be forgotten immediately. In this case, the data serves the function of entertainment – to get certain impressions. For the same reason, it is recommended to use emoticons in texts on Instagram – so the posts look more entertaining and entertaining.
It also explains the popularity of the mobile application TickTock – short videos without semantic load – the perfect format for entertainment and pastime. In general, nowadays, almost all information on the Internet is tried to be packed into a small design because, for a modern person, it is challenging to perceive long texts and videos. Therefore, everything should be as simple and understandable as possible.
The impact on the younger generation
It explains that the modern younger generation reads few books because their thinking is sharpened to a different format of presentation of information. As a result, their review is simplified, fragmented, and impoverished, and they often need help understanding abstract ideas and logical cause-effect connections and holding information in their head for long periods – that is why they find big books so hard to read. It explains the popularity of educational comics, manga, and graphic novels among young people – a minimum of text (characters) and a maximum of illustrative material (images), which eventually results in impressions rather than deep fundamental knowledge.
The Dangers of AI
Throughout history, humankind has not learned how to manage its future. Different groups have always pursued their own goals, often in conflict with each other. Global technological and economic development is still not the fruit of cooperation and strategic planning, and hardly the last thing it takes into account is the fate of humanity. We won’t get a chance to hide the black ball back in the basket: once the opening is made, it cannot be undone.