The Rise of AI

How it is shaping the future 

Artificial intelligence (AI) was first introduced in 1955 by a group of scientists who began the research into machine learning and predictive analysis. Today, AI is used in almost all aspects of life; from retail purchase predictions and customer support interactions to fraud detection and facial recognition. AI is advancing at such a fast rate, it is no wonder that some people feel a little sceptical about it. In this blog we will discuss the great things (and the not so great things) about AI, as well as what the future looks like. 

Some fantastic uses of AI:

• Facial recognition for phones

• Early disease detection

• Self-driving cars

• Plagiarism detection 

• Real-time language translation 

• Spacecraft navigation 

Success stories: 

DALL-E

This is a neural network that creates images from text captions. This model is trained in a whopping 250 million pairs of texts and images. This enables completely unrelated things to be seen together. It is used for mock-ups, advertising campaigns and actually helps solve the problem of copyrighting as it creates unique images for any purpose. 

Stretch 

With the aim of improving efficiency and safety in the logistics industry, Stretch is a custom built robot that is designed for use in warehouse facilities. Although it is likely to substitute workers in this industry, their jobs are often dangerous and physically challenging. 

Atomwise 

An AI platform used to facilitate drug discovery to help speed up the work of chemists. The technology is able to create, design and screen hundreds of thousands of molecules and has already helped to tackle medical issues such as multiple sclerosis. 

When AI has gone a little wrong: 

Willy Wonka experience 

As discussed in one of our recent social posts, this was an AI disaster. After capturing the attention of hundreds of social media users using AI-generated images of what promised to be a magical and immersive experience, the reality was a sparsely decorated warehouse with a lack of candy and fun. 

NYC chatbot

An AI chatbot was designed and set up to help small businesses obtain accurate advice on legal obligations and regulations. However, it falsely claimed lots of things, which included the suggestions that that it is legal to “fire a worker who complains about sexual harassment, doesn’t disclose a pregnancy or refuses to cut out their dreadlocks” (euronews.). Following this, the disclaimer displayed next to the chatbox states that it cannot give legal advice. 

Meal planner 

An AI-powered meal planner was created by a supermarket in New Zealand to encourage customers to cook different things and try new recipes using their products.. However, there were some very strange and poisonous recipes that it suggested including oreo stir fry, glue sandwiches and bug spray potatoes. Ew!

The future of AI:

The future of AI is one of profound transformation, where intelligent systems streamline tasks, personalize experiences, and foster innovation across industries. As autonomous technologies and machine learning algorithms continue to evolve, they'll redefine how we work, learn, and interact with the world around us. Ethical considerations and responsible governance will be paramount to navigate potential challenges and ensure AI benefits society equitably. Collaboration and interdisciplinary efforts will drive progress, shaping a future where AI augments human capabilities, enhances decision-making, and creates new opportunities for growth and advancement.

Would you have known that the above paragraph was generated by Chat GPT, from simply putting in ‘short paragraph summing up the future of AI’? Although this is great, and of course a good time saving tool, it makes everything far too easy. It encourages us to become lazy and not learn anything for ourselves. The future of AI is of course exciting and the scientists behind the technology are extremely clever, we just don’t want to lose touch of the ‘real-world’.

Sunny wishes, 

Jo & Vic