Artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the term used to describe the proscribed intelligence of machines, and the branch of computer science which aims to create it.

Many of the leading textbooks define AI as occurring when where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions which maximize its chances of success, whatever its designated role.

John McCarthy, the inventor of the term ‘AI’ in 1956, defined it as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines. The supposition made at the time was that human intelligence and thought processes could and were able to adapted and simulated by a machine.

Needless to say, this raised a large number of moral and ethical issues, not only about the nature of human existence, but also about the limits of the mind, and whether robots can experience the wide-ranging emotions present in their human counterparts.

Now an integral part of modern-day science, Artificial Intelligence has become a highly controversial field, as well as a highly specialized and technical one.

Ironically, in spite of many stunning successes and technological advancements, the rate of progress of AI is being hampered by…. The human scientists endeavoring to create them. This being due to longstanding arguments over the direction and long-term development of AI, and its potential uses (and misuses…)

The critical issues concerning AI rotate around its eventual development as to whether the machines involved should include such traits as reasoning, knowledge, planning, learning, communication, perception and the ability to move and manipulate objects.

Advocates of an enhanced form of AI firmly believe that such “muscular” goals for AI are not the best use of tax dollars and human brainpower. Their long-term goal is for machines to be capable of General Intelligence (known to scientists as “strong AI”.

Whether such a dream will become reality, or become bogged down due to lack of funds or a will amongst the two opposing camps to cooperate in its creation, remains to be seen…