It’s a term we’ve heard a lot lately, Artificial Intelligence. It sounds like something we should be scared of, at least that’s what we hear more often than not. However, how intelligent is Artificial Intelligence? Basically, AI is not intelligent at all. In fact, it has no intelligence.
Think about it. If I’m hungry, I eat and I’m no longer hungry. I know that from experience. It doesn’t take intelligence so much as know-how. So, what know-how does AI have? Much like my stomach, only what it’s fed. And, if you feed it junk, it’s not going to feel too good, again, much like my stomach. The question becomes, how much can you stomach of this?
Let’s break it down. It’ll just take a minute.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, works, very basically, by scouring the Internet for information and compiling that information into potential solutions for what one might be searching for online. It works much the same as a Search Engine such as Google or Bing or whatever. But, it takes it a step further. It looks for phrases and questions that have been put out on the Internet that might be useful in answering questions or resolving issues. AI has learned some intuitive response due to what’s out on the Internet, right or wrong, true or false, up or down, black or white.
You could ask AI what AI is and it would come up with a simple answer. ChatGPT defined it as follows:
AI, or artificial intelligence, refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn. It encompasses a variety of technologies and methods, including machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics. AI can perform tasks such as understanding language, recognizing patterns, making decisions, and solving problems, often with the goal of improving efficiency and effectiveness in various applications.
Real clever, right? It is just regurgitating what it has gleaned from the Internet and this is a basic definition from the Internet’s perspective. It’s literally what we, as a collective, have defined as AI. It’s more of a Parrot, really. It is a mimic of what it sees, hears, and feels.
This can become a problem if we don’t put correct information or truthful information on the Internet. You’ve heard of GIGO, Garbage-In Garbage-Out. AI propagates the issue, whether it be correct or incorrect. Unfortunately, there are enough people out on the Internet inputting Incorrect and False information for any number of reasons which AI can accelerate. This might be where you get a bit scared. AI can help perpetuate incorrect information to the point where it may override the correct information out there. That’s the only fear anyone should have. Of course, that’s the only fear anyone should have about anything, really.