With Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, the limits of endowing a machine with our intelligence are close to being surpassed. But what does this mean? Will machines replace humans soon? Should we love machines? Of should we fear them?
Everyone confronted with technology regularly encounters the concepts Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) someday. Artificial Intelligence is the broader concept of machines being able to carry out tasks in a way that we would consider “smart”. Machine learning is a current application of AI, based on the idea that machines should be able to learn themselves using datasets.
This is a huge leap forward in technology, as the technologies involved in machine learning go beyond human knowledge. For example, how easy is it to explain explicitly, how one should ride a bicycle? Much of the knowledge humans have, we cannot fully explain. This makes it impossible to write instructions for that knowledge. Riding a bicycle is just one example. What about explaining how to recognize a tree, your mother’s voice or your lover’s face?
Humans have difficulties explaining and articulating their knowledge. With machine learning, the limit of only being able to present machines with the intelligence we can articulate, is to be overcome.
When I talk to my friends and family about this subject, the first response I usually get is: “Well that is dangerous, machines will be taking over our jobs soon..! And maybe, sooner or later, machines will be in charge of weapons and wars.”
However, machines are very good at answering questions, but not at posing them. Also, they are very good at assessing a person, but not at changing them. Humans have the social skills to be proud, be ashamed and show compassion in order to persuade, motivate and inspire other human beings. Something a machine is not capable of. Do not fear machines, engage the opportunities they offer to develop yourself into a manager, or into any other employee, who can master the machine and who is therefore of immense importance in today’s companies.
As long as you keep posing the questions machines have to answer, you will be unreplaceable. What is the next question you want your machine to answer?
Sources:
- Brynjolfsson & McAffee (2017), “The business of Artificial Intelligence”, Harvard Business Review
- Marr, B (2016), “What is the Difference between Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning?”, Forbes
Hey Veerle,
nice read! You also touch upon the topic of emotions in AI or machine learning. From what I understand machine learning is mainly progressing through analysing a large quantity of data sets. Would it thus not be possible to feed the machine human pictures in different emotional states and have it analyse the changing face structures?