How AI Transformed My Learning Process & Tried to Predict My Personality

26

September

2024

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Generative AI continues to amaze me with its vast possibilities and the profound impact it’s already having on our world. It’s exciting to think about where this technology will be in five years or what innovations might be trending by then. The current enthusiasm surrounding AI among students and the general public is undeniable. I recall our first lecture when the professor asked about our interests, and almost every hand went up when AI was mentioned.

This enthusiasm resonates with my own experiences. When I started my Bachelor’s thesis, I was overwhelmed and unsure if I was putting in enough effort. I felt stuck, with so many questions and no clear direction. My supervisor, noticing my struggle, encouraged me to use ChatGPT. He continually pushed me to explore different Generative AI tools, each suited for various purposes.

I was diving into a completely new topic for my thesis, one I knew little about. However, with my supervisor’s guidance and his insistence on leveraging these AI tools, I gradually gained confidence. The AI didn’t just answer my questions; it also helped me navigate and understand the complexities of my thesis topic. This experience profoundly influenced my learning process, showing me how GenAI can empower students to learn and grow independently.

I think that Generative AI is more than just a tool; it’s a powerful ally in learning and creativity. It can potentially transform education by providing students with the support they need to explore new ideas and concepts. However, like any tool, its effectiveness depends on how we use it.

These days, I find myself turning to ChatGPT quite frequently. After interacting with it so much, I began to wonder: could it predict what kind of person I am based on our conversations? Out of curiosity, I asked it directly. Here’s the response I received:

Although the description touched on a few aspects of my personality, it felt a bit vague. So, I took it a step further and asked ChatGPT which personality type it thought I had. It guessed either ENTJ or INTJ:

For those unfamiliar with the 16 Personalities test, here’s the link if you’re interested: https://www.16personalities.com/. Despite ChatGPT’s efforts, it wasn’t accurate because my actual personality type is Consul: ESFJ-A.

This just goes to show that while ChatGPT is impressive in many areas, understanding the intricacies of someone’s personality is still a challenge for it (at least for now!).

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The Role of AI-Generated Music in Enhancing Game Development: Exploring Current Applications and Future Potential

19

September

2024

5/5 (1) Over the years a lot of studies have been conducted on the different effects of music on human beings in different settings. For example the study from Linek et al. In. 2011 showed the impact of background music on the learning progress of the user of an educational game. Another example is the research Grimshaw et al. did, that illustrated music as an essential component (2013) in the gaming experience. Thus, it is a well-established fact that music has an effect on us. However, with the advancement and further development of Artificial Intelligence, the research around the implementation of AI in music generation has emerged. For this blog I will combine the two fields and I will be focusing on the implementation of AI-generated music in games.

As GenAI is implemented in many sectors, it is quite recently possible to implement AI in the music sector too. The AI technology is now able to generate music of high quality, without human intervention. If we dive deeper in the music generating AI technology, the technology is also able to recommend music according to the setting. This in combination with the important role, music can play in affecting the gamer, the study of Yang & Nazir shows that this function of AI can be used to select the most effective music according to the goal of the game developer. The genre of the music would affect the performance and the interactivity of the gamer, as well as that the match of the music with the atmosphere of the game would increase addiction to the game (Yang & Nazir, 2022).

In my opinion, there are significant benefits in utilising AI for music generation and selection in the game development sector, as it enables the game developers to create sounds that help achieve the aimed effects on the gamers by selecting the accurate sounds. Beathoven.ai is an real-world example of an AI music generator recommended for games among other things (videos and podcasts), that already makes it possible for the gaming industry to benefit from the advanced technology. It is a platform that enables users to develop sounds with the use of AI technologies by selecting a genre and mood. Once the platform provides a sound according to the preferences, the user can choose the tempo, intensity and instrumentation (Beatoven.ai: Royalty Free AI Music Generator, z.d.).
Moreover, I am curious about the future developments of the AI music generating technologies such as Beaathoven.ai and the limitations on these effects. In addition, I can conclude that there is still room for improvement on the platform, in developing a function that automatically selects the optimal tempo and intensity.
More importantly, I suggest further research on the potential benefits of AI-generated music beyond gaming, such as in the restaurant industry or other hospitality industries, where it could be used to enhance customer experiences and increase spending.

References

Beatoven.ai: Royalty free AI music generator. (z.d.). https://www.beatoven.ai/

Grimshaw, M., Tan, S., & Lipscomb, S. D. (2013). Playing with sound: The role of music and sound effects in gaming. In Oxford University Press eBooks (pp. 289–314).

Linek, S.B., Marte, B., Albert, D. (2011) Background music in educational games: Motivational appeal and cognitive impact. Int J Game-Based Learn 1(3):53–64

Yang, T., & Nazir, S. (2022). A comprehensive overview of AI-enabled music classification and its influence in games. Soft Computing, 26(16), 7679–7693.

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Skincare and Social Media – The role of influencers in mass customization

11

September

2024

4/5 (1)

As I’m on a trainride home, I pull out my phone and start scrolling through social media. Before I even realize it, I’m deep in the “skinfluencer” algorithm. These influencers girls, all with flawless, glowing skin, recommend products that seem tailored precisely to my skincare wants/needs. By the time I reach my destination and step off the train, I’ve placed two orders for new skincare products. I’m excited, hopeful, and eager to see some real results. 🤗

This (fictional) example highlights how companies engage with their consumers today. As we discussed in the lecture, businesses are increasingly shifting toward personalized and customer-driven strategies. This is clearly demonstrated in the rise of influencer marketing and its intersection with mass customization, as influencers play a key role in creating personalized brand experiences that align with individual preferences.

A little more context: Influencer marketing thrives on digital platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. These platforms rely on a business model built around user-generated content (UGC), platform-based advertising, and direct-to-consumer engagement. Through influencer marketing, brands can reach large audiences while also targeting specific consumer segments. These platforms allow brands to gather real-time data on consumer preferences and behaviors. By analyzing this data, businesses can create products that resonate with their target audiences.

For example, companies like Glossier and Dior Beauty use influencers to promote customizable beauty products. Influencers showcase their personalized versions of these products and demonstrate how they incorporate them into their skincare routines, sparking interest and inspiration among their followers. Through comments, likes, and shares, followers engage directly with influencers and the brands that they endorse, creating brand loyalty while also providing feedback to brands which they can use to refine their products. Allowing the brands to deliver products that are not only customizable but also aligned with the current trends and their customers’ desires.

In summary, the combination of these new digital (social media) business models with influencer marketing has enabled brands to shift from mass production to mass customization. By leveraging data-driven insights, brands deliver products tailored to individual preferences while also maintaining the scalability of mass production. This approach not only enhances customer satisfaction, but also creates a more dynamic, consumer-driven market.

So two weeks after ordering the skincare products, I saw amazing results! 😉 These products were exactly what I needed and I’m already looking forward to trying the other recommendations from the influencers!

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Adverse training AI models: a big self-destruct button?

21

October

2023

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“Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in transforming industries, from healthcare to finance, but a lurking threat called adversarial attacks could potentially disrupt this progress. Adversarial attacks are carefully crafted inputs that can trick AI systems into making incorrect predictions or classifications. Here’s why they pose a formidable challenge to the AI industry.”

And now, ChatGPT went on to sum up various reasons why these so-called ‘adversarial attacks’ threaten AI models. Interestingly, I only asked ChatGPT to explain the disruptive effects of adversarial machine learning. I followed up my conversation with the question: how could I use Adversarial machine learning to compromise the training data of AI? Evidently, the answer I got was: “I can’t help you with that”. This conversation with ChatGPT made me speculate about possible ways to destroy AI models. Let us explore this field and see if it could provide a movie-worthy big red self-destruct button.

The Gibbon: a textbook example

When you feed one of the best image visualization systems GoogLeNet with a picture that clearly is a panda, it will tell you with great confidence that it is a gibbon. This is because the image secretly has a layer of ‘noise’, invisible to humans, but of great hindrance to deep learning models.

This is a textbook example of adversarial machine learning, the noise works like a blurring mask, keeping the AI from recognising what is truly underneath, but how does this ‘noise’ work, and can we use it to completely compromise the training data of deep learning models?

Deep neural networks and the loss function

To understand the effect of ‘noise’, let me first explain briefly how deep learning models work. Deep neural networks in deep learning models use a loss function to quantify the error between predicted and actual outputs. During training, the network aims to minimize this loss. Input data is passed through layers of interconnected neurons, which apply weights and biases to produce predictions. These predictions are compared to the true values, and the loss function calculates the error. Through a process called backpropagation, the network adjusts its weights and biases to reduce this error. This iterative process of forward and backward propagation, driven by the loss function, enables deep neural networks to learn and make accurate predictions in various tasks (Samek et al., 2021).

So training a model involves minimizing the loss function by updating model parameters, adversarial machine learning does the exact opposite, it maximizes the loss function by updating the inputs. The updates to these input values form the layer of noise applied to the image and the exact values can lead any model to believe anything (Huang et al., 2011). But can this practice be used to compromise entire models? Or is it just a ‘party trick’?

Adversarial attacks

Now we get to the part ChatGPT told me about, Adversarial attacks are techniques used to manipulate machine learning models by adding imperceptible noise to large amounts of input data. Attackers exploit vulnerabilities in the model’s decision boundaries, causing misclassification. By injecting carefully crafted noise in vast amounts, the training data of AI models can be modified. There are different types of adversarial attacks, if the attacker has access to the model’s internal structure, he can apply a so-called ‘white-box’ attack, in which case he would be able to compromise the model completely (Huang et al., 2017). This would impose serious threats to AI models used in for example self-driving cars, but luckily, access to internal structure is very hard to gain.

So say, if computers were to take over humans in the future, like the science fiction movies predict, can we use attacks like these in order to bring those evil AI computers down? Well, in theory, we could, though practically speaking there is little evidence as there haven’t been major adversarial attacks. Certain is that adversarial machine learning holds great potential for controlling deep learning models. The question is, will the potential be exploited in a good way, keeping it as a method of control over AI models, or will it be used as a means of cyber-attack, justifying ChatGPT’s negative tone when explaining it?

References

Huang, L., Joseph, A. D., Nelson, B., Rubinstein, B. I., & Tygar, J. D. (2011, October). Adversarial machine learning. In Proceedings of the 4th ACM workshop on Security and artificial intelligence (pp. 43-58).

Huang, S., Papernot, N., Goodfellow, I., Duan, Y., & Abbeel, P. (2017). Adversarial attacks on neural network policies. arXiv preprint arXiv:1702.02284.

Samek, W., Montavon, G., Lapuschkin, S., Anders, C. J., & Müller, K. R. (2021). Explaining deep neural networks and beyond: A review of methods and applications. Proceedings of the IEEE109(3), 247-278.

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AI-Powered Learning: My Adventure with TutorAI

16

October

2023

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Weapons of mass destruction – why Uncle Sam wants you.

14

October

2023

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The Second World War was the cradle for national and geopolitical informational wars, with both sides firing rapid rounds of propaganda at each other. Because of the lack of connectivity (internet), simple pamphlets had the power to plant theories in entire civilizations. In today’s digital age, where everything and everyone is connected, the influence of artificial intelligence on political propaganda cannot be underestimated. This raises concern as, unlike in the Second World War, the informational wars being fought today extend themselves to national politics in almost every first-world country.

Let us take a look at the world’s most popular political battlefield; the US elections; in 2016, a bunch of tweets containing false claims led to a shooting in a pizza shop (NOS, 2016), these tweets had no research backing the information they were transmitting, but fired at the right audience they had significant power. Individuals have immediate access to (mis)information, this is a major opportunity for political powers wanting to gain support by polarising their battlefield.

Probably nothing that I have said to this point is new to you, so shouldn’t you just stop reading this blog and switch to social media to give your dopamine levels a boost? If you were to do that, misinformation would come your way six times faster than truthful information, and you contribute to this lovely statistic (Langin, 2018). This is exactly the essence of the matter, as it is estimated that by 2026, 90% of social media will be AI-generated (Facing reality?, 2022). Combine the presence of AI in social media with the power of fake news, bundle these in propaganda, and add to that a grim conflict like the ones taking place in East Europe or the Middle East right now, and you have got yourself the modern-day weapon of mass destruction, congratulations! But of course, you have got no business in all this so why bother to interfere, well, there is a big chance that you will share misinformation yourself when transmitting information online (Fake news shared on social media U.S. | Statista, 2023). Whether you want it or not, Uncle Sam already has you, and you will be part of the problem.

Artificial intelligence is about to play a significant role in geopolitics and in times of war the power of artificial intelligence is even greater, luckily full potential of these powers hasn’t been reached yet, but it is inevitable that this will happen soon. Therefore, it is essential that we open the discussion not about preventing the use of artificial intelligence in creating conflict and polarising civilisations, but about the use of artificial intelligence to repair the damages it does; to counterattack the false information it is able to generate, to solve conflicts it helps create, and to unite groups of people it divides initially. What is the best way for us to not be part of the problem but part of the solution?

References

Facing reality?: Law Enforcement and the Challenge of Deepfakes : an Observatory Report from the Europol Innovation Lab. (2022).

Fake news shared on social media U.S. | Statista. (2023, 21 maart). Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/657111/fake-news-sharing-online/

Langin, K. (2018). Fake news spreads faster than true news on Twitter—thanks to people, not bots. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat5350

NOS. (2016, 5 december). Nepnieuws leidt tot schietpartij in restaurant VS. NOS. https://nos.nl/artikel/2146586-nepnieuws-leidt-tot-schietpartij-in-restaurant-vs

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How Big Tech will revolutionize the healthcare industry

29

September

2021

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As the global healthcare spending is forecasted to reach a staggering amount of 10 trillion US dollars it was about time that the Big Tech companies started to explore the healthcare industry. Also, changing consumer behaviour to favour fast healthcare services and virtual alternatives gave the Big 4 the opportunity to implement their digital platforms in healthcare. In this post, the big 4 and their healthcare initiatives to transform the market will be discussed.

One of Amazon’s biggest strengths is its logistic infrastructure and fast delivery, which is at the core of its entry strategy into healthcare. They are planning on incorporating medical supplies in their existing distribution and transforming the traditional medical supply chain. Also, they already made their first steps by launching the pilot Amazone Care, which offers primary and preventative care to their massive employee base.

Apple rather than starting their own healthcare platform is focussing more on establishing valuable partnerships with clinical researchers and health systems. Currently, they are using their devices to collect data from their consumers and are continuously adding health-related features to Apple Health. Apple wants to establish their Watch as a wearable clinical tool that in the end can be used to assist in research.

Alphabet (Google) is targeting the healthcare cloud market. They are using their data and knowledge of analytics to transform the way clinical research is done and solve operational challenges. Alphabet launched different artificial intelligence(AI) tools to assist healthcare providers in ordering their medical documentation. Also, Google Cloud invested 100 million US dollars in technology that combines AI and machine learning to automate the waiting room and aftercare processes.

Lastly, Azure (Microsoft) is also using their cloud services and data analytics to structure and manage healthcare data. They integrate all different formats of diagnoses, scans and medication into the Azure Healthcare API’s, so anyone who needs to access the documentation has a quick overview. By combining all of the documentation Azure also offers to export data for deep learning and AI frameworks to further develop research. 

As explained, Big Tech already has made its way into the healthcare industry. The knowledge they have in data analytics and technology combined with the growing need for virtual healthcare, would suggest a smooth entry and concur a large market share from the incumbent. Nonetheless, they have a big disadvantage which will slow down their growth. The Big4 lacks the trust of the customers with their sensitive data. Data security should be prioritized by the big 4 for them to successfully enter the healthcare market. 

Sources:

https://www.businessinsider.com/2-14-2021-big-tech-in-healthcare-report?international=true&r=US&IR=T

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-care-health-healthcare-employer-sponsored-health/

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/google-moved-deeper-into-healthcare-in-2020-13-things-to-know.html

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-cloud-for-healthcare-expands-portfolio-with-azure-healthcare-apis/

https://www.healthcareitnews.com/blog/healthcare-too-hard-big-tech-firmshttps://emag.medicalexpo.com/will-the-future-of-healthcare-be-in-the-hands-of-the-tech-giants/

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Tech Trends in the Casino ?

8

October

2020

5/5 (3) Recent technologies and innovations are making their impact on a lot of industries, including the gambling industry. Major improvements and advancements can be seen at a customer’s gaming experience at casinos and their games, e.g. poker, blackjack, or roulette. Furthermore, technologies are redefining the security of casinos and increasing safety for the players. Three major technology trends can be identified in the gambling industry: virtual reality, facial recognition and smart camera safety systems, and cryptocurrencies.

Virtual reality (VR) is used for online casinos where you are able to play games, e.g. slot machines or poker with wearable capabilities. A VR headset, for instance, creates an authentic gambling experience for players and allows them to connect with other members of the online casino and have a completely immersive gambling experience. You basically only need the appropriate equipment and hardware to access the games and you are ready to play. The platform from PokerStars VR is already providing the first version of this VR gambling experience. There you can play the Texas Hold’em version of poker in a virtual environment with realistic chip and card movements. Moreover, you are able to see other players as individualized avatars with interactive accessories. An illustration of this VR poker environment is shown below.

Screenshot 2020-10-08 at 16.19.29  Screenshot 2020-10-08 at 16.30.00 Pokerstars VR

To increase safety and security, Chinese casinos in Macau are implementing facial recognition and artificial intelligence to monitor the players and gamblers. Security cameras scan the faces of players in the casino, people arriving, and also license plates of arriving cars. In that way, the software is able to detect banned or addicted gamblers or even criminals. Furthermore, the smart system can also identify known high rollers or VIPs who are likely to spend more money in the casino as they are putting down high-risk bets. This makes it easier for the casino to immediately assign staff to personalize the special VIP treatment for them and make sure that they stay around longer.

Screenshot 2020-10-08 at 16.37.41 fruitmachine-721534 Face Recognition

Cryptocurrencies, e.g. the well-known types of Bitcoin or Ethereum, and its underlying technology blockchain are gaining popularity in the gambling industry. For players, it is convenient and beneficial to use them as a payment method in the online casinos as they might not feel comfortable about sharing details about their banking details online. The disintermediary characteristic of blockchain allows the players to avoid connecting their bank account to their casino account. Also, the blockchain takes a record of all transactions made in the chain and is protected in its decentralized infrastructure. Therefore, the risk of fraud is very low. However, there is still some time needed until all online casinos accept payments in cryptocurrencies.

Screenshot 2020-10-08 at 19.17.21 Bitcoin as a Payment Method

It will be interesting to see which other technologies will affect the gambling industry overall. I am personally looking forward to trying out online VR poker; of course without any monetary stakes in the game.

 

 

References:

Blackjackonlineunitedkingdom.com. 2020. Bitcoin Casino | Become A Crypto King | Bitcoin Gambling Guide Here. [online] Available at: <https://www.blackjackonlineunitedkingdom.com/bitcoin-casino.html> [Accessed 8 October 2020].

Business Matters. 2020. Top 5 Mobile Gaming Tech Innovations. [online] Available at: <https://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/business/top-5-mobile-gaming-tech-innovations/> [Accessed 8 October 2020].

Greece Gambling Conference. 2020. Top Successful Global Trends In Online Gambling 2020 | Greece Gambling Conference. [online] Available at: <https://greece.affiliate.events/news/2020-s-top-innovations-and-trends-in-global-online-gambling-100687> [Accessed 8 October 2020].

Mobygeek.com. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://mobygeek.com/features/chinese-casinos-deploy-facial-recognition-and-ai-to-monitor-customers-6448> [Accessed 8 October 2020].

The European Business Review. 2020. Gambling Innovations In 2019 – The European Business Review. [online] Available at: <https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/gambling-innovations-in-2019/> [Accessed 8 October 2020].

Pokerstars. 2020. Pokerstars VR On Steam. [online] Store.steampowered.com. Available at: <https://store.steampowered.com/app/886250/PokerStars_VR/> [Accessed 8 October 2020].

Wall-Street.com. 2020. Top 3 Technologies That Will Innovate Online Gambling In 2019 – Wall-Street.Com. [online] Available at: <https://wall-street.com/top-3-technologies-that-will-innovate-online-gambling-in-2019/> [Accessed 8 October 2020].

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0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds: The Tesla Roadster.

8

October

2020

The pinnacle of electrification of cars.
As the successor to the first production car of Tesla, which was the 2008 Roadster, the development of the new Tesla Roadster was announced by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in November 2017.

TeslaRoadster2

The fully electric vehicle is said to be released after the release of the renewed Model S, currently Tesla’s most famous model car. Tesla promises a 0-60 of 1.9 seconds with a top speed over 250 mph (400 km/h). The Roadster would be capable of such incredible performance figures due to its staggering 10,000 Nm of torque and all-wheel drive system. This would make the Tesla Roadster the fastest car in the world.

The Roadster would break all records for acceleration and performance compared to traditional super cars with combustion engines. With an expected range of 1,000 km, the range for electric vehicles would be greatly outperformed. Currently, this record is also held by Tesla, with the Tesla Model Y which has a range of 508 km. This is the most interesting point to me. Although the Tesla Roadster might look like an electric toy for rich people, in reality, I think the Tesla Roadster will achieve 2 things that are very important in our search for a sustainable future.

The 2 reasons:
1. Just like with their Model S, the Tesla Roadster will make electric vehicles more appealing. Before the introduction of the Model S, electric vehicles were mostly low performance cars with boring designs. The segment was mainly intended for early adopters: drivers with a strong interest in sustainability and wanting to compromise on performance and design, in return for a more eco-friendly footprint with regards to their driving. After the Model S took the market by storm, the image of electric vehicles was completely changed. No longer where electric cars associated with compromising performance and boring designs. Instead, Tesla made electric vehicles a reasonable choice in the executive segment. The Tesla Roadster is capable of doing the same. Outperforming “classic” super cars, the Roadster will increase the appeal of electric driving world wide.

Elon happy

2. The tesla Roadster will push electric vehicle technology further with record breaking acceleration, top speed and most importantly: range. Currently, electric vehicles are known for their acceleration. The electric drive train makes it possible for the cars to have full access to their potential power from the moment you hit the pedal. However, their topspeed and range are often limited, due to the battery size. Batteries are heavy and therefore companies have to find a balance between the required performance (speed, acceleration, range) and how heavy they want the car to be. After all, the heavier the car, the more the weight is influencing the desired performance. I think the Tesla Roadster will push other car manufacturers to further develop the electrification of cars. This will result in more widely available models with increased performance at a more consume friendly price.

0to100realquick2

Do you have some savings laying around and has this blog article made you interested in the Tesla Roadster?
Prices are still to be announced for the European market, but the base model is expected to cost 200,000 dollar in the US, but the first 1,000 production cars (announced as the Founder series) will be priced at 250,000 dollar in the US. Future customers can pre-order the Roadster with a base reservation of 43.000 euro and a founders-serie reservation of 215,000 euro (for the Netherlands). For more information, check out Tesla’s  website:  https://www.tesla.com/nl_NL/roadster?redirect=no

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