Artificial Intelligence (AI): What Is AI and How Does It Work?

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that allows a system, machine or computer to perform tasks that require intelligent thinking, that is, imitate human behavior in order to gradually learn using the information received and solve specific problems.

Integrating AI into mechanisms and systems allows you to automate routine, labor-intensive or complex processes, including increasing their accuracy and productivity. Therefore, this technology is an important business resource.

Note: According to Statista, by 2025 the global artificial intelligence software market will be valued at $22.6 billion.

Benefits of AI Implementation

The use of artificial intelligence and solutions based on it provides businesses with a number of advantages.

1. Elimination of the human factor. The use of programmable, self-learning algorithms eliminates the factor of human error and allows you to find solutions even that are not obvious to humans.
2. Risk reduction. AI machines can be used in situations where humans are at risk. For example, AI robots can replace humans in certain production areas or when working in natural disasters.
3. 24/7 availability. Intelligent machines can be used without breaks, days off, and do not respond to distractions.
4. Adaptability. Within the established conditions, the use of AI solutions allows you to find quick solutions. For example, AI in chatbots helps to better understand the “live” language of clients, find answers to complexly formulated questions, and cope with a large flow of simultaneous requests and questions.
5. Fast decision making. AI-powered applications, machines, instruments and other tools make decisions faster than humans, which can be used in manufacturing processes, data analytics, predictive models, calculations and other tasks.

AI Implementation Challenges

There are several reasons slowing down the adoption and use of artificial intelligence.

1. For supervised training (supervised) of neural networks, you need to label (label) data sets manually. This takes a lot of time.
2. To train models, you need a large amount of data, which must first be collected from different sources, structured, cleared of unnecessary information and reduced to a common format. For such work, a well-built system and a staff of specialists are needed.
3. The result obtained as a result of the work of AI algorithms is difficult to interpret and understand from the point of view of decision-making logic.
4. Models are focused on solving specific problems. For example, if an AI algorithm is used to detect a specific type of fraud, it will not recognize other types of fraud — each task and each condition requires its own model.
5. If the original training data set is corrupted or insufficient, the AI ​​results may be distorted. For example, if only red objects are used in the training set, errors or disagreements may occur when a blue object appears during the self-learning process.
6. To work with AI and develop projects based on it, it is important to have sufficient competence to assess risks and make decisions at each stage of implementation of algorithms.

How artificial intelligence works

Conversations about artificial intelligence have become more frequent in recent years; almost all companies in the IT sector have begun to develop this topic and delve deeper into the process of creating a smart machine. This can be understood, we have exhausted the potential of a simple computer, man taught the computer to do everything necessary so that it completes the assigned tasks quickly and as efficiently as possible. But the computer cannot go beyond the scope of its program; it is not capable of making a decision that the programmer did not write down earlier. Artificial intelligence aims to solve this problem and make computers truly smart.

How AI technology works

This technology is based on deep machine learning; without this, AI will not be able to act in the way for which it was created. Machine learning is fundamentally different from what we have today. Today, a person, namely a programmer, fills a program with this or that information, trains it and configures it for certain actions. A deep machine learning system will allow AI to develop independently, search for information, add it to a database, etc. Essentially, if a task is assigned to the AI, but the smart machine does not find information on how to solve it, using a machine learning system it will independently learn to do this, without human intervention.

Another feature of the development of artificial intelligence is the system of neural networks. This system was created by people who tried to recreate the biological type neural network that is used in the human brain. Of course, the neurons in the machine will be electrical, but the basic principle of their operation will be almost identical to the biological type. Everything looks quite complicated, but everything works quite simply, “electronic neurons” are arranged in layers, each layer is created to solve a particular problem. As a result, we can get the desired result at the output.

Neural networks are the most optimal solution to the problem of analyzing audio and visual information, which is a problem for a machine. For example, a person sets a task for a neural network to recognize certain images, for example, the task of finding animals in pictures. Initially, the work is carried out with errors, but over time, the neural network algorithm notices patterns that correspond to the correct solution. After a certain time, the work of recognizing animals in pictures is carried out with lightning speed and as accurately as possible. This will become the basis for deep machine learning, which will ultimately enable the created AI to develop, since it will be able to analyze any information.

When will the beginnings of real artificial intelligence appear?

In order to create AI that will have consciousness, it is first necessary to understand the technology of deep machine learning and neural networks. This takes a huge amount of time and resources, because to develop the system data, the human brain is used, which learns rather slowly, it takes a long time to search for a solution to certain problems. But without this it is impossible to create an artificial consciousness, which will then begin to learn faster, much faster.

The task is not to create artificial intelligence and teach it everything necessary. The idea is to create something that uses machine learning to help you develop yourself. Initially, a completely empty consciousness of an artificial type will be created, after which it will be improved independently. Today no one can provide an exact time frame for when this technology will be created; it is very difficult to analyze it. Conversations about it have been going on for quite some time, but this area began to develop only a few years ago. One thing is for sure, modern technologies will become the basis for the creation of AI and the pace at which they are developing speaks volumes about the near future.

Is it safe for humans

Some are actively working on the creation of AI, while others are active opponents of this work. The main essence of the claims is that a person independently creates a competitor for himself, who will prevail in all respects. No one knows how events will develop after the creation of AI, but after its launch, a person will no longer be able to control the machine. However, it is worth continuing to work in this direction. The human brain does not use all its capabilities, so we are gradually reaching the limit and will not be able to develop as actively as it was before.

It is artificial intelligence that will find cures for diseases that are incurable today. It is he who will be able to build a ship on which man will conquer space, it is he who will be able to solve the global problems of the planet. There is also a negative side to the coin, when the intellect created by man will understand that he does not need a person at all.