Artificial Intelligence

Nightmare, Myth or Reality

There are scientists and college professors that believe that everything we know about computers will change in the next decade and that by 2015 an individual can have an intelligent conversation with the average computer. As in science fiction movies, some individuals are predicting that the future systems will ask you what help you need and automatically call in the appropriate resources to aid you in solving your problem.

Artificial Intelligence

The ultimate test of artificial intelligence was developed by Alan Turing, a British mathematician famous for the invention of the theoretical Turing machine and for the deciphering of the German codes during World War II. The Turig's test is basically a very simple test. You place something (or someone) behind a curtain and then have it speak with you. If you cannot determine whether this entity is an actual human or a computer, it passes the test and can be considered a true form of Artificial Intelligence. So far, there has been nothing created that has been able pass this test. This definition also suggests that an Intellect is a person with knowledge that has been gained from living and experiencing real life. So ultimately the definition of artificial intelligence is a device that can communicate with us jus as another human being can and has the ability to learn and adapt through experience. Scary if you think about it. If these machines with their extensive computing ability can learn from their experiences and then evolve to the next level, would they determine that human life is a detriment to the earth and to their existence?

So where are we with the development of Artificial Intelligence? Although no one has yet been able to capture all of the traits of human intelligence and apply it to an artificial entity, there are countless projects happening throughout the world in the artificial intelligence arena. With the numerous advancements in robotics, there is now an actual body to go along with an artificial mind. NASA is developing a humanoid robot that can assist humans in their space exploration efforts. The military has been deep into the development of robotic soldiers, and robotic vehicles can maneuver around obstacle courses to complete hazardous missions.

People have broken artificial intelligence down into numerous categories and subcategories. But a good foundation for looking at artificial intelligence is breaking it into either strong or weak ai.

Strong artificial intelligence is the area of research that deals with computer based artificial intelligence that can actually reason and solve problems. Strong AI is further broken down into these 2 sub-cagetories:

* Human-like AI, in which the computer program thinks and reasons much like a human mind.
* Non-human-like AI, in which the computer program develops a totally non-human sentience, and a non-human way of thinking and reasoning.

Weak artificial intelligence deals with the creation of some form of computer-based artificial intelligence that cannot truly reason and solve problems; such a machine would, in some ways, act as if it were intelligent, but it would not possess true intelligence or sentience.

Looking deeper into AI, it has a number of implications for the advancement of the human race and there are three primary schools of thought with regard to the future of AI

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