Somewhere around the year 1979, as a student of Engineering, I used slide rule for doing complex calculations in exams. It is a ruler with a sliding central strip, used for making rapid calculations, especially multiplication and division. Calculators were banned and it was only after a 5 days’ strike that we were allowed to use calculators. It was beginning of automation in computing. In 1985, for the first time, I saw a computer and in 2013, I saw a humanoid Robot that looked and spoke like a human. In 2017, Sophia, a robot capable of displaying more than 50 facial expressions was granted citizenship of Saudi Arabia becoming the first robot ever to have a nationality.
What a transition! Can we imagine our life without computers now? These have made tasks simple, short and superfast. But ‘’yeh dil maange more’’. While exploiting the power of the computer systems, the curiosity of human, lead him to wonder, “Can a machine think and behave like humans do?” This led to the rise of a new branch of Computer Science named Artificial Intelligence or AI. Artificial Intelligence is a way of making a computer, a computer-controlled robot, or a software think intelligently, similar to the manner the intelligent humans think.
We might think that AI is at least a few years away from causing any considerable effect on our lives, but it has already invaded and is affecting our decisions and lifestyles every day. What is the first thing which we do in the morning? Pick up our smart phones and check WhatsApp? We are so eager to pick up the phone as if Lord Krishna is telling us “Arjuna, arise and pick up your Gandeev”. When we get ready for office we book an Ola. The App uses AI for route mapping and fare calculations. When we reach office, we open our computer which is unlocked by face recognition. If we reach early, we start playing video games on our computer. When our office starts, we communicate through emails, do financial transactions, book tickets and even use services like instant messaging, youtube, facebook , google assistant, Siri – all powered by AI.
AI has become so indispensable that it is used in healthcare for analyzing complex medical data and do medical procedures. From search and rescue operations to legal cases to even automated industrial robot doing manufacturing, scintillating AI has accomplished everything with high precision, pace and power.
Clearly, AI is very useful to mankind but this leaves us to the question: Will artificial intelligence take over the world? Many scientists including Stephen Hawking have expressed concern about the risks posed by AI. They wonder what would happen if AI becomes more intelligent than humans? They warn about a future where machines build machines. Artificial Intelligence can even lead to human extinction because with supernatural intelligence, machines would undermine the corrupt nature of humans and think the extinction of humanity as a better solution. In fact, AI-bots can forge a planet with controlled population, better laws and live like immortals. The only option available to us would be to unplug the power but it will be impossible to do so as all the systems in the world would be controlled by machines including the power system. What will happen is hidden in the womb of time.
When we were in school – we used to write an essay- Science, a friend or a foe. Now, our children are writing essay on Artificial Intelligence- a friend or a foe. What a transition! But the answer to both essays remains the same – judicious use of Technology.
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