The invention of the computer is probably one of the most technologically re-defining moments of man. After the invention then came the progressive betterment of the computer regarding efficiency and computing speed. The development of integrative and complex algorithms also accompanied the computer as it slithered through various phases of its development. Today, computers and algorithms are the ‘heart’ of artificial intelligence. All robots, automatic vehicles, marine machines, aviation hardware, and even some military artillery utilize complex forms of artificial intelligence. In this regard, this research paper explores how artificial technology has grown, developed and has been used over the years. In addition, it examines the comparison between the efficiency of human intelligence and artificial intelligence on task accomplishment. This comparison is done to establish whether man should embrace more use of artificial intelligence or simply rely on their human intelligence. The paper also highlights the pros and cons of this new technology as compared to the previous one. Finally, it takes a sneak peek at the future implications of this AI.
Background of Arising Issues
Technology never seems to have an end or extremity in achievement. When the telephone was invented, many people may never have thought of a smartphone or even the internet. When the computer was invented, many people could never imagine of drones or robots. This means that under every invention that man comes up with, there is always an underlying intricate concept whose development relies on its prior inventions or technology. Therefore, when we think that we are on the brink of a life-changing invention, we are actually at the rudimentary stages of a better invention, discovery or technology. Seemingly, the growth of technology will always tend to infinity as long as man is on earth and his pursuit of a better life exists. For this reason, the quest of man to always achieve more as he solves the problems he faces on earth forms the foundation of the arising issues on this paper.
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The Development of Human Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence
Human Intelligence
Human intelligence is as old as human beings have been on planet earth. For those who believe in religion, then it is safe to say that human intelligence was given to man by his creator. For the non-believers, especially those who exclusively believe in science, human intelligence can be perceived as a systematic development that is core-rooted to the evolution phenomena. Despite the origin of human intelligence, archeological evidence suggests that it was a result of the growth of the human brain over the years (Jones, 2015). Fossils of the ancient man revealed that his brain capacity was small, which implies that he was not very intelligent. However, as time progressed, the brain capacity increased. Based on the available and scientifically provable evidence, it can be deduced that human intelligence was a slow induction of knowledge that accompanied the growth and development of the human brain over thousands of years.
Artificial Intelligence
Man primarily created artificial intelligence. It is ironic how man’s creation is put into contention with his brain or the ‘tool’ that created it. Just like human intelligence, artificial intelligence went through some evolution. However, it is worth noting that this evolution was dependent on the development of human intelligence and it does not date back to thousands of years like that of humans. The conception of artificial intelligence began by the invention of the computer. Indeed, the ability of man to outline a set of instructions and embed them in a machine in such a way that they are executed sequentially to complete a task is essentially, what composes artificial intelligence. When the first computer was made, man was mesmerized by the sheer concept of its ability to execute commands. The integrative use of computers in machines/objects came later and this was the advent of artificial intelligence (Kalogirou, 2007).
The Growing Need for Artificial Intelligence
Many people tend to believe that artificial intelligence revolves around robots. However, the car navigation system or the array of digital instruments that measure tire pressure among others are basic forms of artificial intelligence. From a general perspective, artificial intelligence involves the comparative harmonization of different ‘stimuli,’ conditions, and parameters with an algorithm to output an action or feedback. It is from artificial intelligence that automation is derived (Poole & Mackworth, 2017). With the growth and advancement in the activities of man, there has been a huge demand for more utilization of artificial intelligence. This growing need has been experienced in many sectors, many of which are not necessarily technology-related. In addition, this growing need is stimulated by the demand for faster computing power in artificial intelligence.
Medicine
The medical sector is one of the industries that are very ‘thirsty’ for artificial intelligence. In medicine, artificial intelligence comes in handy in surgeries and operations. On several occasions, some surgeries cannot be performed because they are too sensitive or they happen to be near sensitive organs like the spinal cord and the performance of such operations may put the life of the patient at a greater risk. However, with high precision equipment or technology in the field, these operations will be easily done. This high precision can be achieved by the use of artificial intelligence. In addition, depending on the condition of a patient, some prosthetics need the utilization of artificial intelligence to achieve efficiency in functionality. Other medical procedures like disease/condition diagnosis, radiology, among others have also shown the urge to have an artificial intelligence dimension for effectiveness (Coppin, 2004).
Aviation and Space Exploration
When fast aircraft models are built, their testing stage does not usually involve human beings. Sometimes a robot is put in the aircraft when the designers and engineers are testing newly built aircraft models. The same applies to spacecraft. When man was first able to send a spaceship to Mars, there were no human beings in the voyage. Rather, highly sophisticated systems of artificial intelligence were involved. The aviation and space exploration industries are some of the sectors that have shown the greatest need for top-notch artificial intelligence (Lakemeyer & Nebel, 2003). Apart from the available artificial intelligence, these sectors need more edge-cutting technology that will enable better aircraft simulations and effectiveness in their testing.
In aviation and space exploration, there are two major challenges involved. One is the element of power and fuel efficiency for extremely long voyages and the second one is automation in the execution of in flight commands and other commands after the aircraft/spaceship reaches its destination. These challenges have a connection to the need for better artificial intelligence. For the case of power and fuel efficiency, engineers and scientists are on a quest for better artificial intelligence that will solve the problem (Negnevitsky, 2011). The second challenge is the one that is in more need of artificial intelligence. For instance, the first journey to planet Mars could not involve man because no one knew what is there. In addition, it is easier to use artificial intelligence in such missions because they do not need supplies or extra room for resting as humans needs. This means that the space vehicles are able to pack extra fuel in the space that could have been used for human accommodation and storage of supplies. Therefore, the sector has portrayed a lot urge for artificial intelligence (Whitby, 2012).
Automobiles and Manufacturing
Major car manufacturers like Japan’s Toyota and Britain’s Land Rover have been using artificial intelligence for more than the last five years to assemble and manufacture vehicles. Hypothetically, at least about 70% of the manufacturing and assembling process of a vehicle can be done by artificial intelligence (Kulkarni & Joshi, 2015). This means that more cars are manufactured at a shorter time and at less expense since there is less involvement of manpower. Other manufacturing industries like metalwork, electronics manufacturing, and ceramics have used artificial intelligence in various manufacturing processes. However, some segments of the automobile and manufacturing industries still require high utilization of artificial intelligence. This is because of the immeasurable advantages that come with the incorporation of artificial intelligence like speed, accuracy, efficiency, and cost subsidization. (Williams et al., 2014).
Military and Warfare
Today’s military operates on two principles to gain strategic advantage over the enemy or competitors. The first thing is the technology or how advanced one’s artillery is. The second thing is strategy or planning during warfare. For the best results, these aspects should dependent on technology and artificial technology. For instance, when trying to spot and identify any Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that the enemy may have laid during a battle, the military that has artificial intelligence is usually at an advantage. The other dimension of looking at the same is the use of artificial intelligence instead of human soldiers in battles (Cagnin et al., 2008).
Some scholars have predicted that future battles will involve robots and other forms of artificial intelligence instead of human soldiers, which is true. The reason why I concur is that when one looks at today’s battles, there is minimal involvement of human soldiers. Take for instance the airstrikes against Syria, it does not take the US or Russia combatants to go and conduct strikes. Rather, a piece of artificial intelligence (drone) flies from miles away and causes more damage than actual human soldiers would have done. Most missiles also utilize some concepts of artificial intelligence. Therefore, this has called for intensive research into better pieces of artificial intelligence that will re-shape the 21 st Century’s style of warfare (Solomon, 2005).
Pros & Cons of the New Technology over the Old
Pros
The new technology of artificial intelligence has many advantages over the old one. However, it is important to note that most of the advantages are based on improvements in the older technology. Efficiency is definitely one advantage. To demonstrate this point I will use computer processor chips manufactured by Intel Company. Taking Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7, one notices that, rudimentarily, the concepts are similar but the later versions are improvements. This means that the efficiency of Core i7 is the highest followed by that of core i5 then core i3. The same applies in the comparison between the new technologies over the old. For instance, the first robot that was ever created by man is very inefficient as compared to the robots we have today. The efficiency here refers to the ability of the piece of technology to accomplish a task the way it is required.
Another advantage that the new technology has over the old is the element of speed. Referring back to the Intel processors, core i7 is the fastest as compared to core i5 and core i3. The reason that I am using the Intel processors to demonstrate the advantages is that computers are essentially the foundation of all artificial intelligence. As stated earlier, the existence of artificial intelligence was shaped by the invention of the computer. Therefore, all the improvements and modifications that were done on the computer consequently impacted artificial intelligence. The new technology, for that reason, has higher speed as compared to old one. Speed is important because it implies more tasks can be done in a shorter time. Speed also achieves higher profitability.
Precision, accuracy, and power conservation are other main advantages that this modern technology has over the old. Precision and accuracy refer to the degree to which a task is done in accordance with the required standards or intended quality. Older forms of artificial intelligence had limited precision and accuracy. This was because the computer was still under development and algorithms that were used at that time were not as extensive as they are today. For that reason, various artificial intelligence models did not have high precision and accuracy. Today, artificial intelligence modules have an extremely high precision that even human beings cannot achieve. Again, the electronics used in older pieces of artificial intelligence did not have higher power efficiency as they have today. This means that there was the incurrence of extra cost in power utility in the older technology as compared to the new one.
Cons
Modern technology has been designed to even work and operate remotely. This means that a piece of artificial intelligence, a robot, for instance, can be controlled from hundreds of miles away. Remote operation relies on signal transmission. This propagation is done through airwaves. Even though there is the concept of encryption, this type of signal conveyance is susceptible to malicious interruption and manipulation. It means that the signals can be intercepted and altered to execute other commands that may lead to mass casualties or damage. This is essentially the concept of hacking that is very common in modern technology. This is a disadvantage of the new technology that has been brought about by the growth of algorithms and their vast utilization. In older technology, hacking or malicious manipulation of artificial intelligence did not exist.
Comparison between Human Intelligence (HI) & Artificial Intelligence (AI)
As outlined in the introduction, Artificial Intelligence is a brainchild of Human Intelligence. This means that the existence of artificial intelligence was purely derived from human intelligence. In this comparison, I will explore the advantages and disadvantages of one intelligence over the other. In addition, the comparison will take different scales and dimensions. By this, I mean that I will start from the most elemental structures of the human and artificial intelligence, and then proceed to a broader dimension of the same. Human Intelligence, on a smaller scale, is the brain. The smaller scale of Artificial Intelligence, on the other hand, is a microprocessor, a computer chip, or an entire computer. These can be perceived as the ‘hearts’ or ‘souls’ of these two types of intelligence (Howard, 2005).
Advantages of HI over AI
The first advantage, which is rather obvious, is that HI intelligence created AI and therefore HI dictates all the functions that are executed by AI. In other words, AI is dependent on HI and it cannot exist without the existence of HI. The other advantage is that humans have all control over their intelligence or brain. As long a person is sane, it means that they control the way they think and act, implying that they have all the control over their thoughts and actions. This is not the case for artificial intelligence. Without the presence of an algorithm, AI models cannot operate (Verschraegen et al., 2017). In addition, they cannot execute decisions independently, rather, they ‘consult’ the algorithm to decide what measure or move to make under different circumstances.
Flexibility is another advantage that HI has over AI. As stated earlier, AI depends on algorithms and programs to function and operate. Take the example of a robot in a car assembly company that is programmed to fit in tires in a car at a certain time interval and in a certain way. This piece of AI will only execute this command in exactly the same way it has been programmed to function. If, for instance, there is a break in the chain of production, this robot may continue fitting tires even in the absence of the cars unless it is re-programmed or turned off. If a human being were fitting the tires, when the chain of production breaks, they would stop fitting tires immediately. In addition, if the robot were programmed to fit tires at 90 0 , it would keep to that angle even when a car that needs an 85 0 comes by. On the same also, a robot programmed to work in a car manufacturing industry cannot be utilized in food production. Thus, flexibility is a major advantage that HI has over AI (Rose, 2014).
Advantages of AI over HI
Speed, just like in the comparison between old and new technology, is an advantage that AI has over HI. Taking the hypothetical case of tire fitting in a manufacturing company, the number of tires that would be fitted by an AI model (a robot) per unit time would be more than those fitted by a human would. Even though this point may vary with the time interval that the robot is programmed with, there is a general advantage of the speed that is in AI as compared to HI (Restivo, 2005). Another advantage that is somehow related to speed is efficiency in execution. Still referring to the case of tire fitting, assuming that the robot that fits the tires is the same one that screws the nuts, the whole procedure would have higher efficiency as compared to a human who was undertaking the same activity.
Uniformity in manufacturing and processing are usually a very desirable quality. The uniformity achieved by AI is extremely high, almost 100%. Human Intelligence, on the hand, has a low degree of uniformity (Williams et al., 2014). Another advantage is the scale or quantity of work that can be accomplished by an AI model. First, it is important to understand that pieces of AI do not get tired because they are essentially machines. This means that they can work or operate for a very long time without resting as long as they do not develop mechanical complications. Human Intelligence cannot achieve this. Indeed, people tend to be tired and fatigued when they work for long hours. In addition, HI is not capable of producing on a large scale, as AI is able to (Kulkarni & Joshi, 2015).
Precision, accuracy, and an almost zero error degree of task completion is another major advantage that AI has over HI. Referring to the tire-fitting example, the robot would achieve higher precision and degree in fitting the tires at the required position and the tightening of the nuts. A human doing the same will not achieve the efficiency and precision that is achieved by the robot. This applies a lot in medicine. Even though the application of AI in medicine is still developing, AI has a higher efficiency in conducting delicate procedures (Whitby, 2012). These procedures usually involve delicate organs like the heart, back, eyes, among others. There is also an extremely low error in AI. Unless there is a mechanical fault or a bug in the algorithm used in a certain piece of AI, the error is usually infinitesimal.
Future Implications of Latest Technology
The latest technology undoubtedly revolves around Artificial Intelligence and supercomputers. It is from these systems that other technologies are derived. One future implication of the latest technology is that it lays the foundation for what the future will be built on. This means that the latest technology is the gateway to what the future holds. Like every other piece of technology, the most proficient version was achieved as a result of the modification of predecessor versions of the same. This means that the technology we have today is just a flagship version of what will be there in the future. Similar principles will be used but from another dimension, scale, and mode of application (Negnevitsky, 2011).
It is also important to understand that future implication of the latest technology will be diverse and will cut through almost all sectors that revolve around the activities of man. A key implication will be the computing power. Normally, a computer works on the virtual storage of zeros and ones (Lakemeyer & Nebel, 2003). A bit is the smallest storage unit of a computer and usually stores a zero or a one at any given moment. The Quantum computer is the future of computing and its functionality will be a future implication of the technology we have today. While the available computer today stores a one or zero in a bit, the quantum computer will be able to store both a one and zero at the same time (Coppin, 2004). Again, when the smallest storage unit of the computer is a ‘bit,’ that of a quantum computer is a qubit, which has the ability to store both a zero and a one at the same time. The result of this concept will be super-fast computers.
I can say that the future in technology and Artificial Intelligence lies on the Quantum computer. The science of quantum computing is an advancement of what is currently available for computing. The reason why I am saying quantum computers are the future is because of the processing speeds they will be able to achieve. The available technology uses the ordinary computers that store information in bits. Using qubits will mean that the speeds of computing are more than doubled (Poole & Mackworth, 2017). Doubling computing speed will increase the functionality of the computer and consequently AI. High speeds mean that tasks will be performed faster and a single computer or piece of AI will be able to compute thousands of commands simultaneously within a fraction of a second.
Most notably, some of the sectors that are expected to feel the implication of the current technology include medicine, space/aviation, automobiles, and Information Technology (IT). In medicine, for instance, there will be a high utilization of AI in diagnosis and treatment. We expect such procedures as microscope analysis of samples to be fully automated. In addition, Surgeries are expected to be done by robots as opposed to humans (Kalogirou, 2007). For aviation and space, high computing power (the quantum computer) will an essential element. Scientists and engineers believe that the development of the quantum computer will play a key role in enabling man to explore other planets and the interstellar. Information Technology is one of the most dynamic sectors that exist. Currently, scientists are working on a 5G network. In the future, therefore, we expect to have 5G networks. In addition, there is a possibility of the integration of this network with various segments of Artificial Intelligence (Jones, 2015).
Conclusion
There is no definite contention that can be drawn between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence. The reason is that man (Human Intelligence) created Artificial Intelligence. However, the utility of AI has been life-changing for man. It is through AI that man has achieved a lot of things today. People often have thoughts about robots (AI) taking control of the world at one time. I think that the thought is misleading since robots work strictly in accordance with what man stipulates. However, it is true that one time there will be widespread use of AI in virtually all sectors. One of the most popular pieces of AI that man is currently worked on is autonomous cars, which I believe will take over many roads some decades to come. Therefore, AI should be embraced due to the advantages it drags along.
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