Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to machines that can do what humans can: hear, see, speak, learn, and solve problems. In some ways, they are now faster and better than humans. Many people wonder how these smart machines work. And many are afraid of being threatened or even of becoming superfluous.
The term artificial intelligence originated in the 1950s. Many myths have grown up around it. The visions of the time were far-reaching. Today, every smartphone with voice recognition and navigation has features that people dreamed of back then. Facial recognition is now well advanced.
The reality and limits of AI
Certain forms of artificial intelligence have thus become a reality. And the example of China clearly shows that this does not necessarily benefit people.
But many other visions of AI have proven unachievable over time. The famous Turing test is closely related to AI research. According to this test, a system is considered intelligent if, during a five-minute conversation, 30% of the subjects questioned consider it human based on their answers. Despite tricky dialogue systems, this AI challenge is still considered unsolved today. No system can simulate a person successfully in the long term.
The importance of artificial intelligence for the economy
Today, companies, including in the financial services sector, consider artificial intelligence one of the most important technologies in digital transformation. Huge sums are being invested in AI research. But skepticism is also widespread. It was only recently that the economy ministers of the G20 countries adopted rules for the use of artificial intelligence. AI systems must be “robust, safe and secure” throughout their lifetime and not present “unacceptable security risks.”
What can artificial intelligence do?
AI expert vividly explains what artificial intelligence can do and what lies ahead. In the first part of her book, she describes the history and current trends in AI research, and in the second part, she projects herself into the future.
It shows which hopes and fears are realistic and which belong to science fiction. It describes what a good life could look like thanks to artificial intelligence and shows that we can learn much about ourselves thanks to intelligent machines.
The message is clear: technology will affect our futures, so we must actively participate in shaping it.