Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Truth – Here and Now by Eugene Kaspersky

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motox781

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Older article, but a good read. I agree with Eugene on this and appreciate his honest input.


Artificial intelligence… Two words which together conjure up so much wonder and awe in the imagination of programmers, sci-fi fans and perhaps just about anyone with an interest in the fate of the world!

Thanks to man’s best friend the dog R2-D2, the evil Skynet, the fantastical 2001: A Space Odyssey, post-apocalyptical androids dreaming of electric sheep, and maybe also Gary Numan, everyone is pretty well familiar with the concept of artificial intelligence (AI). Yep, books, the big screen, comics, er… mashed potato advertisements – AI is in all of them in a big way. It also features heavily in the marketing materials of recently-appearing and exceptionally-ambitious cybersecurity companies. In fact, there’s probably only one place today where you can’t find it. Thing is, that single place happens to cover practically everything that makes up this world and all the life in it: the not-so-insignificant sphere called ‘real everyday life‘.



It’s common knowledge that since the days of Alan Turing and Norbert Wiener (that is, around the mid-20th century) computers have come on in leaps and bounds. They learned how (rather, they were taught how) to play chess – and better than humans. They fly planes, now also cars on the roads. They write newspaper articles, catch malware and do tons of other useful – and often not so useful – things. They pass the Turing test to prove possession of intelligent behavior equivalent to a human. However, a chatterbot simulating a 13-year-old capable of nothing else – that is just an algorithm plus a collection of libraries. It is not artificial intelligence. Not convinced? Then I advise you simply look up the definition of AI, then that of an algorithm, and then look at the differences between the two. It’s not rocket computer science.

We are currently witnessing yet another wave of interest in AI across the world. Which number this wave is I’ve lost track of…

This time, an in-vogue Oxford philosopher writes a book about AI. He believes that (i) AI will come about eventually for sure; and (ii) it doesn’t bode well for mankind. Of course, this gets a lot of people seriously worried. I mean, this isn’t some hack writing on a blog. So what’s it gonna be? Is he right in thinking AI and its technological singularity will be the death knell for humanity? Or could AI in fact make a heaven on earth?

AI experts agree: for now, AI does not exist
Bostrum’s book also details his survey of experts in the AI sphere, from which we get a probability that AI will be created by the year 2040 of 50%, and by 2075 of 90%. Surely we can extrapolate that by 2116 – 100 years from now – it’s pretty darn likely that AI will be a reality for sure. And just think – it might be AI itself discussing the problem of, er, AI by then too! Whoah. Eek!

HOWEVER. There is another conclusion we can draw from the book: for now, AI does not exist.
 
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XhenEd

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I already read this article two months ago (I think).

For me personally, the meaning of AI really depends on one's perspective. For me, it does exist. Although it exists as a low-level AI, or intelligence that does simple (or complex) tasks. (Eugene in the article clearly contradicts with me on this.) :D

I believe, however, that true or high-level AI does not (yet) exist. (I support Eugene about this.)

The article, I believe, is an attack against next-gen anti-malware solutions, which usually markets their supposed "AI" to be the holy grail of software security.

That's why when a software company announces that they have great AI, I already assume they mean machine learning, a low-level AI.
 

motox781

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For me personally, the meaning of AI really depends on one's perspective. For me, it does exist. Although it exists as a low-level AI, or intelligence that does simple (or complex) tasks. (Eugene in the article clearly contradicts with me on this.)

Thanks. Could you elaborate a little on this?

To me, something such as 'true' AI either exists in full or not at all. I consider AI to have no grey area. I'm not understanding the low / high level part.

I'm no expert though in CS or AI ;P
 
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XhenEd

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Thanks. Could you elaborate a little on this?

To me, something such as AI either exists in full or not at all. I consider AI to have no grey area. I'm no expert though in CS or AI ;P
I'm also not an expert. And so, my views are just opinions to the field. :D

Machine learning is an example. A machine may be programmed to "learn" on the data it is exposed to and then "decide" on its own (which is programmed too :D ) what to do next. It learns through the algorithms put by humans. Example is: Avast Technology

But machine learning is not true AI. True AI is to be able to decide truly on its own. It may also even create its own thoughts. This is all without human intervention. The human intervention would only happen on the first stages (the creation of AI). After that, AI would rule. :D
 

tim one

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In my opinion, one of the first problems is deduction and then reasoning and problem solving. Devs have coded learning algorithms that are able to reproduce the techniques and tactics of the functioning of the human brain. In recent years, research has been directed toward the development of algorithms for more efficient use of the techniques of “reasoning” and more refined, such as simulations of artificial neural nets and statistical approaches.
But the main problem is the representation of the knowledge. Many of the problems that machines with artificial intelligence have to solve require a great knowledge of the environment around them. These agents have to know the objects present in their ecosystem, situations, and events that have presented in the past plus cause and effect relationships.
In the case of the antivirus, they must to have an immense database of known events to be able to process the future ones in autonomy.

Not an easy challenge.
 

jamescv7

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Artificial intelligence needs to have the ability to learn all by itself, to adapt, and to take decisions itself in completely new situations with an incomprehensible collection of multi-format input data.

At the end of the day, people are still there to formulate and improved AI no matter what situation or circumstances.

Computer, machine or whatsoever are indeed powerful but they don't have ability to create by it's own without implementing instructions first by developers.

To make it short.

The cycle on how AI works is until now same on how we teach our children to be independent as time goes by.
 
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