Never mind the machines taking over; is AI really that smart? Sort of. We’re finding out that AI excels at some things, like writing basic texts, creating artwork, automating tasks, and voice-to-text. But some tasks are still beyond the capabilities of even advanced AI. Are we still in the age of ‘dumb AI’?
Yes, AI can do a lot for us
There is no denying that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way in the past few years. However, the versions we interact with aren’t always as smart as we’d like. Even though autocorrect has come a long way, for example, even that still has its errors. An area where AI has been dominant is generating art. Earlier this year, an AI-generated artwork won a fine-art competition. While that rightfully sent the art world on a spiral, it proves AI’s capabilities.
We can use AI to speed up processes and simplify tedious tasks that would otherwise require human input. This can lead to more efficient workflows and higher productivity for any organization. In addition, AI can be used to provide more personalized customer service, improve business intelligence, and support complex decision-making processes. Even if those functions are mostly used to generate ads, the capability exists. That particular situation probably has more to do with what we program AI to do.
It’s still not perfect
We often see AI as a tool that could do anything, but in reality, it has its limits. AI can be incredibly useful for certain tasks and help automate processes, but it still needs to catch up in many ways. It can’t think abstractly or understand complex concepts, and it can’t interpret data in the same way a human would. AI also lacks the creativity and intuition that are essential to problem-solving. And it’s not cheap to develop- at all. Even relatively straightforward AIs, like Amazon’s Alexa, cost developers billions.
Despite these shortcomings, our current ‘dumb AI’ can still be a powerful tool for businesses and individuals. By recognizing the limits of AI, we can use it to its full potential and free up time for more creative endeavors. For example, AI can automate mundane tasks like scheduling meetings, filtering emails, and organizing data.
That leaves us with more time to focus on the bigger picture. Similarly, AI can quickly analyze large datasets and recognize patterns that could take humans much longer to spot. So while self-driving cars are still developing, let’s keep in mind AI should have a ‘human override’ at any point before we turn the wheel over– figuratively and literally.
AI is a work in progress
Ultimately, AI can be a great asset if programmed correctly and with caution. Although it cannot completely replace all human labor, it can make our lives easier and more efficient by helping us identify solutions to problems and making mundane tasks quicker and more efficient.
AI is still a relatively new technology, so it’s no surprise that many of us are skeptical of its potential capabilities. As we’ve seen, AI can do facial recognition, but what about more complex activities? We’re still in the early stages of finding out how far AI can take us, but one thing is for sure: AI will undoubtedly play a key role in revolutionizing the way we work. It already has if you consider how much we rely on our phones and devices every day.
