The Future of AI - Progress and Possibilities

It’s 2024 and the world is still so far ahead and, at the same, so behind the competitive times. Let’s take a trip back and visit our ancestors’ perception of the future. They predicted flying cars, teleportation, robotic family members, virtual manifestation, and whatnot. If we take a look at the current state of time, there is so much that we have achieved and simultaneously, so much left to be achieved. Yes, we still don’t have flying cars but we have self-driving automobiles. Yes, we don’t have teleportation, but we have a virtual reality which is a small step toward achieving teleportation. Yes, we still don’t have robotic family members but the little robotic vacuum cleaner we have and, of course, Alexa, work just as great as family! The small leap that we have been able to take towards the future predicted by our ancestors is all thanks to AI.

A few decades back, the world of AI was non-existent. Nobody took any interest in the field. Many hesitated and considered it taboo to give birth to robots with the fear that they would soon take over us, while others simply didn’t see any future in AI. Well, the current era we live in is solid proof of the fact that the future is all AI. A few decades back, research institutes and facilities didn’t pay much attention to AI. Only a few publications were presented to AI’s name. Until recently, a few of the big sharks recognized the hidden potential of AI and started investing more in research than in actual projects. When institutes like MIT and Harvard stepped into the AI world, a huge outburst of evolution occurred in the world of AI, and suddenly all people were talking about was AI and how they could invest more and more in it!

The leap humanity took over AI is still nothing compared to what AI holds for us. There is still so much to explore and so much to discover - which is the sole purpose of this article! In this article, we will take an overview of the world and what it has to offer. We will look into the recent inventions of AI in various fields and their predicted future. We will also take a brief walk-through through the ethical concerns and challenges associated with AI.

So without further ado, let’s dive right into the AI world!

The Branches of AI

In the world of research, AI is still a newborn baby. It has to go through multiple stages of development and evolution before it can attain its full-grown state. Even in its baby stage, AI has delivered so much to us and the potential it holds for the future is beyond amazing. Based on the potential of AI and what it holds for us in the future, experts have divided the AI world into three branches - narrow AI, general AI, and super AI. A quick overview of all three of these branches is provided below:

1. Narrow AI:

Narrow AI is the newborn stage of AI. It is also popularly known as “Weak AI” and is the state of AI we are currently living in. As the name pretty much suggests, this stage of AI has a very narrow scope, limited to only a few automated tasks. It is only capable of performing a set of defined tasks and is restricted to a few inventions. Examples of narrow AI are chatbots and the modern navigation service.

2. General AI:

The next stage of AI is the general stage. In the general stage, the AI is competent enough to perform tasks independently and can mimic humans in complex problem-solving techniques. Machines with general AI are very intelligent and pretty much operate on humanoid actions. Common examples of general AI include self-driving cars and the complicated automated and humanoid robots we have.

3. Super AI:

The last stage of AI, which we are still very far from, is the stage of super AI. In super AI, machines are fully capable of performing every human-like task and challenge. In fact, in super AI, the machines can even perform tasks that are superior to humans. Common examples of super AI include full-fledged human-like robots which will probably take over every major role of humans. These robots will be like human citizens.

History of AI

The advent of AI started way back in the 1950s when the term ‘artificial intelligence’ was first used. AI came onto the scene when the Germans first utilized the ‘Engima’ computing machine which was utilized in World War 2 for coding and deciphering purposes. This machine was a huge breakthrough for humanity as for the first time ever, a machine was used that was able to replicate a part of the human brain. Although it still lagged in many ways but the Enigma stays as the machine that gave birth to the world of AI.

Now that the world was aware of the possibilities and potential of AI, they started working non-stop on it. The goal was to create a technology so strong that it is able to replicate the human brain and is competent enough to make decisions as humans do. So the next aim for people in the science and tech domain was to create a network of artificial neurons, similar to biological neurons, that can make humanoid decisions. This is how artificial intelligence came into being.

After the artificially created neurons made their emergence, advancements in the girls of AI escalated and another subset of AI gained popularity - machine learning algorithms. Machine learning algorithms completely shifted the realm of AI by opening a portal of immense possibilities for the world, bringing into light what machines are capable of doing. Further development in the branch of machine learning led to the birth of ‘Deep Learning’. Deep learning is a complicated phenomenon of AI that almost always gives accurate results. Alexa, Siri, Insta algorithms, and many more inventions that you witness nowadays exist owing to deep learning.

Current State of AI

Let’s move further along the timeline and come towards the current state of AI. The world of today is poles apart from what it used to be. In the past, AI resembled a small capsule. All the discoveries were made in confined places, sealed shut from the rest of the world. The concept of team building and progress was non-existent in the AI domain of the past. All the key players in the AI realm saw it as a competition which is why they kept their progress hidden from their competitors. But the current state of AI has changed it all.

As the world progressed, the AI tycoons soon realized that not much could be done in this versatile field if it remained sealed behind the doors. To fully let AI prosper and flourish, the tech community came to the realization that teamwork is the key here. Since AI has tons of potential and possibilities, a single or two key players cannot exploit all of them. Based on this fact, communities and various forums for AI developers were built where they all get to share their work. What once used to be limited to office doors is now uploaded on open-source code forums so the rest of the world can also benefit from the newfound algorithm. This provides opportunities for everyone around the globe to work more on the code and make advancements and developments in it. AI is no longer a one-man job, it has become the core responsibility of every individual across the world, whatever value they can contribute to the field.

Some of the key players in AI technology are Elon Musk, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Intel, and many more. They also have open forums and communities where they invite people to come on board and unravel the AI mysteries. The more people will engage in AI development, the closer we can get to attaining the ultimate goal - super AI.

AI in Different Sectors

AI is a field that has touched every branch and has turned every leaf. Nowadays, there is no field in existence that has not been influenced by the magical touch of AI. From transportation to call networks, from online shopping to simply scrolling through social media platforms, AI has touched and baptized every inch of the modern realm. A common example of this phenomenon, and what is thought to be the biggest advancement in AI is Chat GPT. From academic questions to relationship bits of advice, Chat GPT has a solution for all. The success of Chat GPT has been so significant that now social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram are also integrating its algorithm into their social apps!

Listed below are some other core industries which have been positively influenced by AI:

1. Healthcare Sector:

In the healthcare sector, AI proved to be of great assistance, especially during the pandemic. During the COVID era, where the interaction of humans was greatly discouraged, AI provided solace to both the patients and the healthcare workers by offering robotic nurses and caretakers. These robotic machines were responsible for monitoring the patients and providing them with medications and supplements in order to minimize human contact. Moreover, in the healthcare sector, AI has gained a peak in the domains of cancer recognition, image processing, and robotic surgeries. Key players in AI, such as Elon Musk, also launched a medical venture by the name of Neuralink.

2. Education Sector:

In the education sector, AI-powered chatbots have all the rage due to their accessibility and convenience. These chatbots are designed to assist humans to help them with their academic and other information requirements. Whichever information you need, be it on a complicated maths problem or on a simple essay, chatbots have greatly streamlined the research process by providing you with answers in a swift second. Moreover, these chatbots are all virtual and are available 24/7, so you don't need to book an appointment with them for research. Hence, AI gives you a personalized learning experience.

3. Transportation Sector:

In the transportation sector, the self-driving cars that we have today are a proud testament to the advancements in AI. These self-driving cars have greatly streamlined the challenging task of driving for disabled individuals by providing them with an AI-powered vehicle that is capable of smooth driving and detecting the smallest speed bumps. Moreover, the automated wheelchairs and stretchers we have today are also in existence thanks to AI.

4. Finance Sector:

Coming towards the finance sector, we have the trend of e-banking which has made it so much easier to pay bills and rent instead of waiting in long lines. Thanks to modern AI technology, the finance sector is now much more efficient and equipped to detect fraudulent practices and any misplacement of money, making the modern banking and finance sector highly secure and efficient.

Future Predictions and Breakthroughs

The world of AI is advancing at a speedy pace but we are still far away from what we need to attain. Thanks to major key players in the AI world such as Apple, Chat GPT, and Elon Musk, the bridge of development in AI technology is under constant buildup. A recent breakthrough in AI is by Elon Musk and his company Neuralink who invented a “Neurochip” for humans. The sole purpose of this chip is to be implemented within the brain and eliminate the need to ever carry a mobile phone or a laptop with you! This breakthrough hints at the development of actual real-life cyborgs. The same technology is also being adapted by Apple’s latest Apple Vision Pro that allows you to balance your virtual life side-by-side with your routine.

Another potential breakthrough in the AI field is in the medical industry as robotic surgeries are now on the horizon. The major advantage of this robotic assistance is to increase the success rate of surgeries. The same goes for the field of quantum computing as well. Quantum computing is all about high-speed computing. It is the latest trend in AI that allows you to work with high-speed servers and computers by eliminating the fear of them heating up. Tons of advancements still need to be made in this domain, but it is something that is currently under the works.

Ethical and Social Implications

Lastly, coming to ethical implications, a common misconception that people have about AI is that AI is replacing humans. But in actuality, AI is here to assist the humans, not to replace them! Many AI companies, such as Tesla, are now downsizing and are eliminating employees to completely let AI take over the labor work. While the motive stands correct that AI can probably perform the labor work with much more speed and efficiency but at the same time, opportunities should be provided to people being laid off so they can utilize their skills elsewhere in the company, somewhere where AI cannot replace them.

Another dilemma that stands with AI is the misuse of AI. Many online hackers are now using modern AI technology to create fake images and voice leaks for blackmail purposes. This poses a huge security threat and also raises awareness among people on how they can credibility use AI technology.

And that’s all that we have on AI folks! We hope you found this article! To learn more about the latest AI tech and how SocialBook has contributed to it, head over to the Dreampal website and you can get your own taste of AI and it's characters. We have anime and roleplaying characters you can chat with over on our DreamPal platform!