Artificial Intelligence: What Is It & Does It Benefit Us?

Those of you with a keen eye on the tech world will know that artificial intelligence receives a lot of attention. It’s sometimes referred to in its abbreviated form as AI, but what is it? What does this type of technology allow us to accomplish? More to the point, does it benefit society?

What is Artificial Intelligence?

The simplest definition is that this branch or technology involves things that are capable of performing tasks on their own. This includes machines, software programs, etc. The idea is that AI technology automates tasks, but also that the technology learns from previous work. It’s also possible to communicate with smart AI machines and get them to do tasks by commanding them to do so. Unfortunately, the actual description of artificial intelligence is more complex. There’s not enough space to write about it in this article, but you can read this post that talks about the three different types of AI technology.

Does AI benefit us?

Again, I’ll lead with the short answer: yes!

The whole purpose of AI is to help human beings. Some people think it’s to replace them, but that’s not true. Most instances of artificial intelligence exist in ways we don’t realize. Take a look at the technology around your home – do you have any smart devices? A smartphone has AI inside it, as do things like Amazon Echo or Google Home. Loads of household items are being developed with AI technology to improve their functionality. The overall advantage is that it’s easier for you to do a range of different tasks. 

Furthermore, artificial intelligence is really coming to the fore in a commercial sense. Businesses rely on it more than ever before. You can find instances of AI in HR throughout so many organizations. By using smart technology, HR teams can streamline the recruitment process. AI can analyze large sets of data and fit job candidates into categories based on their applications. The same applies to many other areas of business as well. Marketing relies on artificial intelligence to help with things like real-time bidding on Google Adwords.

In a more physical sense, manufacturing companies have used smart machines with AI for years. They allow for more precise construction of equipment in factories. It gets rid of human error, speeding up productivity. 

Should you be worried about AI?

There are lots of concerns about artificial intelligence. Many of which stem from sci-fi films where sentient robots suddenly take over the world. Is this a possibility? Right now, it seems highly unlikely. It’s worth reading up on the benefits of risks of artificial intelligence, but there’s nothing to worry about right now. Your smart fridge isn’t going to break free and start attacking you. For now, it’s simply a new piece of technology that makes life easier. 

Hopefully, this answers the main questions you had on this topic. Personally, I think artificial intelligence is a groundbreaking technology with many useful applications. As long as the tech-heads in charge don’t try and create crazy sentient cyborgs, we should be okay!