Rambling Thoughts on AI
Humans are naturally curious creatures.
Our long quest for ingenuity and innovation has led us to reach amazing potentials and unimaginable heights. For instance, 3 decades ago, smartphones had yet to exist but now, they are adopted globally in our daily lives, along with the Internet and modern computers. Hence, I had always wondered how far our curiosity can take us and what direction is the technological evolution leading us.
It is evident that the growth of technology is speeding up exponentially.
With the rate of how technology progresses, it seems that unbelievable feats are more achievable than we think. Like in 2016, a machine managed to beat one of the best Go players in the world in 4 out of 5 games of Go. This was a breakthrough that happened a decade earlier than experts expected. Compared to Chess, Go is more complicated because the potential board configurations were said to be more than the atoms in the universe. Hence, Go players need to heavily rely on intuition in order to decide their moves.
If intuition is an ability unique to humans, then how did a machine manage to win against a Go expert?
This was done with artificial intelligence (AI).
I have always described AI as machines that can perform activities that require human intelligence. But currently, with very high processing power and an effective algorithm, it has the capability to exceed human potential in one particular activity. If an AI is designed perfectly to beat the game of Go, then no matter how complicated a human plays the game, the AI would always be several steps ahead of its opponent. In fact, an AI already has the ability to learn, improve and adapt on its own without assistance through Deep Learning.
With the beginning of the 4th industrial revolution, we are diving into an unknown field that was ideated by movies like Terminator and Ex Machina. Hence, the usual response is to be doubtful and scared. But truthfully, as I learn more about AI, I can’t help but feel more fascinated on how I can use it to help the world. For me, whoever wins in the game of Go between an AI and a human is a win for mankind and whoever loses is a bountiful learning for both sides. AI is a product of human ingenuity and innovation. It is designed by humans to (often) learn from the the data made by humans so that it can (hopefully) aid humans. Hence, a breakthrough in AI is a win for mankind (in the hands of the right person/group).
To end my rambling thoughts, I would like to emphasize that like how AI was made by human ingenuity, human ingenuity can also be amplified with AI. AI allows us to learn and to think beyond the conventional way of human thinking. In terms of a game of Go, moves made by the AI that may seem unnecessary to us humans should be studied to gain a better understanding of the game. We should ponder over questions like… why the most creative move for a human seems like the most conventional for an AI… why the most optimal move for an AI seems like the most unnecessary for a human… and why the most unlikely move for an AI seems like the only way for a human…
