Evidently the future we are experiencing today is being programmed to perfection by artificial intelligence. Who knows how long it has actually been around for and how it's been tested and trusted to be used around and by humans. Is it a new species of its own kind and mind? Will it power-off with a simple tug of a plug off the wall?
Artificial Intelligence (A.I) has been programmed to simplify human tasks and generate results tenfold the speed. It generates results from an accumulation of hundreds of thousands of different forms of information. Currently, there are four primary types of artificial intelligence: reactive, limited memory, theory of mind, and self aware. Each type of AI varies in its complexity and possibility because of the current stage of technological development in our society.
The fundamental type of artificial intelligence is reactive AI. Much like its name, reactive AI provides reactions, or outputs based on the information that is inputted. However, since it is the most basic form of AI, it cannot perform or learn actions beyond the ones it is programmed for. The development of reactive AI was revolutionary in the field of computer science, being the first of its kind. It served as the stepping stone for the next type of AI, called limited memory AI.
Limited memory artificial intelligence has the ability to learn from prior knowledge and generate results based on observations. An example of this can be seen through self-driving cars. The AI component in these self-driving cars observe other cars on the road for proximity, speed and route to navigate safely. However, this type of AI is limited because it cannot retain information for long periods of time.
A human-like type of AI can be seen through theory of mind AI. It is able to mimic human emotion and develop decision making similar to that of human thought processes. This AI allows machines to simulate a human mind experience and develop a sense of consciousness. Scary, I know. Theory of mind AI is still in the works because it is difficult for a machine to mimic the complexity of human emotion, behavior, and communication. An example can be seen through Sophia, a human-like robot developed by Hanson Robotics in Hong Kong. Sophia is able to match human expressions and communicate in a humanoid manner because of her conscious-like programming.
The last and most complex type of artificial intelligence is self aware AI. It has not been developed or prototyped yet because of its severe intricacy in impersonating human behavior. Self aware AI is as human as it gets. If developed, it will have the ability to express emotions and mental states that has not yet been seen in any other type of artificial intelligence.
As we progress into this new generation of artificial intelligence, we are developing a new cycle of human achievement. You're part of this ever growing journey as technology permeates our lives and becomes an integral part of our communities. The next time you use ChatGPT, remember that it was because of the effort of computer scientists and innovators who are changing the face of AI everyday.