The news about Facebook shutting down its Artificial Intelligence program spread like wild fire recently. The news was shocking to most of the people but there were some faces carrying an “as expected” grin. Artificial Intelligence was not in good books of many tech heads and industry experts. Even though this technology was considered revolutionary, it had its share of opposition. The term Artificial Intelligence is known to almost everyone that has a touch base with technology. However, only a handful really understand the concept and use of Artificial Intelligence. This has sprouted a lot of myths around the newly developed concept. Let’s try to break a few of the common myths about Artificial Intelligence.
Myth 1: Artificial Intelligence Will Replace Humans
The biggest myth about AI is that it is a superior option as against human labor. With a misconception that AI can do everything that humans can do, people are panicking about human labor being replaced by cheap robots. People carry a misconception that robots powered by AI can replicate human skill sets and capabilities. However, Artificial Intelligence has far fewer skill sets as compared to humans and is designed only to complete certain specific tasks.
Another misconception regarding AI is that all the jobs that require low skill set will be replaced by Artificial Intelligence. Whereas, AI is designed to perform more complicated tasks such as monitoring, planning, repairing machines etc. rather than performing manual jobs that require a low skill set. Moreover, Artificial Intelligence lacks emotions and instinct which are cutting edge weapons for humans while performing any task.
Myth 2: A Conscious Machine Is Just A snap Away
The tech heads behind the development of AI are highly enthusiastic about one feature that is consciousness. The advancements in technology and rapid innovations in the field of Artificial Intelligence paint a very rosy picture for AI enthusiasts. Based on the current scenario, people believe that a machine that can think independently, showcase emotions & creativity on free will with a high level of consciousness is just around the corner.
But the fact is that we are still fancying our chances in understanding the neuroscience of consciousness. There has not been any remarkable breakthrough in this field and thus the aforementioned myth holds no ground. We might have scaled new heights in technology but our ability to render consciousness electronically is virtually nil. We still have an upper hand in the battle against robots.
Myth 3: Artificial Intelligence Is Growing At A Lightning Pace
Another myth related to Artificial Intelligence is that it’s growing at a rapid pace and soon will blow out the role of humans in performing daily tasks. The concept of AI originated nearly 60 years ago, and it’s only in recent years that we have cracked reasonable accomplishments. So you see the growth process was very tedious and took a long time.
There is still a lot more to achieve especially in understanding the neuroscience and collaborating it effectively with AI. So, there is still a good load of time before you see a robot booking a flight for your business trip rather than a personal assistant.
Myth 4: Artificial Intelligence Will Make Humans Stupid
People strongly believe that AI will make humans more dependant on machines for their day-to-day tasks. The dependency will escalate to a level where people will forget to perform these mundane tasks on their own. This will only make humans less smart or rather foolish. However, this is completely baseless. It’s not the first time that humans have relied on machines to perform some of their daily tasks.
We use calculators for long calculations, word processors instead of pen and paper, automobiles instead of manual commute etc. These have only eased our lives and has not impacted the intellect of human beings at any level. By relying on machines for these low-value tasks, we save time and energy that can be devoted to other higher value and complex tasks.
Myth 5: Artificial Intelligence Is The Soul Cause Of Job Cuts
AI is often blamed to be the only cause for the slump in job openings as well as layoffs. People believe that companies nowadays rely more on machines rather than humans for performing tasks which previously required human efforts. Well, let’s understand one fact; ‘AI is not all the technology’.
Over the decades, technology as a whole has seen major advancements which have resulted in the development of machines which can perform human tasks more effectively and efficiently. Also, the job scenario in any nation or the entire world is dependant on global as well as the domestic economy. So to blame the poor AI as the sole culprit is a bit harsh.
To Conclude
In no way, I’m rescuing Artificial Intelligence or supporting it. The motive behind highlighting these points is to clear the air a bit so that people can take a sigh of relief. One can not deny the fact that the recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence are significant. But on the same hand, the foreseen future of AI has a lot of challenges and unanswered questions. A lot of tech pundits are skeptical about the effective use of Artificial Intelligence. A machine surpassing human beings at all levels is still only a good Hollywood movie plot.
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