A.I. – The fictional dream transitioning into reality

By , 14 May 2015 at 10:18
A.I. – The fictional dream transitioning into reality
Future Trends

A.I. – The fictional dream transitioning into reality

By , 14 May 2015 at 10:18
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By Matt Headley (@matt_headley), Contributor

14 May 2015: For a sizeable time, Artificial Intelligence has been a pipe dream for tech fans and Sci-Fi enthusiasts. The term “A.I.” in a fictional sense is typically twinned with the idea of a robot with the capacity for emotion.

A.I. can be boiled down to a much simpler concept, though. Personified robotic assistants may not exist, but personal assistants built into our smart devices do an impressive job of taking care of simple tasks.

Siri, Cortana and Google Now help us achieve basic tasks, as well as more impressive ones, by using default functions built into our handsets on our behalf. I’m sure that most of those reading this have used these features, whether it be to see how ridiculous our devices’ answers can be, or for genuine practicality.

A.I. is highlighting an age in which machines think independently on a consumer facing level

It’s worth directing a subtle nod of approval to the thinking behind these personal assistants. They enable us to sing out voice commands so tasks can be carried out without us having to rummage through native apps to get the job done. Take setting reminders for example, or creating calendar events. While these are simple and achievable without the use of a voice-activated assistant, the luxury of these facilities point to a smarter future.

These A.I. mechanics really impress when they start engaging with a data connection. An A.I.’s ability to locate information through search engines and respond with a contextually appropriate answer in quick succession is something that I’m sure a lot of tech fans (including myself) don’t really take the time to appreciate.

For me personally, navigating my smartphone the old fashioned way is a far more natural option. Consider this though: A future in which voice control stands as the norm, leaving tactile interaction behind in a primitive light.

Could it be time to start looking towards the future of artificial intelligence? The next generation of mobile A.I. could be aided with the capacity to learn new information, tailoring outcomes to the tasks demanded.

Take something as simple, yet personalised, as meal preferences.

“A.I.” in a fictional sense is typically twinned with the idea of a robot with the capacity for emotion

Currently personal assistants are able to find restaurants that tailor to a requested cuisine, even sorted by rating. What if we could take this further? Perhaps letting our assistants know how we like our sandwiches, or our favourite pizza toppings? A salad made just the way you like it?

Now picture that meal being made by a restaurant in the user’s local area after receiving a request from a mobile device’s built in A.I., rather than directly from the user. It goes without saying that this would be triggered with the user’s permission; otherwise we’d have a town full of vigilante lunches! This is the power that artificial intelligence can give us should we let it communicate with the outside world on our behalf. This facility gets even smarter too, should it utilise personal preferences provided by the user. The time we like to eat during a typical working day, for instance. I’m talking about software that can “ask the right questions.”

What about location based awareness; acknowledging that a user is just a few moments from home? The outcome could be anything from an alert sent to the user’s home to heat up, ready for a warm welcome during the cold winter months, to engaging with home appliances to make that all-essential brew after a hard day’s work.

Driverless cars  are being toyed with by German vehicle giants Audi and Mercedes, as well as Google. Although these vehicles are a long way off commercial release, it’s interesting to see that the concept of an autopilot driven car is being tested in the field.

These cars would have the capacity to analyse surroundings to make informed decisions on the fly and in real time. Rigorous safety testing would be absolutely necessary of course to avoid and prevent collisions and casualties. Beyond personal assistants, this would be a new dimension of A.I., highlighting an age in which machines think independently on a consumer facing level.

Considering a future in which society has a deeper connection to technology is an exciting prospect. Being able to interact with a personality that is essentially just lines of code that understand us as people on a functional level would change the way we perceive our environment. I’m not talking about a robot that can learn to love, more regarding future technology as a part of our daily lives.

Advanced personal assistants and intuitive A.I.s are being toyed with at present; such as Kickstarter project J.A.E.S.A. Currently far off from public release this A.I promises to work as an interactive assistant with the capability to maintain a conversation. Although currently demonstrated in a video on the project’s crowd-funding page, it’s difficult to judge how true to life the demo is. The project also promises home integration, able to access home security systems such as locks and cameras, as well as lights and audio entertainment rigs.

This project is perhaps the most promising experimentation with a consumer-friendly A.I. system that will bind technology to every day life.

We’re probably a long way off from the world painted by 2004’s ‘i, Robot’ set a mere 20 years ahead of today. The age of robotic coffee-making personal assistants with the mild tendency to consider a robotic uprising will most likely stay within the realms of fiction. Probably for the best, really…

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