Month 2: Our World's Issues:
How AI Can Fix Them - (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure)
Month 2: Our World’s Issues: How AI Can Fix Them - (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure)
History of AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained negative connotations over the years as if it means "robots taking over our world." Humans seem to be very possessive, so of course, people are scared about competing with AI to receive their income, but what if we are not looking at the big picture? We are at a breaking point between two polar opposite worlds; if we can maximize our innovations to lend a hand to solve societal problems, then maybe everyone can have a seat in our future. This summer, I was fortunate enough to attend an online camp through Stanford called Inspirit AI--in which we delved into AI and its involvement in solving world issues. This hands-on experience conveyed just how efficient problem-solving can be when working alongside AI.
The field of artificial Intelligence gained official recognition in 1956 at Dartmouth University.
It has been contributing to how humans think about the world, its struggles, and its beauties. A vivid example of the normalization of AI is once it started playing a role in the fine arts.The Wizard of OZ's star, Tin Woodman--who lacked a heart might come to mind when contemplating AI in the 20th century. It is not wrong to think about this fictional character as a generational shift in reality because it planted creativity and initiative into our minds even though it was fictional. Society started to question, "what is possible?" Not only that, but this tin man's mission throughout the movie is to find a heart--he wanted to care for the world around him and understand feelings. This movie might have had a minor influence on this idea of empathy and ethics in AI. Maybe AI could have a heart, begin to see our world with empathy and use that to make a difference in our future.
As time went on, initiative after initiative sprung into commercials and malls; businesses, academic institutions, and governments started to depend on the rapid development of advanced technology. Suddenly, the internet and its algorithms began to skyrocket companies into the S&P 500, give students vast access to information and relations, and allow government agencies to function more globally. When you think about AI's development, how has it impacted you directly? This question stumps people in so many different ways--it can be as simple as, "I can now pay for all of my expenses from a small 150 x 70 mm phone." Alternatively, AI can also complicatedly impact everyone's entire lifestyle. Many jobs have the help of AI to make work more efficient, which affects how the workforce flows these days and how people are economically contributing to organizations. One hundred years ago, this society would never even be in their wildest dreams. This shows the profound change in our world; not all good but not all bad.
Each societal issue devastating our population has deep roots that are knotted together into what feels like an impossibility. When we ask ourselves the "how?" (how do we solve this?), that’s when activism and innovation come into play. Human ability is like no other-- we can fix the messes we have made, but we are also innovative and know how to think outside our abilities. Artificial Intelligence coupled with social change can make this world a more fair, safe, and cohesive place to live. The National Cancer Institute is investing in this same "how?". We have lost many of our loved ones from cancer, so the research, diagnosis, and treatment behind it need to continue to strengthen. They are financially supporting AI research, infrastructure development, and medical workforce training. AI can "recognize patterns in large volumes of data, extract relationships between complex features in the data, and identify characteristics in data (including images)" that the human brain cannot perceive. What is so remarkable about this is that oncologists and radiologists can focus their precious time on their man-to-man specialties. At the same time, AI works its fast 'magic' on technological diagnosis and data research.
Optimism is vital for AI's future in our society--we are collaborating with new skill sets and perhaps a new "life form." In elementary school art class, we did a lot of collaborative pieces. The art always came out to be so abstract and different. We were colliding two completely different skill sets and imaginations onto one canvas, so obviously, the result would be a jumbled resonance of both our personalities. This is just like AI and humans. We can create beautiful canvases for our future, and even though it is not in our comfort zone, it is time that we become more open to the innovative possibilities for our canvases. Through education and awareness, students are embracing the nature of AI and using it to tackle the world's problems rather than fearing its hierarchical role in the future.
Sources:
https://www.cancer.gov/research/areas/diagnosis/artificial-intelligence
https://ai.stackexchange.com/questions/2111/is-ai-living-or-non-living
https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/history-artificial-intelligence/
https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/artificial-intelligence-for-good.aspx
Good work Ruby!!Hopefully AI ill be able to assist in sorting out so many of the looming global issues that confront today's society and in the future!!
Dearest Ruby - thank you for your optimism in these difficult times! I look forward to more of your posts! :)