(General Studies III – Sci & Tech section – Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.)
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems designed to perform tasks requiring human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding.
- The concept of AI dates back to Alan Turing’s 1950 paper, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” which introduced the Turing test as a benchmark for machine intelligence.
- AI is categorized into two main types: Narrow AI and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
Types of AI –
- Narrow AI (Weak AI): Designed for specific tasks with limited scope. Examples include voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, customer service chatbots, and recommendation engines.
- Artificial General Intelligence (AGI, Strong AI): Aims to mimic human cognitive abilities and perform any intellectual task a human can do. AGI is more advanced, capable of generalizing and adapting across various tasks and domains.
| Aspect | Narrow AI | Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) |
| Scope | – Specific tasks | – Generalized tasks across various domains |
| Learning & Adaptation | – Limited to predefined tasks | – Learns and adapts from diverse sources |
| Self-awareness | – None | – Aims for human-like self-awareness and consciousness |
| Problem-solving | – Based on algorithms and coded processes | – Incorporates logic and human-like reasoning |
| Current Status | – Widely used in various applications | – Subject of ongoing research and debate |
Potential Benefits of AGI –
- Healthcare: Enhanced diagnostics, treatment planning, and personalized medicine. As per a WHO report of 2021, AGI could analyse vast datasets from global health records to predict disease outbreaks and personalize treatments, potentially saving millions of lives.
- Finance and Business: Automation of processes, real-time analytics, and accurate market predictions. A McKinsey report of 2022 shows that AGI could analyse financial trends and data, providing real-time insights for better decision-making.
- Education: Adaptive learning systems tailored to individual student needs, potentially democratizing education. UNESCO report of 2022 mentions that AGI-driven platforms like Coursera and Khan Academy are already personalizing education, enhancing learning outcomes.
Concerns and Scepticism –
- Environmental Impact: High computational power consumption and e-waste generation. A study by MIT in 2021 shows that the development of large AI models like GPT-3 has significant carbon footprints.
- Employment and Inequality: Job losses and increased economic disparities. A 2020 report by the WEF predicts that AI could displace 85 million jobs by 2025.
- Security Vulnerabilities: New and unforeseen security risks. The rapid advancement of AI could introduce cyber threats that current systems are unprepared for.
- Regulation Challenges: Difficulty in keeping up with rapid AGI development. An OECD report of 2021 claims that policymakers struggle to create regulations that keep pace with technological advancements.
- Human Dependency: Loss of basic human skills and capabilities. Over-reliance on AI could erode critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Loss of Control: Experts like Stephen Hawking and AI pioneers have warned about AGI’s potential dangers, likening it to nuclear weapons.
| Ethical Perspectives on risks of AGI Potential for AGI to process vast amounts of personal data, raising privacy concerns. Risk of AGI systems inheriting and amplifying existing biases in data, endangering fairness and neutrality. Challenges in attributing responsibility and accountability for AGI decisions and actions. Threats of AGI systems being hacked or misused for malicious purposes. |
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) represents a transformative leap in AI technology, aiming to replicate human cognitive abilities across diverse tasks. Scientists should be careful in leveraging this technology to ensure that this small step for science becomes a giant leap for mankind.
