Artificial Intelligence: Types & Framework

AI is a constellation of technologies that manifests in different forms. It gets categorised in different ways based on their rationale and the implications as follows:

Weak AI and Strong AI

Weak AI describes “simulated” thinking. That is, a system which appears to behave intelligently, but doesn’t have any kind of consciousness about what it’s doing. For instance, a chatbot might appear to hold a natural conversation, but it has no sense of who it is or why it is talking to you.

• Strong AI describes “actual” thinking. That is, behaving intelligently, thinking as human does, with a conscious, subjective mind. For instance, when two humans converse, they most likely know exactly who they are, what they’re doing, and why.

Narrow AI and General AI

Narrow AI describes an AI that is limited to a single task or a set number of tasks. For example, the capabilities of IBM’s Deep Blue, the chess playing computer that beat world champion Gary Kasparov in 1997, were limited to playing chess.

• General AI describes an AI which can be used to complete a wide range of tasks in a wide range of environments.
• Superintelligence
• It refers to general and strong AI at the point at which it surpasses human intelligence, if it ever does.

Framework of Artificial Intelligence

A general framework of an AI system contains three segments: Sensors that generate data, Processor that process the data generated by sensor and physical and software agent that takes decision based on this data.

• Therefore, AI algorithms absorb data generated by sensor, process it as per its artificial human intelligence, and then generate actions.

Fig: A General Framework of AI System

Building Blocks of Artificial Intelligence

Based on the framework cited above, AI technology is classified into different building blocks. These building blocks form a core area of interest and a sub-field in the study of AI. Following are the major building blocks of AI:

Conclusion

These sub-fields are going to impact and disrupt different walks of life or say sectors of economy and due to its vast impact; sometimes AI is compared to the discovery of fire also.

• It is all set and clear that artificial intelligence is the future. More and more companies have begun to implement AI algorithms to improve production, delivery or management processes such as Google and Amazon.
• This became possible due to frameworks and tools, which took artificial intelligence from research institutes and laboratories and brought it to the real world.
• Investment in research, infrastructure, skilling of workforce and suitable policy formulation for the healthy development of AI ecosystem, will be the key to harness the early benefits of AI. It will also help in warding off any ill effects of this disruptive technology.

Thus it is fair to say that our civilization will flourish as long as we win the race between the growing power of technology and the wisdom with which we manage it. In the case of AI technology, the best way to win that race is not to impede the former, but to accelerate the latter with adequate safeguards.