Are our worries about Artificial Intelligence (AI) unfounded? Will AI replace our jobs, replace our creativity, and replace our purpose? Is the future of chess tournaments one chess-playing robot against another?

Artificial Intelligence has become a buzzword in recent years, but what exactly is it, and what should we know about it? Whether you're an AI novice or looking to deepen your understanding, this article serves as a starting point on your journey to unravel the world of AI.

What is AI?

At its core, AI is the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks encompass a wide range of activities, from problem-solving and decision-making to speech recognition and language translation.

AI systems are designed to learn from data, adapt to changing situations, and improve their performance over time. This learning ability is a key characteristic that sets AI apart from traditional software programs.

Key Concepts: Automation, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning

Three fundamental concepts in AI are automation, machine learning, and deep learning:

Automation: The use of technology, such as software and machinery, to perform tasks with minimal human intervention. It involves designing systems or processes that can execute repetitive or complex actions automatically, reducing the need for manual effort and increasing efficiency. 

Machine Learning (ML): Algorithms are trained to make predictions or decisions based on data. Think of ML as teaching a computer to recognize patterns and make informed choices.

Deep Learning: Involves neural networks with multiple layers. It's responsible for remarkable achievements in image recognition, natural language processing, and more.

AI in Action

Whether you are cognisant of it or not, you engage with AI in these three forms everyday. AI is not confined to academic research or science fiction; it's actively shaping the world around us. Here are a few examples of AI applications:

Virtual Personal Assistants: Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are AI-driven virtual assistants that can answer questions, set reminders, and even control smart home devices.

Autonomous Vehicles: Self-driving cars use AI to perceive their surroundings, make driving decisions, and ensure passenger safety (at least that’s the hope!).

Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP algorithms enable chatbots, language translation services, and sentiment analysis in customer feedback.

Let’s keep in mind that the general public is still learning how to walk with AI, we can’t run just yet. While AI is capable of producing some extraordinary pieces of content, like fake videos of people moving their mouths and “saying” things they never actually said, this level of AI sophistication still requires an intense amount of human engagement - it isn’t easy to create this kind of content! What the general public can easily do with the current state of AI, is more so on the level of generating silly images.

The Promise and Challenges of AI

While AI holds incredible promise, it also presents challenges. Bias in algorithms, data privacy concerns, and the potential for job displacement are just a few of the ethical and societal issues we must grapple with as AI becomes more integrated into our lives. One of our most pressing concerns regarding AI, is how it can impact our children. How to Make Your Children More Human In The AI Era is one of our former blog articles dabbling in this topic.

In the subsequent posts in this series, we'll delve deeper into AI's applications, ethics, and the exciting future it holds. How do we use AI at Moi Panda, and how does it influence our work? So, stay tuned for the next installment in our AI series, where we explore how AI is actively transforming industries and lives, including ours at Moi Panda!

In the meantime, take a moment to ponder the ways AI already influences your daily routine. From the smartphone in your pocket to the recommendations on your streaming platform, AI is all around us, shaping the world we live in. Explore how Moi Panda is using AI by signing up to try our app.

Brandon Collier, Business Analyst at Moi Panda