May 31st 2024.
Written By April Walker
When we think about technology and business today, one topic that cannot be ignored is artificial intelligence, or AI. It has become a crucial consideration for leaders in all industries, governments, and global initiatives. The predictions for AI's impact on the future are bold and audacious, and while some may view them as premature, the latest headlines and news reports suggest that they are not far from the truth. The progress and advancements made in this field so far indicate that AI will play a significant role in every aspect of our lives. It's safe to say that there will be very few areas left untouched by AI, and its influence promises to make everything better. It may sound like a utopian dream, but it's not too far-fetched. So, what exactly does "everything" entail? I'm talking about how we navigate the world, how we live, learn, and even love. But before we dive into these areas, let's first establish some context by defining a few fundamental terms. Keep in mind that the list of AI terminologies is extensive, and this is by no means a comprehensive list.
As someone who has experience in AI as a practitioner, architect, engineer, educator, and evangelist, I am often asked: "Where should one begin their AI journey?" With the vast amount of information available, the thought of learning and understanding all the concepts of AI can seem overwhelming. Even the most disciplined, well-read students would find it challenging to absorb everything. My advice is to take it slow. There's no need to try and learn everything at once. In fact, attempting to do so would be futile, as this technology is continuously evolving. It's the new normal to learn something new about AI every day. You'd have to become a "Large Language Model" to comprehend it all, but let's not get distracted by this term just yet. I'll explain more about it later.
A Brief History of AI
In simple terms, AI can mimic human capabilities. A more precise definition defines AI as a theory and development that allows computer systems to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as communication, learning, decision-making, visual perception, speech recognition, and translation between languages. This technology was first introduced between 1950-1956, with Alan Turing, the father of modern computer science, playing a significant role. He published a paper proposing the Turing Test, which would serve as a way to test machine intelligence. The first AI research workshop was held at Dartmouth College in 1956.
Terminologies and Definitions
Let's look at some of the terms that will help us understand this incredible technology and how it's evolving for everyday use. This is not an exhaustive list, and I have intentionally left out concepts such as ethical AI, bias, societal and economic implications, and the analysis of wealth creation and inequality. These topics are essential and will have significant consequences for communities of color, and I will cover them in a future column. For now, let's focus on the fundamentals.
Chatbot: This is a software application designed to mimic human conversation through text or voice commands. You may have encountered a chatbot when shopping online, as they often pop up to offer assistance with your purchase.
Generative AI: This technology uses AI to create content, such as text, video, code, and images. A generative AI system is trained using vast amounts of data, which allows it to find patterns and generate new content. The benefits of generative AI for various industries are vast, and it presents opportunities to improve consumer experiences and business productivity. As a patient, customer, or client-facing assistant, it can provide easily accessible and understandable information, democratizing data like never before.
Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT): Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that can process human language and generate a response. The latest version, GPT-40, is a significant step towards more natural human-computer interaction. It can accept various inputs, such as text, audio, image, and video, and generate text, audio, and image outputs. Its response time to audio inputs is comparable to human response times in a conversation. While it may be easy to confuse generative AI and ChatGPT, they are fundamentally different. Generative AI creates original content based on inputs, while ChatGPT mimics human conversation. Think of it this way: Generative AI creates new content, while ChatGPT is what you would encounter when interacting with online customer support.
Big Data: AI cannot function without data. Data is the fuel that powers AI's abilities. Big data refers to the volume, velocity, and variety of data that AI technologies use to discover patterns and correlations hidden in massive datasets.
Natural Language Processing (NLP): This type of AI enables computers to understand spoken and written human language. NLP makes features such as text and speech recognition possible on devices. An example of NLP in everyday use is when we ask voice assistant Siri for directions.
Machine Learning (ML): Many online streaming platforms use ML algorithms to understand and improve customer experience based on their viewing history.
Technology and enterprise are two topics that cannot be discussed without mentioning the impact of artificial intelligence (AI). It is a subject that every business leader, government organization, and global mission is focused on. Some may see the predictions about AI's influence on the future as premature, but the latest headlines and news reports suggest otherwise. The advancements in this field show that AI will play a significant role in our society, and very few areas will remain untouched. It is believed that AI will make everything better, leading to a utopian world. But what exactly does "everything" mean? Well, it includes how we live, learn, and even love. Before we delve deeper into these areas, let's first understand some fundamental terms related to AI. However, it's worth noting that the list of AI terminologies is vast, and this is not an exhaustive list.
As an experienced AI practitioner, I am often asked, "Where should one begin their AI journey?" With so much information available, it can be overwhelming to even think about gaining knowledge and grasping all the concepts of AI. Trust me, even the most well-read and disciplined student would find it challenging to absorb everything. My advice? Take it slow. There is no need to rush and try to learn everything at once. It would be futile anyway, as AI is evolving at a rapid pace, and it's becoming the new normal to learn something new about it every day. You would have to be a walking "Large Language Model (LLM)" to comprehend it all. But don't let the introduction of a new term distract you. I will explain more about LLMs, so keep reading.
Let's take a brief look at the history of AI. Simply put, AI can mimic human capabilities. A more refined definition would be that it is a theory and development that enables computer systems to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as communication, learning, and decision-making. These tasks can also include visual perception, speech recognition, and language translation. The birth of AI can be traced back to 1950-1956 when Alan Turing, the father of modern computer science, published "Computer Machinery and Intelligence." He proposed a test called The Imitation Game to evaluate machine intelligence. The actual field of AI research was established in 1956 at a workshop held at Dartmouth College.
Now, let's look at some terminologies and definitions that will help us understand this incredible technology and how it's evolving for everyday use. I have intentionally left out concepts such as ethical AI, bias, societal and economic impact, and wealth creation, as these topics require in-depth discussion and will be covered in a future column. For now, let's focus on the fundamentals.
A chatbot is a software application designed to imitate human conversation through text or voice commands. For example, when shopping online, you may have encountered a pop-up window asking if you need assistance with your purchase. That's a chatbot in action! Generative AI is a type of technology that uses AI to create content, including text, video, code, and images. It is trained using vast amounts of data to find patterns for generating new content. This technology presents compelling opportunities to improve consumer experiences and increase productivity for businesses. As a patient, customer, or client-facing assistant, access to easily understandable information demonstrates the significant potential for democratizing data like never before.
Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) is a chatbot technology developed by AI research company OpenAI. Its latest version, GPT-40, is a step towards natural human-computer interaction. It can process a combination of text, audio, image, and video inputs and generate any combination of text, audio, and image outputs. With a response time of as little as 232 milliseconds, it's almost like having a conversation with a human. It's easy to confuse ChatGPT with generative AI, but there is a significant difference. While generative AI focuses on creating original responses, ChatGPT mimics human conversation. To put it simply, generative AI will generate new content based on the inputs it receives, while ChatGPT is what you would encounter when interacting with online customer support.
Data is the fuel that powers AI. Without it, AI cannot function. The term "big data" refers to the volume, velocity, and variety of data that AI technologies use to uncover patterns and correlations hidden in massive collections of data. Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a type of AI that enables computers to understand spoken and written human language. This technology is responsible for features like text and speech recognition on devices. A common example of NLP is when we ask voice assistant Siri for directions. Lastly, machine learning (ML) algorithms are used by many online and streaming platforms to understand and improve customer experience based on their viewing history.
In conclusion, AI is a rapidly evolving field that has the potential to impact every aspect of our lives, from how we live to how we love. As we continue to learn more about this technology, it's essential to understand its key terminologies and definitions to keep up with its advancements.
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