Is Artificial Intelligence a MIRROR?

Every day we work with intelligent algorithms that assist us in completing everyday tasks. This happens when we open Netflix and are recommended a movie, when we interact with Siri or Alexa, or when we check our email that has magically filtered out much of the unending spam. The majority of these technologies (no matter how insignificant they may seem) are programmed to understand, learn, and ultimately match the way we think.

This way, we can define AI as the development of intelligent agents  or mechanisms that perceive an environment and take actions that maximize the chances of exhibiting the behaviour that is targeted. For many industries and societies general intelligence and/or machines that can outperform humans in cognitive tasks are a long-term goal. Already modern algorithms are generating intelligent agents that can outperform the most accomplished chess and Go players in the world. 

As these agents, and the algorithms upon which they are built, continue to evolve, we can expect an Alice In Wonderland moment. At this stage, the complexity of the behaviours will begin to mimic those observed in nature. 

Even though we expect that the outcome of the Artificial Intelligence algorithms will always be positive, we should be prepared for the opposite of it as well. As we can see, people are pretty much involved in a lot of different aspects of creating and using Artificial Intelligence in real life. Machine learning algorithms can intentionally or unintentionally create a disadvantage for people. For example, by not using real cancer patient data IBM’s Watson for Oncology made unsafe medical recommendations. But, in these specific cases a trained algorithm should be considered and one can be achieved through a lot of algorithm testing.

As we previously stated in our article “How will AI shape the future of the job market?” AI will mirror numerous current jobs, allowing individuals to be freed from their daily routines and focus on more creative aspects of their work.