What is AI? Your mind probably jumped to ChatGPT, Snapchat AI, and Meta AI, right? This buzzword is everywhere, and if you haven’t encountered AI yet, you likely will soon—possibly as early as next year. AI is transforming the way we live, work, and interact with technology. AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is a branch of computer science focused on creating systems that exhibit some form of intelligence. This includes systems that learn concepts and tasks, reason to draw useful conclusions about the world around us, understand natural language, perceive actual scenes, and perform other tasks requiring human-like intelligence. While this definition may sound complex, don't worry about the “big” words.
At its core, AI refers to machines and systems that mimic human intelligence. The key term here is “mimic.” AI is designed to match our intelligence rather than replace it. It goes beyond simple tasks that early computers performed, such as typing, processing, and basic arithmetic. AI can understand language, recognize images, solve problems, and even make decisions.
The public's awareness of AI surged when ChatGPT became “the next big thing,” evoking both awe and fear. New technologies often bring change, prompting fears about job displacement, such as the common rumor that “AI will take your job.” This article aims to enlighten you and perhaps encourage you to use AI for more than just completing assignments.
Early work in AI began as early as the 1920s, with programs and ideologies like propositional and predicate calculus. This foundational work, carried out by logicians such as Alonzo Church, Kurt Gödel, Emil Post, and Alan Turing, demonstrated that facts and ideas from languages like English could be described and manipulated mechanically in meaningful ways. This laid the groundwork for conceptualizing intelligence that surpasses human limitations. The growth of AI closely mirrored the development of computers, with computer sizes shrinking from large machines to personal computers, while memory and storage capacities expanded from megabytes to terabytes, leading to faster and more reliable software.
The initial foundations of AI included Turing machines, cybernetics, and formal languages. The Turing machine was a simple processor that could manipulate symbols as well as numbers. Cybernetics studies communication between humans and machines, while formal languages ensured that machines could understand human commands without requiring extensive coding knowledge. These three foundational elements predate the 1950s and form the basis for modern AI. Kudos to the scholars who expanded upon this concept, which is now exceeding their initial visions.
You might think AI is just ChatGPT, but let me show you that AI existed long before this. AI powers many smart technologies we use daily—whether it's the virtual assistants on our phones, algorithms that curate our social media feeds, or even self-driving cars. For instance, if you like a reel about dogs, you'll likely see similar content for days to come. This is AI at work, specifically in the realm of machine learning (ML)—a topic for another article. Machine learning involves training a model on a specific dataset and then testing it on larger data to make predictions, in this case, about your interests.
AI is exciting due to its limitless potential. For example, during the lockdown, our Ministry of Health used AI to analyze statistics and predict whether conditions were improving enough to lift or extend lockdowns. Many of us eagerly awaited updates from public officials like Mutahi Kagwe, hoping for changes while still juggling school and other responsibilities. This illustrates how AI and machine learning are integrated into healthcare.
AI is significant and, like many human inventions, is here to stay. It has opened doors for innovation in various fields, including healthcare, where it can assist in diagnosing diseases more quickly, and in business, where it optimizes processes and decision-making. AI is continuously evolving, particularly with the growth of machine learning, which enables computers to improve over time without human intervention.
It's important to remember that AI is not here to take your job. In fact, AI is designed to make your life easier. Virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa help you manage daily tasks, while streaming services like Netflix use AI to recommend shows based on your viewing habits. AI functions similarly to tools like Grammarly, ensuring your resume is free of typos, or autocorrect, which helps verify your texts. Essentially, AI acts as a quiet companion that works behind the scenes to enhance user experiences. For busy individuals, AI serves as a reminder in your smartwatch, helping you stay on track.