Demystifying Artificial Intelligence
/Published in la Republica on the 28/02/2023
ChatGPT is breaking all adoption records—more than 100 million registered users in just two months, contributing to the idea that computers are becoming ever more omnipotent. This application incorporates artificial intelligence to learn from the texts it processes and has practical uses, for example, in customer service areas (Chatbot) or in the production of reports or written content.
Artificial intelligence (or "AI" as it's commonly known) has given rise to a series of solutions in our daily lives: products like Alexa, various cybersecurity programs, and the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines have all emerged thanks to this discipline. Since IBM's "Deep Blue" robot triumphed over world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1977, and more recently with developments like the metaverse and autonomous vehicles, many have falsely predicted that machines will eventually surpass humans.
In its early days, computing was conceived around data processing—that is, machines designed to crunch numbers. John McCarthy coined the term "artificial intelligence" in 1956, envisioning computers that could learn from experience—putting programs through multiple iterations to reach increasingly correct decisions, thus becoming more "intelligent." As with many major historical advances, this conceptual idea sparked the development of tools to materialize the possibility, leading to the creation of programming languages with this capability (Lisp, Julia, Haskell) to generate applications.
Humans often feel overwhelmed by the form and speed with which certain inventions are practically developed. In many cases, simply observing the trend of adoption is enough to truly understand the impact a new technology will have. PwC predicts that by 2035, artificial intelligence will contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy, with China and the U.S. receiving 70% of this impact.
Faced with this rapid development, it's important to recognize that we will increasingly integrate AI concepts into all automated solutions we encounter, but this doesn’t mean humans will lose control over these solutions. Artificial intelligence cannot reason independently—it can simulate the mental process of a human by being exposed to multiple similar experiences, but it cannot creatively generate new theories or responses that fall outside its learned patterns.
We must understand the tremendous power this entails and recognize that behind these computing solutions, humans are freeing themselves from operational tasks to access a more demanding level of utilizing our own cognitive abilities. Just as we no longer need to perform certain mathematical tasks, soon we won’t need to do as much work to write a report or drive on a highway. These additional computing capabilities are beneficial, presenting a positive challenge for humanity—sociologically—but we should not surround them with unfounded myths, because we, the creators, will retain control.
