Foreword: Artificial Intelligence as the fourth industrial revolution.
Last updated
Last updated
The term artificial intelligence (AI) was first coined in 1956 by computer scientist John McCarthy. It describes a technology that focuses on creating intelligent software, or “thinking machines”, which can perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence. AI has been around ever since the ancient Greeks developed automated devices — this being only in formal incipient form — such as the Antikythera mechanism.
It is only in the 20th century that AI started taking concrete shape, differentiating itself from automation. During this century, AI research surged, with advances in computing power and techniques such as logic programming, neural networks and fuzzy systems. This led to research breakthroughs such as Deep Blue’s 1997 victory over world chess champion Garry Kasparov, IBM's machine translation technology and autonomous robot navigation. On an ideological level, the anticipation of this research led to the concept of Singularity, theorized by Vernor Vinge in 1993 and describing a tipping point where artificial intelligence would surpass Man and become self-aware.
During this time, AI also found its way into everyday life, as commercial products for text recognition, facial recognition and natural language processing became widely available. With access to large datasets, self-learning enabled smarter robots and virtual assistants emerged from today's advanced architectures, such as deep learning, which can very accurately understand real data. As AI continues to evolve alongside improvements in storage capabilities and faster processing times, it will continue to shape our interactions with technology for many years to come.
There are three industrial revolutions that historians consider important. The first one is the transition from the feudal system of production to the capitalist one, driven by the decline of the guild-centered economy, the system of orders, or, in other words, the still feudal small rural economy. On a phenomenal level, it caused a transition from manual production methods in manufactures, to mechanical ones in factories. The Second Industrial Revolution, which began around the mid-19th century, was characterized by breakthroughs in transportation and communication. This allowed for mass production of consumer goods and increased global trade. Finally, the Third Industrial Revolution was a period beginning in the 1950s where computers and other digital technologies revolutionized industries and lifestyles around the world. It marked a major transformation in automation as well as increased product standards and reliability. Communication technologies such as networking systems, satellites, cell phones and internet also underwent rapid development during this time.
With Artificial Intelligence, we are now facing the fourth industrial revolution. AI has the potential to automate tasks and create new opportunities that would otherwise be impossible. It can reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve products and services. With AI-driven automation, organizations are now able to complete complex tasks quicker, cheaper, and more effectively than ever before.
AI applications are being used to optimize operations in industries across the board. From manufacturing and transportation to healthcare or consumer services like grocery shopping and restaurants, AI is being used for predictive maintenance to decrease downtime for machines and robotic process automation (RPA) to speed up customer service processes and order fulfillment. In addition to cost savings through increased productivity it also helps achieve higher accuracy while reducing human intervention significantly. One example of a company that uses AI successfully is Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman utilizes natural language processing and machine learning to power systems that inform their decisions relating to cost savings and risk optimization for their customers. Additionally, Northrop Grumman leverages AI for automated surveillance capabilities of its spacecrafts as part of applications deployed in space. This AI-driven technology is responsible for automating required tasks, like analyzing complex visual field data, which then allows human operators to better interpret and act on data more quickly. Northrop Grumman also uses chatbot technology on their customer service channels, allowing users to get quick help from a virtual assistant.
AI can not only boost an organization’s competitive advantage but also help them collect data on some of the most pressing problems facing today's society: climate change, global health crises such as pandemics and global economic inequality. Through advanced analytics it can collect data from sensors located around the globe to identify environmental changes that could contribute to health risks or problems related to inequality of access to resources or medical care for certain communities.
AI is truly setting itself up as a transformative technology, pioneering innovation across all areas of our lives with the potential for exponential growth in adoption rates in the next few years. The possibilities of what AI is capable are inexhaustible — the future promises a whole new beginning at every turn.
