Problem of Creating Artificial Intelligence - Assignment Example

Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Class Name: Date Assignment is due: Can Man Create Intelligence? Introduction Artificial intelligence though capable of being created and regarded as intelligence can only be classified as weighted and not real intelligence. It is undoubtedly true that humans will eventually succeed in creating intelligence through the use of machine technology. Real intelligence as possessed by human beings however cannot be realized since machines do not possess intellectual thought and emotions that often define intelligence aspects in human beings. Since the original computer designs were created, scientists have concerned themselves with increasing their efficiency through applying different capabilities that make the system ‘intelligent’, thus enabling it to solve a variety of problems to the user’s advantage. This has been exemplified in the use of high technology machines and robots that can perform the role of human beings with ease and have thus been deemed intelligent. As a matter of fact, the Turing Test proposed that a machine can be considered intelligent if it operates in such a way that it is not possible for humans to distinguish it from another human through asking questions using a machine link. It has been suggested by the years 2030-2050, computers will be considered ‘smarter’ than humans, thus leading to a raging debate on what will happen then. Some people have joked that there will be a time when artificial intelligence machines will hold discussions through communication over the internet, to enforce laws over human beings. It has been labeled a “threat” that will supersede that of the current threat of biotechnology and genetics. Even then, artificial intelligence experts are more determined than ever to come up with the most sophisticated technology to prove that intelligence can indeed be created. The lingering question however remains; can humans create intelligence? A major proposition that emerges is that while human beings can be able to create intelligence, it may not be considered real because it will lack emotional, cognitive and intellectual aspects that are often associated with human intelligence. This paper seeks to explore the concept of artificial intelligence with an objective of establishing whether intelligence can indeed be created. Artificial intelligence definition A satisfactory definition of artificial intelligence exemplifies it as the intelligence that human beings create with an intention of making a machine act like them. In essence, it denotes the aspect of computer science that concerns itself with designing computers in such a way that they behave like humans (Russell and Norvig 364). A more scientific approach defines artificial intelligence (AI) as a computer science branch that concerns itself with studying and designing intelligent agents, where the agents perceive their environment and instigate actions that enhance their chances of success (McCorduck 34). According to the author of the term, John McCarthy, AI denotes the science of designing and engineering intelligent machines. A proper understanding of this concept however requires a detailed study of what intelligence really entails. One must effectively understand what the designers of AI aim at achieving in order to efficiently define artificial intelligence. The concept stems from the need to replicate human intelligence which includes traits of reasoning, planning, communication, perception, knowledge and ability to manipulate objects (Russell and Norvig 861). Accordingly, AI is the art of designing machines in such a way that they can portray these characteristics and consequently act like human beings. Discussion Arguments in favor of creation of intelligence The possibility of creation of artificial intelligence is not far-fetched and it is undeniable that human invention has already covered a significant portion of the journey towards creating human intelligence. It is evident that computers are programmed to perform roles that were originally undertaken by human beings. Also notable is the creation of robots, machines and mobile devices that exhibit considerable levels of intelligence and efficiency in addressing real-life problems (Russell and Norvig 28). The increased advancement in modern technology and continued replacement of human labor with machines attests that human beings are indeed creating intelligence. Notably, machines that can perform jobs that are handled by a number of people single handedly are likely to exceed human beings, if such performance was considered to be intelligence (Serenko and Detlor 365). The reality of artificial intelligence dawned on the world when the first robot teacher was launched in Kudan Elementary School in Japan to teach 10-year-old pupils (Demetriou para 1-2). The robot used programmed movements enabling it to express six emotions while in class. The robot could show happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, anger and disgust while teaching. The mere thought of a robot taking the role of a teacher denotes that the creation of artificial intelligence, which is bound to improve with time. The recent creation of Watson, a machine created by IBM is also a strong indicator of the future of intelligence creation. The machine makes use of a terabyte of data to retrieve answers to complex questions in a time span of 3-5 seconds (Kharif para 2). Such efficiency in solving problems could even be faster than that of a regular human being thus proving that intelligence can actually be created. Hewlett-Packard is also set to develop a high power machine with increased ‘brainpower’ (Kharif para 13). According to HP, the machine will replicate the human brain and it will crunch data significantly faster than normal machines. The trend of intelligence creation has also become apparent in the mobile users, where smartphones have become increasingly popular. Smartphones are capable of holding greater functions and more complex tasks and are therefore a form of artificial intelligence (Kharif para 7). Going by the definition of intelligence, it is possible to deduce that human beings are indeed succeeding in creating intelligence. Intelligence by definition represents the measure of the mental ability of an individual and their response to cognitive tasks. It represents capabilities such as understanding, communication, problem solving, learning, planning and abstract thought (McCorduck 523-525). In reference to this definition, it is possible to presume that human beings have created intelligence; given the characteristics exhibited by computers, machines and robots that have employed the concept of artificial intelligence. These devices portray highly effective operations, scheduling and memory; and their problem solving abilities are unequaled (Russell and Norvig 60-63). Notably, they are capable of using programs to enhance learning, communication, perception and the manipulation of objects. Essentially, they can perform human actions and could thus be considered intelligent. This exemplifies that the fact that human beings are succeeding in creating intelligence. Man has endeavored to create, develop and control various aspects of life from the very beginning since the genesis of man. Historically, it is observable that human beings have continued to discover and develop ways of making life comfortable, having started from the simple art of making fire to that of building cars and aircrafts. Creativity and innovation is manifest in all human activities and it is clear to see that man will continue to come up with new developments. The notion of artificial intelligence therefore comes as no surprise and even though human beings have not really succeeded in making intelligence, this is bound to happen in the near future. Such determination can be likened to man’s determination to go to the moon which triggered years of research and expensive preparations until the first man landed in the moon in 1969 (Malam 30). This can also be observed in the creation of modern innovations such as the internet which now connects the world into one global village. Probably, this would never have occurred to anyone a few decades ago, yet it is now a reality that human beings succeeded in interconnecting the world. Human beings have even succeeded in creating life as demonstrated by cloning developments and the biotechnological concept of test-tube babies (Bauer and Gaskell 312). They have proved that anything is possible with humans and therefore there is no basis to doubt that human beings can create artificial intelligence. It is in the nature of human beings to invent and experts will only stop once they can effectively say that they have created human intelligence. Just like any discovery in science, experts are bound to go around the components of intelligence to create their own version of intelligence. In an argument developed by (Rube para 3) he argues that according to Pythagoras, it is possible to break the world down into mathematical formulas. Similarly, consciousness, emotions and free choice as exhibited in human intelligence can be expressed in math form. In accordance to this proposition, scientists would then use the mathematical formulas for emotions and consciousness to create intelligence and sentience. This way, artificial intelligence with emotions could be created hence concluding a major achievement. While the expression of biological aspects of human beings in mathematical formulas may seem ridiculous, it is notable that scientists will go to any lengths to come up with unique discoveries. Scientists have been known to spend considerable amounts of time and resources in research with an objective of coming up with solutions to certain proposed issues. An example is the use of embryonic stem cells in altering genetic composition which has been researched for a long period of time on an extremely high budget (Bauer and Gaskell 358). The costs and time involved however does not matter so much to scientists as long as they can meet the desired objective in the long-run. This therefore illustrates the possibility of creation of intelligence by human beings. The mere capabilities of artificial intelligence has led to an increased demand for machines and gadgets with strong capabilities as companies and individuals strive to make work easier, reduce costs and improve on profitability. Basically, it is the nature of human beings to benefit from gains in production and to reduce expenditure hence the increasing demand for artificial intelligence (McCorduck 96). Market trends indicate that the highly automated devices that utilize unique levels of intelligence such as computers and smartphones are on high demand. The commercial value associated with artificial intelligence therefore creates the need to keep developing more advanced intelligence to improve the production process even further. This is to mean that as much as scientists may not invest in creating intelligence for scientific discovery purposes, the need to create intelligence for commercial purposes is highly anticipated; a factor that could lead to increased research on artificial intelligence and how this can be improved to real intelligence in order to provide users with maximum utility (CSAIL 1). With due time, commercial companies that undertake the research into intelligence capabilities will therefore be in a position to develop machines with real intelligence in order to meet customer demands. Commercial production will also lead to increased investment in research as involved businesses strive to make profits from the manufacture of intelligence systems. An example of a company that is using artificial intelligence commercially is Disney; which develops animal robots and software-aided animations for making cartoons and animated films (CSAIL 3). Arguments against creation of intelligence The creation of intelligence through machines is highly limited and inventors may not be able to replicate intelligence into machines as many would argue. Major objections to this possibility have emerged as opponents maintain that human intelligence is highly flexible and all the characteristic features present in human biology cannot be replicated in using computer software (Přibram and King 189-190). Basic questions have therefore been put forth including: ‘can a machine think?’ ‘Does it have emotions?’ Intelligence is made up of a combination of factors in which intellectual capability and cognitive abilities play a significant role in the thought process. This would also involve emotional capabilities, the use of past experiences and consciousness in addressing issues (Matthews, Zeidner and Roberts 86-89). The argument therefore is that since machines rely on pre-defined information, this cannot be termed as intelligence. Computers ‘think’ under ideal conditions and their solutions are highly habituated while human beings’ thoughts differ with the situation; which further discredits artificial intelligence as real intelligence (Přibram and King 192). The kind of intelligence possessed by machines has been referred to as weighted intelligence since it depends on what has been fed to the system and only acts in accordance to human instructions. This means that unlike human intelligence which allows a human being to consider issues in the environment before performing an action, machines, robots and other inventions that contain artificial intelligence only act from the information provided in the program such that solutions offered are not flexible.. Accordingly, artificial intelligence is not real intelligence. It can therefore be argued that despite the high level innovations undertaken by man, he cannot succeed in creating intelligence. Computers may be considered ‘smarter’ than any species on earth due to their problem solving skills, analytical capabilities and creativity (Kurzweil 265). They exceed humans in memory capacity and definitely have better recollection. This however does not give them superior intelligence over humans and consequently the ‘intelligence’ used in these computers cannot be considered real. Human intelligence is beyond compare and its biological make-up is highly complex such that it cannot be replicated for use in machines (Přibram and King 192). Understanding the nature of intelligence remains a rather complex task, such that developers may not easily replicate intelligence. Even where attempts are made, intelligence characteristics may not be portrayed effectively hence discrediting human beings’ ability to create of intelligence. Furthermore, studies on intelligence indicate that scholars have not reached a consensus on an ideal definition and hypothesis regarding intelligence such that the creation of intelligence may not be well informed (Matthews, Zeidner and Roberts 89). This insinuates that intelligence created by humans is not real as it is predominantly system controlled, such that the machines must be fed with instructions in order to function. Conclusion The nature of human intelligence defies human understanding such that replicating the same on a machine cannot lead to absolute achievement of real intelligence. Notably, human intelligence is a combination of various aspects such as intellectual capacity, logical thought, cognitive abilities, emotions and consciousness which indeed cannot be portrayed in artificial intelligence. A number of arguments support the creation of intelligence by humans, with most indicating that human beings continue to be more innovative and the notion of intelligence creation will soon be achieved. It is established that historically, man has been known to come up with new inventions to ease his work which further goes on to explain why human beings are likely to come up with inventions to create intelligence. Accordingly, the world now enjoys the use of highly efficient computers, machines and robots. Their use is expected to become more prevalent as organizations seek to save costs through using highly efficient machines. While these have been deemed intelligent however, critics still maintain that the intelligence cannot be considered real because it is devoid of major characteristics of intelligence such as emotions, intellectual capacity and cognitive abilities. While computers have been regarded smarter than humans their intelligence is artificial and cannot supersede that of human beings. Furthermore, human beings are the creators of artificial intelligence and are therefore above the created machine intelligence. In conclusion artificial intelligence though created and regarded as intelligence can only be classified as weighted and not real intelligence. Word Count: 2514 Works Cited Bauer, Martin, W. and Gaskell, George. Qualitative researching with text, image and sound: a practical handbook. London: SAGE, 2000. 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