A few days ago the Internet woke up to humanoid robot jogging in a grassy residential area. The 34 second clip was posted by Boston Dynamics which has previously also put out similar videos of humanoid robots mimicking human activity.
Technology has come a long way – a jogging humanoid robot is no small feat! This throws up two big question – how smart can Artificial Intelligence (AI) really get? And how far away are we from technological singularity?
Artificial Superintelligence – Can human intelligence be overridden and made redundant?
The base theory on which singularity sits is that Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) will supercharge a technology growth that will overtake human intelligence to a point where mankind will be threatened and our intelligence will become redundant.
While this is largely a hypothetical theory, however, die-hard proponents of this theory strongly believe we are moving in this direction at an accelerated pace.
The reasoning behind singularity is that AI will soon reach a point where it can not only improve itself, but more importantly reach a capability where it can push forward technological discovery in a manner that will supersede the relevance of humans.
At this point, AI could then start discovering and creating functions and technology principals which could support computational power providing it with the requisite capability to continually improve and build on its current capabilities. And all of this will be done without the need for any human intervention.
A chemical reaction created life on earth 3.5 billion years ago. That kick started a seismic evolutionary process which has pretty much continued until date. However, if the theory of technological singularity is proven right, then we could be looking at an equally seismic change in technological advancement which in turn could impact human evolution and the future of humankind.
Until now, every advancement that humankind achieved has been due to human intelligence. If ASI takes over, then this intelligence will not only be under threat, but it could well lead us to the brink of extinction. So the theory goes.
Intelligence only Limited to the Human Brain
The above hypothesis does look rather grim. However, the one thing that is overlooked is that fact that human intelligence is not restricted or completely dependent on the brain. Humankind has evolved and developed through a century of learning that is passed on to us through our genes.
Emotional and cognitive intelligence have played and continue to play an equally important role in the evolution of humankind. And while cognitive systems can be programed to mimic human behavior vis-à-vis reasoning and thinking, incorporating emotional intelligence within such systems can be next to impossible. People don’t always react to situations in the same manner.
The course of action could be completely different between two individuals facing the exact same situation resulting in outcomes that while being very different don’t necessarily substantiate a right course of action or a wrong course of action. The results and their impact are highly subjective.
In this context the question is – can a machine or an ASI system mimic the emotional aspect of decision making? The possibility cannot be completely written off just as it cannot be said with complete certainty that it will happen.
Different Theories of Singularity
While the theory of singularity is largely discussed within the realm of it overtaking human intelligence, there are different layers to understanding singularity.
Substantial bases of AI researchers believe that singularity is the point where AI and human intelligence converge on a symbiotic level. In this stage we will be able to effectively address problems and issues that mankind faces. Environmental changes to advances and breakthrough in healthcare among a few things are priority areas.
Another area where AI will truly prove to be most effective will be in managing and addressing data driven complexities that impact businesses across industry verticals. Logistics is one prime example of such use wherein human intervention or errors can be limited to optimizing processes.
It could also herald the required support within healthcare where surgical procedures and outcomes can be computed better. Or even in areas where there is a direct threat to human life such as firefighting or a terrorist attack (as already insinuated). Perhaps these machines can even help human kind as indicated in the beginning of Transformers III when the Autobots helped America and the world in destroying Iranian nuclear facilities, for instance.
These are areas where singularity can prove be a boon rather than bane. How far we achieve these goals and at what pace is something that time will reveal. In the meantime, there is no doubt that we will reach an inflection point sometime in the near future. How we utilize and build on that inflection point is really the crux of this entire discussion.
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Keiran Hathorn is the CEO & Founder of Big Wave Digital. A Sydney based niche Digital, Data & Technology recruitment company. Keiran leads a high performance, experienced recruitment team, assisting companies of all sizes secure the best talent.
