AI
Artificial Intelligence: Untangling the myths of popular culture
Artificial
intelligence (AI) has been a near- obsessive focus of futurists and science fiction
authors since long before the advent of modern computers. Jen Mullen, emerging technology solutions lead at Keysight Technologies
S
tudents of history, film, and literature recognise that science fiction reflects society’s collective mood. In this context, the way that AI is used as a plot device is a particularly compelling litmus test for public sentiment.
In prosperous times, pop culture approaches AI through a utopian lens – C3PO in Star Wars, Data from Star Trek, and Disney Pixar’s Wall-E. Stanley Kubrick’s chilling Hal-9000, GERTY from the 2009 film Moon, and Ava from Ex Machina are all decidedly dystopian and reflect the public anxiety and unease in uncertain times. Today, the introduction of accessible AI programmes has led to a boom in media coverage and interest from consumers and businesses. Advertisements touting software with powerful AI capabilities abound on LinkedIn and Google.
26 JUNE 2023 | ELECTRONICS TODAY
Despite this rising focus on AI, public understanding of AI remains rooted more in science fiction than reality. Contrary to popular belief and software marketing, which may tout AI as a product’s primary function, it is likely only one subset of a small function that may use an AI algorithm.
This has given rise to a widely held assumption that AI is a complex, intelligent – nearly sentient – “magic bullet” that can solve challenges in any imaginable scenario. However, AI is much more approachable than popular culture would have us believe. In the simplest terms, AI can best be described as “math with direction”. Given this reality, it’s understandable why pop culture storytellers looking for compelling narratives choose to perpetuate the mythologies surrounding AI.
Deconstructing the myth of AI “AI is something we simultaneously take advantage of all the time but have no idea how it works or what it’s doing,” said Ben Coffin, host of the Source De[Code] podcast. Due to the buzz – and pop culture myths – that surround this emerging technology, defining artificial intelligence can be challenging.
Put simply, AI is a useful tool that aids users in identifying patterns in large data sets that they would not otherwise be able to parse through on their own.
Understanding how AI works, what it does, and how developers are using it in real- world scenarios paints a surprising picture of an approachable technology that is accelerating breakthroughs with tangible benefits.
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