Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a field within computer science that aims to create systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks can include voice recognition, image analysis, decision-making, and the ability to learn from experience.
Today, AI is used in a wide range of applications that impact our daily lives, from virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa to personalized recommendations on streaming platforms or social networks.
Types of Artificial Intelligence
There are different types of AI, each with varying levels of complexity and capabilities:
Reactive AI
This is the most basic type of AI. Reactive systems only respond to immediate stimuli and cannot learn from past experiences. A classic example is Deep Blue, the program that defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997. Deep Blue only reacted to the opponent’s moves without remembering previous plays.
AI Application: Systems like basic chatbots or programs that make real-time decisions without storing past information are examples of reactive AI.
Limited Memory AI
Unlike reactive AI, this type of AI can use past information to make better future decisions. An example would be an image recognition system that learns from every image it processes, improving its predictions over time.
AI Application: Many current AI applications, such as autonomous vehicles, fall into this category. These systems use historical data to improve decision-making, like avoiding obstacles or planning routes.
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
AGI refers to a theoretical AI that aims to replicate all human cognitive abilities. An AGI system wouldn’t just specialize in one task but could learn anything like a human does. However, this type of AI has not yet been achieved.
AI Application: There are no real-world examples of AGI today as it remains an area of research in AI. In science fiction, characters like the robots in the movies “Her” or “Ex Machina” represent hypothetical versions of AGI.
Autonomous AI (or Self-Aware AI)
This theoretical type of AI would not only have general intelligence but also self-awareness. It would be capable of understanding itself and its surroundings, acting with a high degree of autonomy. This concept is even more distant than AGI and mainly exists in science fiction.
AI Application: There are no real applications of autonomous AI, but science fiction is filled with examples of this kind of intelligence (for example, “Hal 9000” from “2001: A Space Odyssey”).
Practical Applications of AI Today
AI is deeply integrated into many systems we use every day. Here are some common applications:
- Virtual Assistants: Like Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa, which understand and respond to voice commands.
- Autonomous Vehicles: Cars that can drive themselves, making real-time decisions based on the environment.
- Recommendation Systems: Platforms like Netflix or YouTube use AI to recommend personalized content based on your preferences and behavior.
Conclusion
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a single technology but a collection of methods that address a variety of problems, ranging from reactive systems to the theoretical AGI and autonomous AI. Its practical applications, such as virtual assistants and autonomous vehicles, have become integral to everyday life.
In the next post, we will explore how mathematics forms the backbone of these AI systems. We will dive into key concepts like linear algebra, calculus, and probability, and see how they enable AI to learn, adapt, and perform complex tasks.
Stay tuned as we take the first step into the mathematical foundations of AI.