Learning in a digital age/LiDA102/Digital practices in the workplace/Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is predicted to have a significant impact on society and business. Examples include, autonomous cars, computers understanding human speech and machine learning. Consider for instance, that computer chess games available for commercial desktop machines have the ability to beat accomplished chess players including grand masters.

In this section we introduce a few interesting examples of artificial intelligence to provide a sense of how sophisticated these technologies are becoming.

Definitions of artificial intelligence

1. The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.
2. The capacity of a computer to perform operations analogous to learning and decision making in humans, as by an expert system, a program for CAD or CAM, or a program for the perception and recognition of shapes in computer vision systems

Orientation

Read the following article published by Forbes which provides a succinct overview of artificial intelligence technologies.

• Press, G. (2017). Top 10 Hot Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies. Retrieved July 11, 2017.

Meet Baby X

Imagine a machine that can laugh and cry, learn and dream, and can express its inner responses to how it perceives you to feel. It can express itself in a natural manner but also allows you to visualise the mental imagery emerging in its mind.

Mark Sagar, Director of the Laboratory for Animate Technologies, and his team at the University of Auckland developed Baby X. Baby X is an interactive virtual infant prototype. Baby X uses basic neural systems modelling the brain to drive advanced 3D computer graphic models of the face. These lifelike models interact in real time with humans including behavioural learning models.

This Freaky Baby Could Be the Future of AI. Watch It in Action

For more information on Baby X:

• Watch: Baby X V3.0
• Watch: The astonishingly real virtual baby that laughs, cries -- and learns, presentation by Mark Sagar at TEDx Chistchurch.

Share you thoughts on AI by posting a comment on WENotes, for example:

• Baby X will ...
• I was surprised that AI ...
• In <insert business> AI will ...

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