Outlook on Artificial Intelligence Capabilities

The future capabilities of AI encompass a large pool of possibilities and are advancing quickly. If developed correctly and safely, AI has the potential to reshape the human experience in a multitude of positive ways. This includes new technology like autonomous cars, advanced prosthetics, autonomous factories and easier access to larger quantities of information.

These advancements are beginning to turn over now. Leaps are being made constantly, though our transition to relying on them is not as quick. As of now, we have the most control over how these advancements will manifest in the future. It is our decision about how we let AI impact our lives. With it, infrastructures will be redefined and new ones brought into existence. Artificial Intelligence is not super-intelligent as it stands now. We still set up the parameters of what task we want it to accomplish for us. Over the next five years, this narrow form of AI will be pushed far in its capabilities.

In the same time frame, the capabilities of AI will become generalized. This means that its problem-solving skills will catch up to that of a human, with less and less programming beforehand. The trend is a continuation of outperforming humans in isolated tasks until being able to win in all categories. The first apparent change we will see is the shift of jobs that are traditionally performed by humans, to automated by machines.

Industries like transportation and factories work will be the first to dissipate until the majority of those workforces are non-human. Transportation services, such as shipping and public transport, will be provided by autonomous vehicles. Networks of AI machines will be capable of keeping a factory in production. This decline in demand for human workers is going to be an issue that needs to be dealt with.

Our system of government is not equipped to deal with a society where there is not a need for everyone to work. Rates of success in retraining are low. There is a possibility that our transition to these machines is halted because of the reluctance/inability to find a solution for these people.

Next, there will be a shift from human leadership to a human-AI leadership role. This will happen as it becomes better at solving general problems and after it is shown to be reliable enough for us to be comfortable trusting it. Because of its ability to consolidate information, the rates of innovation are bound to increase when integrated into other industries.

Google uses AI to sort through unconscionable amounts of information to bring forward a specific answer to a particular problem. This is an area where future developments could be good or bad. These same algorithms can be used to understand what kind of stories get the strongest reaction out of you. In media, this is already a major problem.

Neural mapping is an area that will be heavily dependant on AI because of its capabilities with information. It will allow us to understand and manipulate the most complex system that there is: the brain (before ultimately passing it in complexity). Applying that technology, it will be possible for those with major physical ailments will be able to live as a regular functioning individual. This will be accomplished through a combination of AI and an interface with the brain. Once interfaced, the AI can read the part of the brain that moves an arm and accurately moves a prosthetic limb in the same way.

The important task in this stage of development is assuring that the AI does not take “immoral” steps to accomplish the task that we give it. The field should be advanced in ways we can predict are safe. We can do this by pushing for more studies of safety with these systems. This concept is going to be one of the most important factors in how the next few years of AI unveiled, and ultimately the influence it has on our lives.

The routes for advancement for AI are malleable at the moment. Precautions will be taken so that it will be tailored to human interests and adhere to our values. Ideally, it will make life easier for everyone, though there will be a set of the population’s jobs that are displaced.

It will create a world with fewer automotive accidents. A world where prosthetics are indistinguishable from biological limbs. It will open us up to new scientific discoveries and other data that we can use to benefit society. AI will inaugurate the biggest boom of information and innovation in human history.