You may have heard about the big revolution called AI or artificial intelligence that is sweeping the news and the tech industry. Let me tell you, there is nothing new under the sun here. We are still baby steps into the idea that computers can think for themselves. They don’t. There was a program called Eliza written back in the 60s I believe, or 70s and you can still run it through your browser. Here is the link, https://web.njit.edu/~ronkowit/eliza.html Computers can only create logic from words that people write. It is just more sophisticated today than it was 30 to 40 years ago, but it’s the same thing, take some input, decide based on the logic that humans have programmed, and give output. I think that computers are doing better at reading and understanding. Computers give positive feedback, and yet it isn’t artificial intelligence. It is just a program. We need to stop repackaging this idea that it is AI because it is bullshit. When computers start to react to other inputs that human beings do not give it, then we will start to see real AI. When computers can design and develop new reactions based on what they’re doing that’s real AI. We hear Apple talk about machine learning, and I feel that learning is much more akin to the idea of AI than being able to respond to a query and give you back a paragraph for a page of information that it’s drawn together and parsed together. Does the world need AI? I do think we need some ability to ask computers, real questions and get solid responses. I mean I look at programs like Grammarly, which are amazing. They give incredible feedback on paragraphs that you write and recommendations on writing style for readability and much more. What’s next? Will a computer wake up in the morning and go I think I’m gonna write a novel today or I think I’m gonna do some research on something today? Nothing happens without that human interaction. Computers are a long way from being self-aware, so even though the Terminator is on the horizon, it still isn’t here yet. So don’t worry my friends, we’re all gonna be OK. AI is just 40-year-old technology repackaged and sent to you to raise the stock prices of a few companies.
