AI - Artificial Intelligence
Definition & History
AI stands for “Artificial Intelligence.” You could briefly define it as making machines act more like humans – making them intelligent. Or, artificially intelligent, since true intelligence requires something more than calculations.
Even though it may seem like AI is a recent development, it’s not. The basics of AI are present in many of the tools we use from day to day – starting with a simple Google search. More advanced applications can be seen in Siri and Alexa, which can schedule meetings, send text messages, and order products.
AI Theories
There are two ways of thinking about the goal of AI, as defined by IBM:
Human Approach:
» Systems that think like humans
» Systems that act like humans
Ideal Approach:
» Systems that think rationally
» Systems that act rationally
You can see that, in short, humans are not entirely rational. There is a difference between how humans think, and how an ideal, rational system would think. The human approach would include emotions and mistakes, where the ideal approach would somehow produce an emotionless, rational response.
For an older person, an example of this would be the choice of when to move to a care home – the perspective of that person themselves would often differ from the perspective outside that person, even though the facts are the same.
Strong AI vs Weak AI
Strong AI and Weak AI are the two ends of a spectrum regarding AI capabilities.
Strong AI
Also known as “Artificial General Intelligence”
Strong AI is the goal of the AI push. The idea is that a fully-featured AI could grow and learn on its own, without human input.
Weak AI
Also known as “Artificial Narrow Intelligence”
Does what it’s programmed to do, given the information that its provided. This is where AI is now.
Cognitive Skills
The skills listed below seem to define how a human mind differs from a machine’s calculations.
Learning
Normal machines do not learn from past mistakes. This is something that is part of today’s AI. One step further would be applying the lessons from past learning to similar problems.
Reasoning
Reasoning includes using process of elimination, observing and reacting to trends in data without an exact, mathematical result.
Self-Correction
Similar to learning, this would mean being aware of mistakes and adjusting behavior to produce a better result in the future.
Creativity
Generating new, unthought-of designs from simple commands.
You can see how these barriers between human thinking are being eroded by the increases in AI “intelligence.”
4 Types of AI
1. Reactive Machines
Machines with very predictable, purpose built programming.
2. Limited Memory
Have a ‘learning’ capability that uses past inputs to improve results.
3. Theory of Mind
Introduces the concept of emotions. Theoretical at this point.
4. Self Awareness
Is actually (not programmatically) aware of itself. Not in existence.
Builtin.com
AI Overview from Builtin.com
TechTarget.com
AI Overview from TechTarget.com
AI Today
Why does it seem like AI has come into focus so much recently? It started with GPT-3, the second public iteration of a “Large Language Model” (LLM) AI system released by a company called OpenAI. Using ChatGPT to access GPT-3, anyone could test this area of the newly emerging technology.
While there are many applications of AI, the focus of GPT-3 is on text and language. It can ‘understand’ what you ask it in remarkably capable ways, and produce responses with a level of creativity unimaginable not long ago. Poems, essays, internet research, activity planning, and many more tasks that were previously limited to the human mind are now possible with machine learning.
In addition to GPT (which continues to grow), there are many other recent AI systems that are ‘generative’ – that is, they can ‘create’ new content. Finding and creating images, analyzing data, controlling real-world processes, and generating program code are examples of other uses for AI.
ChatGPT
Direct link to ChatGPT, the service that generated most of the AI discussion.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Article on how to use Microsoft 365 Copilot in Office.
Google Bard
A chat from Google similar to ChatGPT
ChatPDF
A service that summarizes PDFs and answers questions about the contents.
Applications
AlphaCode is a generative AI made for creating program code, Claude is for visual graphics, Synthesia can generate videos based on a description. Many non-technology companies have also begun to recognize that AI has incredible potential for immediate increase in production, efficiency, and safety.
In a recent webinar by the Siouxland Modern Media Committee (from our churches in Iowa), examples were given of more precise tumor removal using AI and optimized crop values using drone images analyzed by AI.
Banks use AI for detecting fraud, hospitals for fall risk and prevention, factories for robotic automation, and automotive companies for self driving cars.
There are also applications for AI in daily life at home or in the office. Microsoft’s CoPilot AI is integrated into many of its services, and will analyze a long document to find the information you need faster than you can. Some of the information in this article was found using AI from Microsoft’s Bing Chat with GPT-4 and Opera’s Aria AI, which produced information more quickly and in a more organized way than traditional search methods.
Healthcare
Diagnosis, Fall Prevention, Surgery, Patient Data
Law
Case History Search, Documentation, Filing
Security
Video Feed Monitoring, Information Systems Security, Intrusion Detection
Transportation
Self-Driving Cars, Traffic Prediction and Rerouting, Delay Estimates
Business
Clerical Work, Customer Relations, Website Chat
Education
Testing, Grading, Pace Accommodation, Research, Tutors
Finance
Fraud Prevention, Market Analysis, Financial Advice
Software Development
Code Generation, Debugging, Autocomplete
Manufacturing
Robot Automation, Cobots: Robotic Integration with Human Helpers, Efficiency Improvements
Drawbacks
As with any new technology, the more potential there is for good, the more potential there is for evil. The Bible was the first major production of the printing press, but endless amounts of anti-Biblical literature has also been printed. Risks of radio, TV, and internet have all been widely recognized. AI is no different, but brings the risk to yet another new level.
There are the obvious risks of technology-enhanced sin, such as AI viruses, AI generated slander in the form of edited photos, video, or audio, AI modified accounting, and AI powered mass murder weapons, but the greatest danger of AI may be the subtle part.
Imagine a ‘smart’ AI system that tells you how to invest your money. This smart AI system knows your finances, and suggests the best ways to handle your money. It’s so easy to use – “What should I do with my money?” gives you a simple answer. But what you don’t see is the research that went into it – all the understanding of a financial advisor was baked into a computer. What if some bad advice was baked in there as well? Or some intentionally malicious advice? A skewed political view? While some AI systems give you sources for their information, no AI system would always explain exactly what process it took to choose the given answer and why, because then it would cease to be simple. A one-line answer could contain biases from millions of other users who have ‘trained’ the AI to behave in a certain way.
Bias
Bias in training the AI or imbalance in the learning material.
Explainability
Determining how the AI got its answer, and whether it is trustworthy or not.
Copyright
AI learns from existing content, and could potentially reuse or reconstitute copyrighted works.
Data Privacy
It is important for AI to have data to do work, which increases the risk of that data leaking.
Job Elimination
Many of today’s jobs may be doable by AI in a short time.
Surveillance
The extreme efficency of AI in connecting data will make extensive surveillance and tracking much easier.
Libel
Slander and libel generated or propagated by AI could become a large problem.
AI and Us
It’s hard to predict in what ways we will all be affected, but it seems that as AI increases, the gentle nudge of technology towards other, more commonly-held viewpoints will only increase as well. Just as the early rise of science promoted humanism in opposition to God, AI will likely draw away our trust and attention.
While AI certainly has its incredible potential for good, God is still God, and the Bible is His revealed will, not an AI suggestion. Everything AI can help with, God is the author of. If it is profit, “the cattle on a thousand hills” are His. If it is safety, it is “of the Lord.” If it is wisdom, He is the true Wisdom.
Whatever we reach for, whatever we stretch for, at the end we will have to agree with Solomon:
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
–Eccl 12:13-14
God Excels
Job 38–41
Chapter 38
1) Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2) Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3) Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4) Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5) Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6) Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7) When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8) Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9) When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10) And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
11) And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12) Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13) That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14) It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15) And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
16) Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17) Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18) Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
19) Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20) That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
21) Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?
22) Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23) Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24) By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25) Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26) To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27) To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28) Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
29) Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30) The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31) Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32) Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
33) Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34) Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35) Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?
36) Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
37) Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38) When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
39) Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40) When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41) Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
Chapter 39
1) Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
2) Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3) They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
4) Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
5) Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
6) Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
7) He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
8) The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
9) Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
10) Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11) Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
12) Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
13) Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
14) Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
15) And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
16) She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
17) Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
18) What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
19) Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
20) Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
21) He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
22) He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
23) The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
24) He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
25) He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26) Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
27) Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
28) She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
29) From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
30) Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
Chapter 40
1) Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
2) Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
3) Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
4) Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
5) Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
6) Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7) Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
8) Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
9) Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
10) Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
11) Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
12) Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
13) Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.
14) Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
15) Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
16) Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
17) He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
18) His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
19) He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
20) Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
21) He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
22) The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.
23) Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
24) He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.
Chapter 41
1) Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
2) Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
3) Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
4) Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
5) Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
6) Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
7) Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
8) Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
9) Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10) None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
11) Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
12) I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
13) Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
14) Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
15) His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
16) One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17) They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
18) By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19) Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
20) Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
21) His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
22) In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
23) The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
24) His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
25) When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
26) The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
27) He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
28) The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
29) Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
30) Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
31) He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
32) He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
33) Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
34) He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.
Sources & Further Reading
Acronyms
NLP: Natural Language Processing
ASR: Automatic Speech Recognition
LLM: Large Language Model
AGI: Artificial General Intelligence
ANI: Artificial Narrow Intelligence
GPT: Generative Pre-Trained Transformer
Concepts to Research Yourself
Turing Test
Chinese Room Experiment
Neural Networks
Sources
- Schroer, Alyssa. What Is Artificial Intelligence? BuiltIn.com. [Online] [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence.
- IBM. What is artificial intelligence (AI)? IBM.com. [Online] [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://www.ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence.
- Burns, Ed. AI: Artificial Intelligence. TechTarget.Com. [Online] [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/AI-Artificial-Intelligence.
- Copeland, B. J. Artificial Intelligence. Britannica.com. [Online] [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence.
- Diaz, Maria. What is AI? Everything to know about artificial intelligence. ZDNET.com. [Online] April 21, 2023. [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-ai-heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-artificial-intelligence/.
- Ortiz, Sabrina. These are my 5 favorite AI tools for work. ZDNET.com. [Online] June 10, 2023. [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://www.zdnet.com/article/these-are-my-5-favorite-ai-tools-for-work/.
- Glover, Ellen. 18 Chatbot Examples to Know. BuiltIn.com. [Online] [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/chatbot-examples.
- Ortiz, Sabrina. The best AI art generators: DALL-E 2 and fun alternatives to try. ZDNET.com. [Online] August 3, 2023. [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-ai-art-generator/.
- Chinese Room. Wikipedia. [Online] [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_room.
- What A Mysterious Chinese Room Can Tell Us About Consciousness. psychologytoday.com. [Online] [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/consciousness-and-beyond/202308/what-a-mysterious-chinese-room-can-tell-us-about-consciousness.
- Turing Test in Artificial Intelligence. GeeksforGeeks.org. [Online] [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/turing-test-artificial-intelligence/.
- 4 Types of Artificial Intelligence. BMC Software. [Online] [Cited: September 16, 2023.] https://www.bmc.com/blogs/artificial-intelligence-types/.
- Marr, Bernard. A Short History Of ChatGPT: How We Got To Where We Are Today. forbes.com. [Online] May 19, 2023. [Cited: November 21, 2023.] https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/05/19/a-short-history-of-chatgpt-how-we-got-to-where-we-are-today/?sh=6d8400ff674f.