Artificial Intelligence - Learn About the Different Types of AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the core, most impressive creations that we have managed so far. 

With its complexity, intriguing abilities, and intensive capital, most debate whether such inventions actually help us or doom us, depicting an apocalyptic image wherein humanity becomes controlled by robots.  

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Leaving such dark scenarios aside, let’s find out more about different types of AI!

The Reactive Machines

The basic AI type is the reactive machine, one which is limited to all abilities. They are able, however, to simulate the human mind’s ability to react to different stimuli. This type of Artificial Intelligence cannot use previous experiences to make informed actions because they lack memory-based functionality. 

In simple words, they cannot “learn”. The most popular example of a reactive machine is IBM’s Deep Blue, which beat chess master Garry Kasparov back in 1997. 

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Limited Memory Machines

The next step in the progress of AI is the limited memory machine. Besides having the same properties as reactive ones, limited memory machines can learn from past data to make present decisions. 

Almost all the applications nowadays can be categorized under the “limited memory machine” type. Chatbots, self-driving vehicles, and virtual assistants are all such examples. In other words, they are initially trained using a large volume of stored data in their memory; this information is then used to solve problems at a later date. 

For example, an AI used for image recognition can be trained using thousands of images with labels that show the objects that are scanned. When AI scans an image, it uses its training (learning experience) to label new images more accurately. 

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The Theory Of Mind

This type of AI is already a step closer to a darker scenario. The theory of mind level means that the machine can understand who they interact with by discerning emotions, beliefs, needs, and even thinking processes. 

Artificial emotional intelligence is already not so new, as many AI researchers focus on it, and there’s already a budding industry around it. However, the theory of mind is more than simply emotional needs; they need to understand the human thinking process and all of its factors. In other words, this type of AI really “understands” humans in their complexity. 

Self-Aware

This is where the apocalyptic ideas come from. The self-aware category of AI, fortunately, or not, only exists hypothetically for now. This type might be quite obvious: it is so developed that it is akin to our brain, so it becomes self-aware. 

Achieving this type of AI might take decades, if not centuries, and this is the ultimate goal of AI research. The self-aware AI will not only understand emotions in others; it interacts with but also has its own needs, emotions, beliefs, and desires. 

The development of self-aware AI might seem interesting, as it could advance civilization by certain leaps. However, this might also be seen as a double-edged sword. 

In other words, this type of AI would also be able to have ideas, such as self-preservation, which might mean the end of humans, as they can easily outmaneuver the human intellect.

What Is Artificial Super-intelligence (ASI)?

The general intelligence of an AI is how able they are to learn, understand, and function akin to human beings. They will be able to independently build their skills, make connections, generalize conclusions, thus the need for training AI is massively reduced. 

This means that, in the future, AI systems might be as capable as us to have multi-functional characteristics. 

Artificial super-intelligence will perhaps be the highest level of AI research, as the machines will become the most intelligent on earth. They do not only replicate multi-faceted intelligence that we have as human beings but also do everything as perfect as possible. 

This is because they will have greater memory, much faster data process and analysis, and better decision-making abilities. The development of artificial super-intelligence might seem quite interesting, theoretically, but one can also see the threat coming. 

Having super-intelligent machines that can be better than us in everything means that they endanger our existence or at least the life we know now. 

Summary

All in all, these are the different types of AI. For now, AI researchers are working on developing better machines. However, many voices around us claim that creating the self-aware AI might not be a great idea, in the end. Luckily, we might be decades or even centuries away from such a breakthrough!

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