Resources
Why AI
AI gets a lot of attention these days, when in reality it’s been around since the 70’s. AI doesn’t mean artificial consciousness, it doesn’t mean violent robots, it doesn’t mean the end of civilization. What it does mean is self-correcting computer programs that reduce error rate over time. Let’s explore.
Generative AI: this is fun. We’ve all seen the hallucinations and read the content. It’s helpful to a limited extent, if the goal is to create quickly and impersonally. There are some business implications, but not really what we’re interested in
Large Language Models: LLMs take publicly available text to understand what a user is requesting in natural language, and then return content in a conversational manner. It’s an improved search engine, and chatbots belong here as well.
Data Analysis: Supermarkets have been doing it for years, identifying products that are commonly bought together and stocking them in close proximity in their store to increase sales. Mixers next to liquor. Salsa next to chips. Baby food next to contraceptives. AI is very effective here, where all the sales data is analyzed and re-analyzed to maximize the accuracy of insights. There’s an active debate about privacy, and rightly so because if all personal data is online, then programs can predict behavior, preferences, personalities, and actions.
Computer Vision: This is pretty neat. We can ask a computer program to recognize objects for different reasons, and it’s pretty good at it. Businesses are currently struggling to understand how to leverage CV to increase revenue or create new products. So far it’s been very useful for self-driving cars and security.
Behavior Detection: We’re in early stages. Once we’re good at recognizing objects, it’s more helpful to know what those objects are doing. The Main Branch has developed a proprietary method of analyzing behavior and has taken an SDK to market offering the models built on this detection. This is more useful than CV, with more business applications.
Decision trees
Rational Choice Theory has been around since the 18th century, and postulates that human decision making is a result of an instinctual, internal, and immediate cost/benefit analysis. Given a comprehensive understanding of specific costs and benefits, and a well-formulated objective function, a computer program could make decisions with better outcomes than a human. This hasn’t happened yet.
Consciousness
Now we’re getting existential. What is consciousness, where does it come from, how is it measured. If consciousness is the synthesis of information, we can generate it. If it’s self-awareness, we can simulate it. If it’s a feeling of being-ness, then how can we know where it does or doesn’t occur. We aren’t aware of a commercial application, but should start discussing the ethical implications. Does a computer program have rights?
Simulated realities
At some point we’ll inevitably fulfill our destiny and create the next set of realities. Turtles all the way down.
So why AI? Ultimately, we’re doing amazing things. We can leverage super smart technology to generate jobs and grow the economy, ensure safety, provide quality entertainment, produce more food, reduce risk, provide assistance, share information, and improve quality of life. It’s interesting, it’s important, and we’re good at it.
We feel the responsibility to evangelize ethics and safety with the development of all new technologies, AI included. By being in the midst of forward thinking debates, we are shaping the course of AI development and applications. Technology for us, not instead of us. Spiderman would be proud. We loudly defend our position of responsibility every chance we get, and work with oversight agencies and non profits to establish guardrails and failsafes.
Let us know what you think on our forum, or send us a quick note here to set up time to discuss what AI can do for your business.
