We live in a world where humans are an integral part of rapidly emerging technologies and innovations. Something unimaginable a few centuries ago seems today a mere possible task. Innovations in technologies continue to ease the human lifestyle and will continue to do so in the future. Futurist Ray Kurzweil in 2005 predicted the emergence of the “GNR revolution” comprising of Genetics, Nanotechnology, and Robotics with robotics the most important one [1].

Of course, one such field is Artificial Intelligence that has had a significant impact on humans over time. As defined, Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a computer program or a machine to think and learn [2]. Owing to modern history, the British Mathematician and Logician, Alan Turing, a man well ahead of his time had predicted an era where computers would think like humans. His famous article “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” inspired the works of Allen NexWell and Herbert Simon who first coined the term AI and whose machines developed programs that proved mathematical theorems and solved complex problems in algebra [3]. This feat saw enormous funding from US governments starting from the 1960s. However, the field of AI suffered from the Lighthill report and the Mansfield amendment in 1969 that stated the unproductiveness of Al projects. This led to an era of reduced funding popularly known as “AI winters” [4]. The expansion of expert systems in 1984 motivated investors to fund AI projects. By 1985 AI had become a 1 billion dollar market. Also, following the defeat of world champion Gary Kasparov against the Deep Blue chess computer of IBM, interest in AI soared hugely [5].

Artificial Intelligence has copious applications, but healthcare stands out as an astounding investment in profiting organizations and aiding individuals as a whole. The ever-growing number of diseases, shortage of skilled medical doctors and a dearth of cheap healthcare have been overcome from affordable solutions that AI comes with. One of the primary challenges that AI has deciphered in recent times if of understanding medical information efficiently. Physicians can now convey faster and errorless treatment by analyzing medical data from laboratories, images from ct- scans and prescribe concise medicines to individuals. One such innovation in the field of Ultrasound imaging that dramatically sped up the diagnostic process is the emergence of a portable ultrasound device called IQ Probe developed by Butterfly Network [6]. By bringing a new era to medical imaging, IQ Probe has replaced the traditional piezoelectric crystal with a single silicon chip. It uses deep learning techniques by adding a layer of artificial intelligence that hugely benefits radiologists in diagnosing Hydronephrosis in kidney, Skin cancers to Tumors in the neck [7]. Being approved by the FDA for 13 various medical applications, the IQ probe has remarkably assisted untrained users to perform self ultrasound diagnosis of their own entire body and reduce the risk associated with image interpretation [8].

The use of AI in the healthcare industry to provide cost-effective and accurate solutions to patients has been a boon in recent times. For example, Baidu’s AI camera launched by Baidu and Sun Yat-Sen University detected eye diseases with a simple eye scan [9]. Owing to the lack of skilled ophthalmologists, these AI-run devices have reduced the need to work on several medical data by diagnosing three different fundus disorders, namely Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma, and Macular Degeneration, all of which are main causes of blindness [10]. Not surprisingly, Google AI, the world’s leading tech giant has emerged a leading researcher in medicine from aiding pathologists in detecting cancer to diagnosing diabetic eye disease. S.M.I.L.Y., Similar Medical Images Like Yours, is one of its kind by employing a deep-learning-based reverse image search tool to explore large histopathology datasets and improve the life expectancy of humans [11].

The science fiction novels like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Guardians of Time, AI has now become a part and parcel of world’s top tech businesses [12]. We have come a long way from RoboCop (1987), featuring Peter Weller to Wally Phister’s Transcendence in 2014 [13]. AI has contributed remarkably in space industry too. Interestingly, Space X, a private US aerospace manufacturer founded by Elon Musk flew a falcon craft carrying a spherical AI bot named Cimon, a mouse, and coffee for the crew members of the International Space Station [14]. Intel and NASA collaboratively found Nervana, a deep learning accelerator project aimed at predicting the sun’s nature towards earth atmosphere and improve the accuracy of images from the moon by five times [15]. As an application, Military systems of tomorrow would also depend on AI as a backbone on the battlefield. In a controversial project, Google’s Maven in 2017, used computer vision algorithms to improve drone striking features of U.S. defence department [16].

With a varied range of applications that shape and make our lives easier, AI also comes with quite several disadvantages. Replacements of jobs by AI robots have become a common trend with about 60 percent of occupations estimated to be automated by 2030 [17]. In an another example, 34 employees at Fukoko Mutual Life Insurance in Japan lost jobs to artificial machines that automated basic tasks of collecting medical data and reading certificates, eventually saving an estimated 140 million yen [18]. Another challenge that AI faces today is the lack of making good judgment calls. During a shootout in Sydney, numerous people contacted Uber at the same time, resulting in higher fares and thereby leaving no concessions to them [19]. It does not seem to be surprising that technological advancement comes with its own promises and perils. Today, Artificial Intelligence is seen as a growing field in need of significant amount of research. It would be wise to hope that the major contributor in future technology would be none other than Artificial Intelligence.

References:

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence
  2. https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence
  3. A.M. Turing; Computing Machinery and Intelligence, Mind 49; 433-460; 1950.
  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_winter
  5. “Kasparov vs. Deep Blue, The Match That Changed History”, Chesscom, October 12, 2018.
  6. https://www.butterflynetwork.com/iq
  7. Rich Haridy, “Pocket-sized, affordably-priced ultrasound connects to an iPhone”, New Atlas, October 30, 2017.
  8. Kevin Seals, “Ultrasound-on-a-chip supercharged with AI: The most disruptive technology in radiology?”, Medium, December 7, 2017.
  9. Xinhua, “AI deployed to prevent blindness in China”, XINHUANET, January 10, 2019.
  10. Dean Koh, “Chinese Hospital in Guangdong gets AI cameras to detect blindness-causing diseases”, HealthcareITNews, January 14, 2019.
  11. Narayan Hegde, Jason D. Hipp, Yun Liu; “Similar Image search for histopathology: SMILY”, Nature, June 21, 2019.
  12. Sassa Mifrass, “Best Artificial Intelligence books”, Goodreads, July 31, 2008.
  13. Anubhav Tyagi, “10 Best Movies about Artificial Intelligence That You Must Watch”, Techworm, January 9, 2019.
  14. Marcia Dunn, “SpaceX launches AI robot, strong coffee for station crew”, PhySorg, June 29, 2018.
  15. Shashi Jain, Katie Fritsch, “Prospecting for Space resources with Intel Nervana”, Intel.
  16. Lee Fang, “Google continues investments in military and police AI Technology through venture capital arm”, The Intercept, July 24, 2019.
  17. McKinsey Global Institute, “Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained: Workforce Transitions in a time of automation”, December 2017.
  18. “Artificial Intelligence: The Advantages and Disadvantages”, Arrkgroup, February 6, 2017.
  19. Danny Vinik, “Uber’s Prices Surged in Sydney During the Hostage Crisis, and Everyone Is Furious”, The New Republic, December 15, 2014.