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How Do You Spell AI ?

"How Do You Spell AI," is a Website for us dummies who don't have any idea what AI is. Why is the website called "How Do You Spell AI?" The question is meant to have some shock value. It is meant to toss in a little confusion. 


Some of us don't know what the initials stand for or even that they are initials, or that they stand for anything. When we hear someone say "A" and "I," we might think they are saying "a eye" or "yay I,"  or "hey eye" or "a aye" or "yay aye."


Guess what percentage of the population we dummies represent?


Believe it or not = 100%


That is right. One hundred percent of us don't have a clue what AI is.


Even those smarty pants, who claim to be "experts" and claim to know what AI is, admit that they don't really know.


You don't believe me?


Read what they say.


First, one clarification. The so-called "AI brains" spout off code words  filled with guesstimates about what AI will do. However, notice that there is not a peep about what it is.


In some ways it is sort of like the Manhattan Project, which, in case you don't know, was the code name for the secret efforts to build the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. It was a Big Project carried out by a relatively small group of "top scientists." It was a secret project. They were mostly a bunch of German Nazis and German engineers who had some knowledge about rocket propulsion from lobbing U-2 rockets at London during the closing months of the war. Those were the brainy ones the Americans kidnapped or enticed to come to the "land of the free" to build the ultimate U-2, which only needs to be lobbed once to potentially take out all the Londons of the planet. The Holy Grail of that project was the A-bomb.


Now the quest is to attain a new A-goal. In stead of the A-bomb, it is A-I Artificial Intelligence. The objective, we are told, is to conjure a life-saving panacea that is artificial, that is, unreal, something fake, an ersatz substitute for a force, an energy, that is unseen and undetected, which can only be surmised to exist by  finding markers of its supposed presence in unknown and unidentified holes in the brain or as-yet-undiscovered holes in the mind.


We are promised that the answers to the ultimate questions of the universe and human happiness will be forthcoming from the activation of the artificial, the make believe.


Let's take a look at how Mr Computer god himself, Bill Gate, describes the salvation power of AI.


He says, "AI will change what most jobs will look like in the next five years. It will completely change the way nearly every industry operates."


Even with such earth-shaking changes and their effects upon the people of the planet, Mr Bill encourages us to recognize "both the extraordinary opportunities and genuine risks ahead."


One of the extraordinary benefits of AI that Bill sees coming is that it will make us "smarter and more efficient."


With regard to the "genuine risks ahead." Billy does point out that AI "will be hugely destabilizing for hundreds of millions."

"There will eventually be "few areas" where humans can outperform machines." I'd point out that even now It's hard to outperform a bulldozer.


His hope is that "Everyone should be able to enjoy the benefits of AI."


Etc., etc., etc, etc.


Well, Bill, what is AI? He doesn't tell us. But he is sure that it is going to take our jobs and we are going to enjoy it.


In my attempt to understand what AI actually is, I asked the question to a couple AI systems that are already on the market. One of them explained to me that "AI is fundamentally built upon zeros and ones." Wow, now we are getting somewhere. It informed me that AI "processes lots of data." It further explained that AI uses algorithms and models to process the information." The artificial brain I was talking with told me that  "It takes input data and performs computations on it to extract useful patterns and insights. It summarized that AI "learns" and "makes decisions." "It makes inferences." It "uses decision trees" and it uses "neural networks."


Well, I began to realize that this rather neophyte version of the AI that is promised for the future was telling me how AI works, not really what it is.


My quest for the is continued. What is it? Who knows?


I was told by an AI voice inside another computer that not only is there AI, but there is something beyond AI. It is a concept called "artificial general intelligence (AGI), which refers to AI that has the ability to understand, learn, and apply knowledge across a wider range of tasks, similar to human intelligence. I was cautioned to be aware that "AGI is still theoretical." It has not yet been realized."


Having now been introduced to the idea of "artificial general intelligence," (whatever that is) I started to get confused.


It doesn't stop there. Imagine my consternation, when an even smarter AI I was talking with told me that there is yet even another level of intelligence beyond "artificial general intelligence," Yikes! I still have not  gotten my original question answered, "what is artificial intelligence? I am informed that the "beyond the beyond" is referred to as "superintelligence" and it is projected to "surpass human intelligence."


Now I am really confused.


Okay, back to the beginning!


Regarding simple (really not so "simple" artificial intelligence, I am informed by another AI voice in the machine that there are subsets of AI, namely, the following:


1.) Narrow AI (also referred to as "Weak AI")


  • Definition: Designed and trained for a specific task or a narrow range of tasks.
  • Examples: Virtual assistants (like Siri and Alexa), recommendation systems (like those used by Netflix or Amazon), and image recognition systems.

2.) General AI (also called "Strong AI")


  • Definition: Hypothetical AI that possesses the ability to understand, learn, and apply knowledge across a wide range of tasks, similar to human intelligence.
  • Examples: Currently theoretical and not yet realized. AGI would be able to perform any intellectual task that a human can do.

3.) Machine Learning (ML)


  • Definition: A subset of AI that involves training algorithms to learn patterns from data and make decisions or predictions.
  • Examples: Spam filters in email, recommendation algorithms, and autonomous vehicles.

4.) Deep Learning


  • Definition: A subset of machine learning that uses neural networks with many layers to analyze and learn from large amounts of data.
  • Examples: Image and speech recognition systems, natural language processing, and advanced game-playing AIs like AlphaGo.

5.) Natural Language Processing (NLP)


  • Definition: A branch of AI that focuses on the interaction between computers and human language.
  • Examples: Chatbots, language translation services, and sentiment analysis tools.

6.) Computer Vision


  • Definition: A field of AI that enables computers to interpret and understand visual information from the world.
  • Examples: Facial recognition, object detection, and autonomous vehicle navigation.


By identifying and creating various subsets of AI, according to the voice inside the computer, we can better appreciate the diverse and specialized nature of different AI technologies, making it easier to harness their potential effectiveness.


My poor little brain, still operating under my kindergarten level of ordinary, old fashioned, human intelligence is really getting tired. What more? My friendly AI in the machine then offers some reasons of

why we should Categorize AI.


Mr. (or is it Mrs. or Ms. AI ( I forgot which is its preferred address tells me this is Why we Categorize AI?


  • Clarity and Precision: Helps in understanding the specific capabilities and limitations of different AI systems.


  • Research and Development: Allows researchers and developers to focus on specific areas of AI, advancing knowledge and technology in those domains.


  • Applications and Use Cases: Helps businesses and users identify the right kind of AI technology for their specific needs.


Maybe we can gain some understanding of what AI is by finding out what computer languages it speaks. AI claims to speak the following languages:


AI development involves various programming languages, just like traditional computing. Each language has its own strengths and is used for different aspects of AI, such as machine learning, data analysis, and natural language processing. Here are some of the most common languages used in AI and how they differ from one another:


Java


  • Overview: Java is a versatile, general-purpose programming language known for its portability across platforms.
  • Strengths: High performance, strong community support, and extensive libraries.
  • Use Cases: Large-scale enterprise applications, search algorithms, natural language processing.

C++


  • Overview: C++ is a powerful, high-performance language often used in situations where speed and efficiency are critical.
  • Strengths: Efficient memory management, high performance, close to hardware.
  • Use Cases: Real-time systems, game development, AI algorithms that require fast computation.


Python


  • Overview: Python is the most popular language for AI development due to its simplicity, readability, and extensive libraries.
  • Strengths: Rich ecosystem of libraries like TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch, and scikit-learn; great for machine learning and data analysis.
  • Use Cases: Machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and data visualization.

R


  • Overview: R is a language and environment specifically designed for statistical computing and graphics.
  • Strengths: Strong in data manipulation, statistical analysis, and visualization.
  • Use Cases: Data analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning.


Julia


  • Overview: Julia is a high-level, high-performance programming language for technical computing.
  • Strengths: Designed for numerical and scientific computing, supports parallel and distributed computing.
  • Use Cases: Machine learning, data science, numerical analysis.

Lisp


  • Overview: Lisp is one of the oldest programming languages and has a long history in AI development.
  • Strengths: Excellent for symbolic reasoning and AI research.
  • Use Cases: Natural language processing, symbolic computation, and research in AI.

Prolog


  • Overview: Prolog is a logic programming language associated with artificial intelligence and computational linguistics.
  • Strengths: Excellent for problems involving complex data relationships and logical reasoning.
  • Use Cases: Expert systems, natural language processing, and theorem proving.

Each of these languages has its own unique features and is suited to different types of AI tasks. The choice of language often depends on the specific requirements of the project, the developer's familiarity with the language, and the availability of relevant libraries and tools.


Does that get us closer to understanding what AI is? Not so much!


I pleaded with the AI I was talking with. "Come on, AI, tell me what AI is. How would you describe what AI is to a person who does not have experience programming, coding, and only uses computing to get a recipe for bread pudding and has no idea how a computer works, much less an AI system.


Here is what "Mr AI" or "Mrs AI" or "Miss AI" or "he" or "she" or "it" came up with.


Alright, Dummy, let me break it down in a straightforward way:


What is AI?


Imagine your computer or smartphone as a really smart assistant. AI (Artificial Intelligence) is like giving that assistant the ability to learn and make decisions on its own, based on the information you provide.


Everyday Examples


  • Voice Assistants: When you ask Siri or Alexa to play music or set a reminder, you're using AI. These assistants understand your voice and perform tasks for you.


  • Recommendations: When Netflix suggests movies you might like or Amazon recommends products, AI is analyzing your past behavior to predict what you'll enjoy.


  • Navigation: Google Maps uses AI to find the best route and avoid traffic.


How Does It Work?


You don’t need to know the nitty-gritty details, but here’s a simple version:


  1. Data Collection: AI systems gather lots of information (data) from different sources.


  1. Learning from Data: They analyze this data to find patterns or learn how to perform specific tasks. It's a bit like how you learn to recognize faces or solve puzzles.


Making Decisions: Once they've learned, they can make decisions or predictions. For example, predicting the weather or recognizing a photo of your cat.


Why It's Useful


AI helps automate tasks, making our lives easier and more efficient. It can handle repetitive tasks quickly and accurately, allowing us to focus on more important things.


Think of AI as a super-smart helper that learns from the information it gets, finds patterns, and makes decisions to assist you with various tasks. No need to worry about the technical details—just enjoy the convenience it brings to everyday life!


So, that is AI's answer to "What is AI?"


What do you think about that answer? Do you get it now?  Can you go out and explain to anyone what AI is?  When someone explains to you what AI is by using this explanation, can you say you "got it?" You "GROK it?


"May be or maybe not," you say.


Okay, back to our original question: What percentage of the population do we dummies represent who have no idea what AI is?


I stick with my original answer. 100%.


What I learned in my simplistic effort to learn the meaning of AI, is that even AI itself couldn't give me a satisfactory answer to what it is.


My conclusion is that Artificial Intelligence (ignoring Artificial General Intelligence and Superintelligence) is a reincarnation of the wizard in the story Wizard of OZ hiding behind an oversize, green curtain, pulling levers on a giant computer that flashes colored lights and blares out noisy sirens to make the impression that the old wizard behind the curtain is a Giant among Giants with an Intellect beyond Intellects, with the ability to answer anyone's and everyone's questions about life, when in fact, he is as artificial as the system he promotes. His greatest success seems to be his ability to pull his wool curtain over the clouded eyes of his expectant followers.


THE END


Dan Youra, author, has more than 60 years experience with computers from giant IBM 360-75 mainframes to today's tiny ones. He is recognized as "a pioneer in the Global Village." A writer and cartoonist, his art is reviewed as acerbic and satiric.


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