AI: As Good as Medical Professionals?

The U.K is currently supporting a 250 million GBP investment in AI technology focused on accurately diagnosing and analyzing images and scans through the NHS, National Health Services. 



What the technology actually does is interpret medical imaging to give a proper solution, as accurate as possible, on what actions may be taken to resolve the issue. Currently, the AI programs are just as good as its human counterparts. The issue that many on the opposition propose is that there is simply not enough studies or experiments done to fully understand what this technology is actually useful for. It should be noted that the side-by-side comparison between the doctors and the AI were using images of patients in which the doctors had no prior knowledge of and were nearly as good as the AI in giving a proper prognosis. 

The technology is still in its infancy, but the future may allow for more personalized, efficient relationships between the doctors and their patients.

The Guardian Article

AI Development Through 500 Million Games of Hide and Seek

Researchers at San Francisco-based lab, OpenAI, developed a program recently to study the ability of AI to learn new techniques and strategies through 500 simulations of hide and seek. The programmers at the lab set of an enclosed 3-D space in which movable and immovable barricades were scattered throughout with one team of three being the seekers and the other team of three being the hiders. What was discovered over the course of the testing is that the AI began with crude tactics that did not yield many results for the hiders, but as the testing progressed the AI were able to conduct more advanced strategies.

The term that describes this evolution of strategies is called "emergent intelligence." In other words, the AI were able to, without directions from the programmers, develop strategies and counter strategies in order to adapt to any given situation. The goal of such testing is to develop AI that may be able to solve the seemingly unsolvable problems of the world. Whether or not such advancement will yield results remains to be seen.

The MIT Technology Review Article

Robots Will Take Our Jobs! Maybe?

The concern for the rise of automation is one many people who work factory and other low skill jobs fear greatly. The threat of losing one's job to a more effective machine, according to MIT, is a concern not worth getting worked up over. Technology can work for the majority and does not have to serve solely those who can control it. The concerns for those individuals with jobs surrounded by automation is perhaps misguided but understandable. Between 65 and 90% of survey respondents in a 2018 report conducted in developed countries claim that robots will take over. The primary concern that stemmed from this, however, is that there is not a lack of quality jobs that pay adequately. Those born in the 1940s more often than not, 92% of them, made more money than their parents. Less than half of percentage is true for those born in the 1980s.



Other ways to look at mechanized labor is whether or not the innovation or advancement is worth it. The article points out that innovations, like the light bulb, help way more than it hinders. The counterpoint would be automated check out stands at supermarkets, which could be replacing jobs without providing a meaningful sense of productivity. The overall issue that the article tackles is that those individuals without a college degree who are relegated to lower skill jobs will eventually be replaced. The concern is valid, but the solution would be to implement systems that aid said workers in finding jobs that require more skill.

The future is AI robots capable of handling workloads that no human could ever accomplish. Whether I believe MIT's reassurance of that not being the case remains to be seen, especially when those in control of the technology may not have the interests of "the little people" in mind.

Thank you for reading.

The MIT Report

The Future is Now: Artificial Intelligence and Warfare

For as long as I can remember, either through the influence documentaries, film, or other forms of media, the United States has always represented itself in my mind as the unconquerable giant, in which any attempts to fell said giant are null and void. The future of warfare, however, may prove that whomever can master the combined might of advanced weaponry and artificial intelligence will "become the ruler of the world," (Fryer-Biggs). 

As early as the 1990s, nations across the globe have been experimenting with the idea of conducting war without the need of direct human intervention. Israel in 1990 developed AI drones capable of combating radar systems, Britain in 2000 developed the Brimstone missile, which is capable of discerning alongside other missiles which targets to go for, and even China and Russia in the past few years have developed their own advancements in AI warfare, with Russia claiming to have in their possession an AI controlled submarine armed with nuclear missiles. President Xi Jinping of China made the claim that his country will have mastered AI technology by 2030, most of which could be used for military purposes. The U.S, with funding approved by both the Obama and Trump administrations, has developed ships and aircraft capable of piloting themselves effectively and with little to no guidance. The inspiration of which stems from the successes of the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers in being able to function without human guidance. In short, their is a New Arms Race of sorts that mirrored that of the Cold War. With every developed country in the world in possession of the means to bring about Earth's Armageddon, the next logical step would to be able to carry out such militancy in which their exists minimal to no risk for a nation and its allies' people. 

There are some concerns about the use of AI. Namely, should AI be given the responsibility to decide who to strike, when, and how? How much human intervention is needed to mitigate this, or should their be none at all? Sure robots fighting in place of humans seems like a good idea, but would such merciless, ruthless killers be in violation of the rights of their victims. And should a country master AI weaponry, how would the landscape of the world change in response? Will Russia, China, the U.S, or some other nation become the ruler of the world in which everyone else is subservient to? The technological advances that are underway are incredibly fascinating as well as terrifying.

Thank you for reading.

Info gathered from this The Atlantic Article .