Every corner of the IT industry is dominated these days with conversations around AI, Generative AI such as ChatGPT, and whether AI overall is something to be feared as a job killer or embraced as a necessity of the future. In this context, it is essential to confront our fears and explore the potential of AI as a positive force for the future.
When we think of AI, we often picture computer-generated images, self-driving cars, chatbots, and GPT-3 language models. But many often forget is that AI was first used in the 1950s and 60s. It’s important to look at how AI’s impact has expanded, continues to expand, and what it means for the future impact of AI on people’s jobs, roles and lives, in that context, which we explore in this blog.
The Journey to AGI
The current state of AI, which includes voice assistants, driverless cars, and robots, represents just the tip of the iceberg. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a distinct form of AI, has yet to be fully explored. An analogy can be drawn to the manufacturing process, where raw materials such as bricks, steel, and cement are processed using various components and techniques. Upon completion, these materials can be assembled to form a desired structure, such as a house or building. Similarly, contemporary AI tools are highly specialized, but they lack the cohesion necessary to work together toward a common objective. The true breakthrough in AI will occur when we are able to combine the outputs of these specialized tools in a singular, unified process.
With AI, machines can perform tasks that were once exclusive to human intelligence. However, humans possess unique qualities such as analytical skills, decision-making abilities, continuous learning, creativity, flexibility, emotions, and consciousness. While machines can be programmed to learn analytical skills, decision-making abilities, and continuous learning by analyzing past responses, instilling creativity, consciousness, and emotions remains a challenge. There are AI offerings on the market that in effect mimic human emotional responses, but it will require a significant amount of time for machines to truly comprehend why a mother cries when a baby is born. The development of common sense and emotional intelligence in machines is the ultimate goal of AI.
Current AI tools are poised to make a significant positive impact on the quality of human life. To better understand this impact, let us consider an example from the healthcare industry. In an operating theater, the nursing staff performs preparatory and post-surgery activities while the surgeon focuses on critical aspects of the scheduled procedure. Today, AI functions as an assistant that enhances work quality and accelerates task completion by providing generic inputs, while leaving the final adjustments to humans. This process increases efficiency and productivity, positively influencing the quality of work and human lives, but it is a process driven by what is essentially AI-human collaboration.
AI’s Ability to Power New Advancements
The latest advancements in AI promise to bring about several positive impacts across various domains. It has the potential to overcome the limitations that we face today, such as the ability to predict weather forecasts with greater accuracy, conduct low-cost and time-efficient diagnostics, and undertake tasks that are beyond human capabilities.
In essence, AI stands to be the modern-day equivalent of the invention of the wheel, a landmark development that will revolutionize the way we live and work, with even greater impact. It is commonly said that the recent past is a good indicator of the near future. Drawing a parallel to the transition from horses to cars, we can argue that AI will not replace humans but rather enhance our abilities to meet the evolving needs of rapidly changing markets.
Fostering innovation for new AI advancements is a major strategic initiative at Persistent. With more 16,000 AI-trained professionals, we collaborate with clients to unlock business value with new AI-powered use cases and strategies. We design AI services from the ground-up to drive growth and transformation. Analysts, advisors, and industry associations consistently cite Persistent’s market, industry, and technical excellence for driving client value — we were recently named a Generative AI Market Leader in HFS Horizons: Generative Enterprise™ Services 2023 Report. With a dedicated hyperscalers task force, Persistent collaborates with the industry’s leading platform partners for new AI solutions and are committed to maintaining data security, privacy, governance, and transparency in all our client engagements.
Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) can lead to remarkable improvements across various domains. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we live and work, by predicting weather forecasts with greater accuracy, performing low-cost and time-efficient diagnostics, and undertaking tasks that exceed human capabilities. Persistent is at the forefront of driving growth and transformation with AI, collaborating with the industry’s leading platform partners to develop innovative solutions. With Persistent’s lifecycle AI capabilities, businesses can elevate customer experiences and discover new growth opportunities.
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