We’ve all been told that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but any competent dog trainer will tell you that most old dogs can indeed be taught new tricks, when properly motivated and rewarded. For a real teaching challenge, try teaching a computer to reliably identify a Chesterfield couch (or any couch, for that matter) in a photograph.
With all the buzz about machine learning, artificial neural networks, and other forms of artificial intelligence (AI), it’s fair to ask, “When will I have it on my smartphone?”
Two remarkable developments in the last year represented the brilliant (or unholy, depending on your perspective) union of two inexorable trends: mobile apps and virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR). One was the release of the insanely popular Pokémon Go smartphone app, which brought augmented reality to cartoon character hunters of all ages. The other was Google Cardboard and the virtual reality content that can be played on it, giving anyone with a few bucks, a smartphone, and some free time a taste of the virtual reality experience.
“Artificial intelligence.” “Artificial neural networks.” “Machine learning.” “Deep learning.” “Computer vision.” “Statistical pattern recognition.” There has been a whole lot of artificial intelligence terminology thrown about recently because of the accelerating pace of advancement in the field. These aren't just silly buzzwords we use to sound cool (well, not always). To the uninitiated, all the terms tend to sound alike, and many of them have been used more or less interchangeably in the popular press. However, there are subtle differences, and in this blog I'll sort a few of them out for you.
For as long as most of us can remember, we have interacted with our computers via some variation on the theme of the graphical user interface (GUI), keyboard, and pointing device. The advent of touch-sensitive displays, and their popularization via smartphones and tablets was not really a radical departure. It eliminated the mouse and clumsy stylus sure, but there seems to be obvious missing piece.
All of that may change sooner than you think. Augmented reality and virtual reality are rising in popularity as the tech continues to advance.
By this time, you’ve probably heard a whole lot of thought, talk, and speculation about the coming revolution in intelligent machines, from self-driving cars and other robots to facial recognition systems andmore. It’s not just science fiction anymore. We really are gettingcloser to a new reality where it will be harder to tell the difference between “natural” and “artificial” intelligence.
