Category: Technology

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The Birth of AI and the Evolution of Mankind

flight technology tools astronaut

Artificial Intelligence is coming and there is no stopping it

The birth of artificial intelligence (AI) is a story of how mankind was able to harness the power of computers. Today, thanks to this technology, we can use our smartphones as GPS navigators and search engines and even talk to our computers like they’re human beings. But how did we get here? How did AI evolve? We’ll explore the history behind this groundbreaking invention and see how it has changed our lives — for better or worse.

It all started in the 1950s

Artificial intelligence is the field of study to make machines and computers more intelligent. It has been around since the 1950s but only recently became a buzzword in technology, media and business circles. AI is not a new concept; it refers to the idea that we can create machines that act with human-like intelligence by building computers that learn in a similar way that humans do.

The goal of AI research is to build computer programs capable of thinking like humans do, allowing them to navigate through life’s challenges on their own while adapting to changing circumstances and environments. The field encompasses many different types of research, including robotics (the creation of mechanical robots), machine learning (the use of computers for tasks such as pattern recognition) and natural language processing (understanding language).

The birth of AI in was controversial… and to an extent it still is.

AI is a controversial topic. The birth of AI in 1950s was also controversial, as it raised concerns about the future of mankind and what will happen if machines can think for themselves.

Scientists have been trying to figure out ways to make machines smarter since ancient times, but they didn’t really succeed until now. AI is the study of making machines and computers more intelligent, which means that they can react to their environment better than humans do.

AI has been around for thousands of years, but it wasn’t until 1950s when scientists started working on creating a machine that could think like humans do — and this research led us towards developing artificial intelligence today!

It is important to continue to evolve human intelligence as artificial intelligence becomes more advanced.

The more advanced artificial intelligence becomes, the lazier humans become as well. Humans need motivation in order to excel and make something of themselves; however, many people are too invested in their devices or other activities that do not require much thought or effort. The result has been a population that values entertainment over evolution.

This has created an environment where many people have lost their sense of wonder when facing new situations because they have already seen everything before via social media or other digital mediums such as video games which often give players only one path through a game without fail (although some games allow you multiple paths). This can be compared to how many people who use GPS routes versus those who learn navigation by landmarks rather than looking at an app on their phone for directions; although both options get them from point A-B successfully there is a big difference between actually knowing where you are going versus just following instructions given by another person or machine!

Additionally since we now rely heavily on machines for our daily routines such as washing clothes or booking travel plans online there may not always be time spent developing other skills like cooking meals from scratch instead relying solely on pre-made frozen foods sold at grocery stores because if something goes wrong with them then just throw away instead fixing anything yourself!

Human intelligence and artificial intelligence are two different things

Human intelligence and artificial intelligence have different strengths and weaknesses. Human intelligence is better at creativity, problem solving, and decision making; artificial intelligence is better at logic, memory, and speed. Humans are also better than machines at learning from experience — a skill that comes with being able to see patterns in the world around us. This ability to learn from experience makes humans more adaptable than machines, which are limited by their programming. However, AI can learn from data it processes much faster than humans can learn from each other due to its lightning-fast processing speed: whereas it would take thousands of years for one person’s lifetime worth of experiences to be processed by another human brain (assuming one million new neural connections per second), an AI system could process that same amount within seconds if given access to enough computing power!

Evolution is not a choice, it is a responsibility

Evolution is what we were born to do. We cannot change that fact — the only thing left for us to choose is how we will evolve. Will humanity take on this challenge and evolve their intelligence? Or will they throw in the towel and let AI take over our world?

If humans want to survive in an age of AI, they must find new ways to motivate themselves — they can no longer rely upon external rewards or punishments like food or death because these are no longer relevant. Instead, humans must find intrinsic motivation in their own lives: something that makes them feel fulfilled even if there aren’t any tangible rewards available at all times like food or safety from predators (which may not even exist anymore).

The answer lies within ourselves; if we look deep enough inside ourselves then we’ll discover what truly matters most: happiness! Humans want nothing more than happiness; whether it be through family life or work life or anything else under those umbrellas it doesn’t matter because at its core happiness means being content with who you are without needing anything else as motivation besides yourself (and possibly others). The only way for humans to thrive despite these challenges presented by AIs taking over everything around us is by evolving our intelligence so that we don’t get left behind while everyone else gets smarter faster than ever before.

We deserve the evolution

It is only a matter of time before artificial intelligence becomes more advanced and self-sufficient. The human race needs to evolve their own intelligence as well so they can keep up with AI’s rapid growth.

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The Art of Artificial Intelligence

person reaching out to a robot

How far has AI come?

Have you ever wondered what an AI-created recipe would look like? Or read an article about a machine learning algorithm that was able to write its own suspense novel? The world of artificial intelligence has been steadily unfolding over the past few years and there have been some truly fascinating developments in areas such as art and entertainment. But what exactly are these machines doing that we previously thought only humans could do? Are they just mimicking our behavior or are they creating something new and different? I’ll explore these questions through examples of AI-generated artwork, recipes, stories, music and more!

What does imagination look like in a machine?

Imagine a machine that runs on electricity and sits in the corner of your room. The machine can’t directly observe the world, because it’s not connected to any sensors, but it has access to your mind—so whenever you think about something, the machine imagines what it’s like as well. The question is: how do we know whether or not this machine is imagining anything?

In order for us to be able to tell if an AI is imagining something (and thus demonstrating creativity), we need some way of determining whether or not its output resembles an image or thought that was previously seen by its creator (in this case, us). For example: if I give you a picture and ask you what someone else would see when they looked at it and then gave their own description of what was pictured within that picture—what would happen? You’d probably end up with two similar descriptions! This means there must have been something similar in our minds when each one was describing what they saw in their own words—because otherwise our descriptions wouldn’t have been so similar. Your imagination worked like mine did!

What about AI-created art and entertainment?

AI can also be creative and entertaining. AI-created art and entertainment may be the next big thing in the world of art and entertainment, as it has proven to be a new form of expression for both humans and machines.

The first step was taken by Google’s DeepDream project, which created dreamlike images from artificial neural networks trained on photos. These images have become increasingly realistic over time as AI technology has progressed.

In addition to imagery, machine learning is being used by researchers in music composition (Ludwig van Beethoven would be amazed) and storytelling (the future of filmmaking?).

Is AI just an extension of our human creativity or is it doing something new and different?

In recent years, we’ve seen AI used as a creative tool. It has allowed us to create things that were once impossible – like the first truly lifelike virtual human being in 2015. Every day, we are seeing more and more examples of what AI can do as a creative force in our lives: from helping doctors diagnose diseases faster and more accurately; to creating new materials for industries; to helping people recover from traumatic experiences or ongoing mental health issues.

In some ways, I think AI is just an extension of our human creativity: maybe it can take certain tasks off our hands so that we can focus on other things (like making art). But there’s another possibility too: that AI is doing something entirely new and different – something that has not been possible with human minds alone before now. Perhaps by harnessing the power of machines with huge processing capabilities beyond anything we could ever build ourselves – this might lead us down paths previously untouched by humanity?

Who owns an AI’s creations?

When it comes to creating art and music, AI is still in its infancy. But as the technology improves, there will be questions about who owns what it creates.

This is a question that has been raised by many artists and creators of all kinds in the past; when a machine writes music or writes poetry, whose words are they?

If you want to argue that an AI isn’t creative at all—that it’s just mimicking human creativity—you’re missing the point. A creativity machine is not a human being: It doesn’t have rights or feelings like we do. However, that doesn’t mean we should ignore its ability to impact society in both positive and negative ways.

AI could be used for good or evil purposes—it depends on how people use them (like any tool). But whatever your opinion on that matter may be, it’s important to recognize how this technology can benefit society if used properly. We needn’t fear what our creations might do with their newfound abilities; instead of fearing them, we should embrace them as extensions of ourselves because without them there would be no possibility for new ideas ever coming into existence again!

Where is AI going?

Artificial intelligence is the future. It’s a concept that we’ve been dreaming of ever since the dawn of time, and now it’s finally here. What does this mean for us? Well, it means that everything from medical care to childbirth could be transformed by AI in ways we can only begin to imagine.

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Speaking My Language

Photo from Unsplash by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona

Despite the fast paced changes of society in recent years, that can be seen as both negative and positive; there is something to be excited about: the race to space. 

For years, the space industry has been focused on researching and understanding different galaxies beyond our universe. However, as of recently we are seeing a rise in interest to travel into space by both the private and government sectors. Elon Musk is trying to build the first successful space colony on Mars with flight tickets going out in late 2026 (subject to change check the website for all updates). NASA is currently working on a project to land the first woman on the moon and is hoping to make space tourism sustainable by the year 2028. While these are all exciting goals for mankind to look forward to, we tend to forget about possible encounters with different species and the potential barriers; to be more specific, understanding what the hell they are saying half the time. 

Language is a very complex system that human beings have used for years to help us communicate our inner thoughts. So much so that we have over 300 languages spoken today and approximately half of the population can speak two or more languages. With that in mind, who is to say that we are prepared to communicate with them? Who is to say that there are not any alien languages that we will all have to understand in order to join the ranks of space? We have seen in history that language barriers have caused problems in society, we may end up repeating history in a different environment if we are not careful. We have seen this in the past with numerous historic examples such as European expansion into the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The language barrier was a major key factor for colonization and while we as a species have managed to move past this and have become more open to understanding the language of others, we do often still have issues understanding one another especially in this day and age with numerous mediums. 

If anything, we can state that this is a time for us to improve our language and communication skills amongst each other as mankind prepares for our next giant step into the stars. 

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IAutism

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

Can artificial intelligence be the next leading advancement for those with disabilities?

In the year 2021, the world has progressed to help accommodate those who operate in a nuerodiverse manner in society. In fact, progress still continues to this day to help improve their lives from therapy to advanced technology. Currently, science has started to look at a new method to help improve the social & communication skills of those on the spectrum, artificial intelligence. 

Humans have always been social creatures that feed off each other’s energies. For those with autism who experience higher levels of anxiety when interacting with a new person, it can cause social interactions to be extremely difficult; as well as cause problems for them to operate in the workforce. Without a doubt, everyone is slowly becoming aware that artificial intelligence will be integrated into a number of career and education fields. Therefore, taking some of the anxieties that come with human interaction away and allowing new doors to open for those with autism to interact with the world. 

One of the latest technologies that is utilizing artificial intelligence for children with autism is the QTrobot. QTrobot was designed by LuxAI and has a unique built in operating system that can be programmed to suit every child’s needs. With the stigma that comes with nonverbal communication when having human interactions eliminated, QTrobot is able to vividly and clearly display different emotions that help build social skills that can then be applied to real world human interaction. 

Children on the autism spectrum would work alongside the QTrobot & a trained specialist to help them progress at a quicker pace to help them adjust to school and the workplace. QTrobot can also be programmed to help children with autism desensitize from over stimulating situations. To make a personal connection with the use of AI and autism, my own sister has been more inclined to use her verbal communication skills when she has interacted with Amazon’s Alexa, which does whatever she commands it to do which I think she is fascinated with. With this new technology incorporated into early intervention of children with autism, we could accelerate their progression to adjust to society. 

Along with having the assistance of AI that will be implemented in a number of work areas, we can expect more ASD friendly career choices to emerge to give opportunities that we have never seen before. 

Source: Lexi.com

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Socioeconomic Disparities in Second Language Education in the United States

Classroom

Photo by Matt Hoffman on Unsplash

With the rise of the travel industry as well as the interest in modern languages, we can anticipate a drastic increase in multilingualism in the nearby future. According to iLangugues.org, 60% of the world identifies as bilingual/trilingual/multilingual while the remaining 40% identifying as monolingual in predominately English-speaking countries. With other languages gaining recognition on the world stage, eventually only knowing English will not be enough to succeed in most career fields. So, this presents the following questions: How did we get here? And how can we improve second language education in the nearby future?

English is the 3rd most spoken language in the world behind Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. This is heavily due to the Age of Imperialism during the 19th century with Great Britain leading the pact; with that the English language was spread widely to the world. After heavy colonization in the 19th century, the next contributing factor to the dominance of the English language was the boom of Hollywood and pop culture in the United States post-World War 2. Not only were goods being exported, but so was the English language. Due to the heavy influence of the English language on an international scale, majority of schools in predominately English-speaking countries did not heavily enforce second language education. However, because of the overwhelming priority of the English language, most countries where it is primarily spoken have a history of attacking people who speak a language other than English in public. In an article from The Washington Post titled Half the World is Bilingual. What’s Our Problem? 22% of Hispanic speakers have experienced harassment for speaking Spanish in public. Those who speak languages other than Spanish have also experienced similar instances including glares, whispers, and stares. While this began to create an “English only” environment in English speaking countries, others had to heavily enforce the English language into their curriculum in order for their citizens to succeed on both national and international scales. This also presents the next problem in foreign language education: accessibility.

It is no secret that the public education system in the United States has a variety of issues from being underfunded, overcrowded, etc. However, what is not talked about is access to second language education. According to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, approximately less than 20% of students in the United States are given the opportunity to take a foreign language class at the K-12 level. This is heavily due to the fact that the United States is experiencing a teacher shortage for educators who meet the standards to teach a second language. In countries like South Korea and Japan, they have created English instructor programs (EPIK & JET) to bring in foreign teachers who come from countries where English is primarily spoken such as the United States, South Africa, Canada, the United Kingdom, etc. The goal of these programs is to have children in the public education system be fully immersed in the English language with someone who will only speak that language with them. This also helps hit that critical period of a child being exposed to another language by the age of 10 years old. This is only speaking for the public education system in America, majority of private schools begin language immersion in kindergarten with students beginning to study Spanish, Chinese, or French. However, most private schools’ range between $10,000-$50,000 a year; with only a lucky few being able to afford the price tag. This leads us to the final issue the education system when it pertains to foreign language courses: the cost.

With students in the public education system getting a late start in learning a second language, some may choose to study a language at university, but find the cost of studying a foreign language to be one of the biggest barriers. In an article titled, Which College Major Has the Most Expensive Books? A second language textbook was the second most expensive book averaging around $268 per book; this does not include the online software code that is normally required in all foreign language courses that ranges from $50-$150. With many jobs asking or requiring a person to have a working knowledge of a language other than English, some students feel pressure to learn one to help their chances in the workforce. Psychology Today, even cited that bilingualism has improved memory, cognitive flexibility, and the ability to multitask. In recent years, colleges offering romantic language and modern languages as a major for students to choose from, those who choose to go down this route will be forced to pay a heavy price tag on top of an already expensive education system. College tuition in the United States is already expensive as it is on top of room & board, meal plans, computer fees, etc. If we are seeing a trend that students could benefit by acquiring a second or third language, why can’t we make it so that students do not need to sell their kidneys in order to achieve this? As we look to the future, how are some ways that we can improve this? The obvious answer is to invest in our public education system to give our students the best possible education. We could possibly consider creating a program similar to what South Korea and Japan have established; bring native speakers of the language a school is interested in providing to their students to teach the children. This could also open the door for students to not have to automatically learn Spanish as a second language due to its overwhelming popularity in the United States. Speakers from French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Chinese, and Arabic countries could share their knowledge with young students and expose them to their culture as well. Another change that could improve language education would be a shift in attitude towards languages other than English. There is still a negative stigma that lingers around people who speak a language other than English in public spaces; rather than feeling like we need to know what someone is saying all the time, maybe it is time for people to just simply mind their own business and let people talk. We also need to change the way that we criticize those with accents; rather than discourage people by the way they sound, we need to start praising people for their efforts because we all recognize that learning a second language comes with its own set of challenges. While we begin to see rapid changes in our education system amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we can only hope that we will see changes in second language education in the long run as we try to navigate ways to provide students with the necessary tools to succeed in the world.