The Good in Artificial Intelligence

AI has become the next big thing, and is here to stay. In 2016, the awareness of Artificial Intelligence increased tremendously, while in 2017 is the beginning of the twilight before AI sunrise. People and machines are now more connected than ever before, with machines possibly knowing more about us than our best of friends. In 2017 we are seeing AI machines learn to adapt to individual personalities and goals.

Smart devices are protruding into every home, and to every business. By 2018 more than 60% of enterprises worldwide will use “AI-driven” technology to automate tasks that can be automated (those that are not as sophisticated, and those are redundant). From digital AI assistants, voice recognition tech, chatbots, to driverless car technology, the technology is now at a point where true innovation is enabled.

1/3rd of every age group is interested in AI, not just younger generations.  Older generations are using AI for handling medication reminders, managing their schedule, getting more targeted news, helping with manual labor and mechanics,  providing elder care, health advice and even financial guidance.

Since the industrial revolution humans have been skeptical of nearly EVERY technology that came into existence. But what did that teach us? Not to fear innovation, because humans are at the helm safeguarding it to adapt to the needs of humankind. AI should be welcomed, not feared. That doesn’t mean we don’t actively try to create a safe environment for humans and AI. But it does mean that we have to be aware of where we are at with AI and not let fear get in the way of innovation.

AI is here to change the world for the better, after all it is the good traits of humankind that we are trying to teach and then let AI learn.

By focusing on connected cities, safer travel, disruptive scientific and medical research - for humans - we are setting ourselves up to thrive with AI as our right hand man or woman.    

Are you a Flintstoner or Jetsoneer?

The Jetsons only lasted 24 episodes before being cancelled due to poor ratings, but it was great while it lasted, because it planted many seeds for future reality. The Jetsons was an American Animated Sitcom produced by Hanna Barbera as her "Space Age" counterpart to The Flintstones.

The Flintstones lived in a world with dinosaur / animal powered machines, whereas the Jetsons lived in a futuristic Utopia of elaborate robotics, foreign life, holograms and nifty inventions that all rely on data processing and artificial intelligence. Automation seemed to enable them to have more "time" for innovation, family and exploring personal interests. It appeared that they were always together as a family or with friends. Jetsons saw tech and data as a way to improve their human condition and relationships. 

It must have been a unique experience to have been living so simply in nature during a non-technical era where humans walked around barefoot, wearing animal fur, hunting, gathering and migrating. But after a while people got tired of doing things the hard way. They wanted to make things more efficient and effective through ideas. As each idea was introduced and produced, more innovation occurred. This innovation started to create a world more automated than before.

We now live in a world that has technology everywhere as well. Mobile devices and the internet certainly opens up communications globally and increases our ability to connect and learn from other humans. We use technology openly in our every day lives, but there are still people who fear how technology will evolve. The biggest fear is technology replacing humans, so people actively want to kill tech, while others want it to let it thrive and help us evolve. Some cannot help but to see the dark side of Tech. But the truth is, AI, Data and Technology will help us evolve the human condition and achieve greater levels of productivity, creativity, and health / resilience than we have ever reached before. And doing so will only be done with a humans touch.

We must be realistic with ourselves that in 2017 and beyond, we will push the limits faster and further than they ever have been able to before. The rate of change we will notice will be more profound than any industrial or technological revolution that our world has ever faced before.

Humans have and always will continue to create and innovate. Technology will continue to rapidly evolve our species, but doing so safely with a human's touch and with deep understanding of human psychology and cognition is key.

Are you a flintstoner (stuck in the stone age with animal powered buggies) or a jetsoneer (preparing, learning and training to advance the human race with the human race)?

Dr. Mercedes Sotomayor says perfectly below "Technology should help us have a better quality of life. Gives us time to enjoy and spend time with loved ones, gives us time to think and innovate and give us time to take care of ourselves and the community." #perspective #psychology #datascience @anesesmercedes z-growth #techandnatureharmony