Financial markets continue to surge driven by high profile AI investment announcements; a 2023 study in the US indicated that around 90% of the respondents have a limited understanding of AI (Pew Research August 2023). I do not blame them.

In the confusing world of tech, where 52% are more concerned than excited about the technology, the negative belief that AI can be a threat to human society prevails. The science fiction view of AI being an uber intelligent, self learning machine capable of creating untold havoc needs to be held in check with greater user education on what artificial intelligence is and is not.

In reality, we have a software algorithm that operates autonomously in the background functioning to automate a particular process, activity, and or task.

AI is a very pragmatic technology, that is just a tool to help us within one given domain to do things better

Dr. Kai-fu Lee, Chairman & CEO Sinovation Ventures

Generative AI uses text, images, audio, and video content to generate new ‘creative’ content according to the parameters set by the human user. ChatGPT etc.

Predictive AI  analyzes past data to discover patterns and then uses present and current data to forecast what will happen in the future. A prediction only, just like the weather forecast. The more data, the better the learning and testing procedure, the more accurate the prediction. We all ‘learn from our mistakes’.

Today Generative AI accounts for only 15% of the current use cases, and despite the growth of Generative AI, the bulk of the use cases, 85% , relate to Predictive AI ( CIO, “Generative AI is hot, but predictive AI remains the workhorse”, February 2024).

We are building cognitive processes that understand human behavior which means AI is about data analytics, solving complex problems, and attempting to ‘think like a human’ to make our life easier. AI is constantly assessing the changing environment and ‘joining the dots’ to anticipate the next step. Our habitual routines are data patterns that that can predicted, and by employing the automation of certain resources, these anticipations will save time. After eliminating residual errors, applying a success probability, AI delivers an accurate recommendation.

Devices or implements that carry out a particular function to help perform an activity or task, are defined as tools. In building cognitive solutions, modelling and refining the outcome result is intrinsic to the machine learning process. AI is a software tool. Like any tool, tools can be used for good and bad. This is not diminishing the risk, however the threat is human originated. Think deep fakes and other cons and scams.

Currently AI recommendations still require experts / us to validate and check the recommendation prior confirming the output. For example, check that travel booking recommendation shows London, England; not London Texas!

Forget artificial intelligence – in the brave new world of big data, it’s artificial idiocy we should be looking out for

Tom Chatfield, Author & Broadcaster

AI is still evolving; developing technology tools takes time.