Artificial Intelligence: The influencer

Self-tutoring about the wonderful world of AI: the tutor begins….

I took a course in AI a few years back; it was interesting. Therein, we learned what constitutes AI: an AI program will learn from its experiences, so change its behaviour over time. Theoretically the program will become more refined, similar to how a human would.

Lately there is tremendous hype about AI: apparently, it’s found in web browsers, virus checkers, and many other fixtures of the digital landscape. I’m told it may help decide what ads to show content consumers. Over a few recent months I’d been receiving lots of ads for cosmetics aimed at 50-year-old women. They got the age right, but I’m not a woman. Then, since about a week ago, the advertising swapped in ads for online e-d medication instead of cosmetics. I remain unconvinced that AI has a bead on me.

Yet, perhaps AI has refined its approach, taking the “you come to me” stance. Apparently a new influencer – an AI entity – has 100K followers after only a month. Not bad, for someone with a silicon brain.

Yet, I’m not sure how someone would be influenced by this entity. She attends the “University of Life,” but is that enough? I think some people’s problems might be deeper than what to wear or what app to download. I guess not everybody’s, given her success so far.

It seems, in our society, we don’t strive for growth so much as to remove flaws. Something flawless is perfect, while something with a flaw is a throwaway because it has a defect. Therefore, an AI entity can easily become a favourite, since it can be programmed not to have any flaws. Not really existing – well, that’s not a flaw (apparently).

As I understand it, AI programs that interact with people simply poll a large number communications and look for patterns which they then emulate. Ultimately, the client is getting someone else’s idea, just filtered, who talked to the program five hours or five days ago. By that rationale, AI is behind the curve, not in front of it. That’s just my opinion.

Source:

msn.com