AI in science fiction is typically portrayed as robots, but it could be anything from Google search engine to a driving car. Artificial Intelligence refers to any kind of device that perceives its environment, learns from it, and takes action.

Since the invention of the very first computers, their performance and capabilities in performing tasks have exponentially grown. A branch in computer science, known as “Artificial Intelligence (AI)” has emerged with the aim of creating machines that are as intelligent as human beings. The term was coined first time by John McCarthy in Carnegie Mellon University in 1956, and the first running AI program was demonstrated [1].

“AI is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs”, says John McCarthy, the father of Artificial Intelligence.

The term AI is applied, when a machine becomes capable of mimicking the (cognitive) functions of a human being. These functions could be learning, problem solving, or decision making. This is done by studying how human brains think, learn, decide, and solve problems. The outcome of this study becomes the basis for developing intelligent systems and software that are able to do the same. To be more specific, creating expert systems and implementing human intelligence on machines, in a way that it exhibits human behavior: thinks, understands, advises, and explains.

Today, various fields have benefited from AI, including economics, verification, security and control, health-care, transportation, logistics, customer service, etc.

Here are some examples of the most powerful applications of AI [2], among which are services, we might use in our everyday life. These services use AI technology, in order to intelligently deliver them to their users.

– Siri — Apple’s personal assistant uses machine-learning technology in order to understand and predict the questions and requests of it’s users.

-Amazon.com– the largest Internet-based retailer has a powerful transactional AI. By analyzing our previous online behavior, the algorithm predicts what we are interested in purchasing.

-Tesla– the electric smart car with predictive capabilities ands self-driving features

-Netflix, the streaming media, based on the customer’s previous choices and reactions to films, analyzes billions of records and suggests films.

Text by Shohreh Hosseinzadeh

REFERENCES:

[1] https://www.tutorialspoint.com/artificial_intelligence/artificial_intelligence_overview.html

[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertadams/2017/01/10/10-powerful-examples-of-artificial-intelligence-in-use-today/2/#352ab5553c8b