Artificial Intelligence (AI) is touted as ‘the next big thing’ in productivity improvement – and there is little doubt that we will see lots of examples of AI taking over relatively menial, snd some more sophisticated, tasks over the next couple of decades.
However, many of us have already seen quite a few examples of non-intelligent devices claiming to act intelligently. These could be regarded as experimental or prototype devices (though why they are released commercially is a question that needs to be asked).
The mistakes made by AI devices, of course, reflect mistakes or omissions of those programming the ‘intelligence’ into the device – and those that have not been picked up in the testing process. (We consumers are getting increasingly used to being the group that carries out user testing.)
Their other significant problem is that most AI devices try to replicate and replace existing devices.
What we need is real, human intelligence and creativity, working on devices with improved functionality and design, building better products – rather than replicating current ones with their existing, inherent flaws.
(This is rather like the early days of automation when firms automated their existing, imperfect and inefficient processes snd systems instead of perfecting, or at least improving, the process before adding automation.)
Step up to the plate, you intelligent and creative humans. We need you!