An artificial intelligence, or AI, is any computer system that performs tasks normally performed by human beings — such as reasoning, decision making, creating, etc.
It is an increasingly common technology that can be found in a variety of applications — from self-driving cars to customer support bots. AI offers many benefits, such as improved accuracy for repetitive or routine tasks, increased personalization within digital services and products and reducing operational costs through automation. However, it also raises ethical and societal concerns, such as privacy and data security, risks of bias or discrimination, or job loss.
A team of scientists has used generative AI to enhance T cells to make them more effective against melanoma. But more testing is needed before the treatment can be safely tested in patients.
Researchers are exploring ways to reduce the power consumption of deep learning models, so that they can be used in more battery-powered devices and in areas with limited energy resources. The goal is to develop systems that use a tenth of the energy that current AI does for the same performance.
An important question in the philosophy of mind is whether or not a machine can have a mind, consciousness and mental states in the same way that humans do. Mainstream AI research does not address this issue. But some experts have begun to formulate more nuanced definitions of AI that differentiate between “strong” and “weak” forms of the technology.
The large language models used by generative AI like ChatGPT require significant amounts of energy to run, and the data centres they reside in often consume substantial amounts of water for cooling. Some experts worry that this will add to global water shortages.