12 Feb 2017

AI and Humans: Working together

This TED talk from futurist Maurice Conti discusses augmented cognition and suggests that we are on the cusp of rapid increase in the use of AI in assisting people to design, build and create their inventions. The power of human and AI is more powerful together than either on its own. Conti suggests that we are entering the 'augmentation age'.

Read more: 
http://www.ted.com/talks/maurice_conti_the_incredible_inventions_of_intuitive_ai?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button__2017-02-06#t-221895


31 Jan 2017

AI: Ethics and Principles

The Future of Life institute have published an interesting list of ethical considerations for the future of Artificial Intelligence.

One we believe ought to be implemented imminently is:
"13) Liberty and Privacy: The application of AI to personal data must not unreasonably curtail people’s real or perceived liberty."

Read more: 
https://futureoflife.org/ai-principles/


ANNs: Discovering new insights into language

Google makes a major step forward using Neural Networks to revolutionise translation. This even works with language pairs where the Neural Network is not specifically trained. Instead, the Network utilises translation patterns discovered whilst training other languages in order to enable zero shot learning between hitherto untranslated pairs. Impressive indeed. The philosophical implications of this have yet to be considered, though it appears that Chomsky's famous theory claiming that language is innate, may have found unexpected support.

Read more:
https://research.googleblog.com/2016/11/zero-shot-translation-with-googles.html



AI: Public Datasets

A good step forward in standardising the descriptions of publicly available data in order to facilitate effective and efficient discovery and utilisation for AI.

Read more:
https://research.googleblog.com/2017/01/facilitating-discovery-of-public.html 
 





Medical Application: AI used to diagnoise skin cancer

According to the BBC a Stanford University team suggests that the prospect of using AI to detect skin cancers is "incredibly exciting" and that AI has the ability to "revolutionise healthcare". This is something that Think Creative has been advocating for some time. It is great to hear about other progress that has been made in this area. Healthcare is an industry that AI is starting to make significant changes in and with its increased use we will see many lives saved.

Richard Weller has been quoted saying “I’m certain this is how melanomas are going to be identified in the future” Our AI specialists at Think Creative agree, that future is already here.  

Read more about this topic: 
From the BBC
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38717928

or from New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2119291-ai-rivals-dermatologists-at-spotting-early-signs-of-skin-cancer/?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#link_time=1485367809


10 Jan 2017

Philosohpy: In the digital age

Teaching philosophy to children enables them to discover 'what is the good life'. Blease highlights that this has never been so important as now in the rapidly changing intelligent age. Blease argues that "with jobs being automated and knowledge being devalued, humans need to rediscover flexible thinking." She starts her article by acknowledging that intelligence is coming and will change the way we work: "Back in 2013, economists at Oxford University’s Martin School estimated that in the next 20 years, more than half of all jobs would be substituted by intelligent technology."

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/09/philosophy-teach-children-schools-ireland?CMP=share_btn_fb



5 Jan 2017

Gartner: 2017 Predictions - Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

A positive outlook for the growth of artificial intelligence within industry. Garnter highlight that a key opportunity and challenge for 2017 is: "The mainstream is adopting formerly advanced technologies faster than ever and opening the door to innovation". The difficulty for companies appears to be "not in their propensity to change, but in their ability to change at the pace the market requires"

Read more:
http://www.gartner.com/technology/topics/trends.jsp


Brain Health: Superaging

Lisa Feldman Barrett discusses brain health linked with what she descibes as 'Superaging'.  Most of the action in those that age well appears to occur in the midcingulate cortex and the anterior insula. Further reinforcing the idea of neural plasticity. The article suggests that "all brain tissue gets thinner from disuse" the age old quote thus applies "If you don’t use it, you lose it"

Read more: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/31/opinion/sunday/how-to-become-a-superager.html?_r=2