Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly present in the daily lives of people. It promises to evolve significantly in the coming decades. Thanks to machine learning and the investments of large tech companies, AIs continue to advance to helpfacilitate tasks, modernize industries and optimize scientific research.
Although many are already familiar with the concept of artificial intelligence, which is no longer a term belonging to the universe of science fiction, there are still facts about the technology that people are not aware of. You will find seven fun facts about artificial intelligence.
1. Artificial intelligences can be ‘prejudiced’
One of the main controversies involving artificial intelligence is the so-called “bias”. In the same way that a child reproduces the bad behavior of adults, AIs, which are programmed by humans, can catch prejudices. This results in skewed readings of the data, which commonly reflect issues such as racism and sexism.
In 2020, for example, Twitter was accused of racism after the platform’s smart hack tool gave preference to the faces of white people in the photos. Five years earlier, in 2015, Amazon had problems with the artificial intelligence used to recruit employees: instead of neutrally picking candidates, the algorithm prioritized men.
2. Artificial intelligence has passport and nationality
The Sophia robot, created in 2015 by the American David Hanson, draws attention for its wide interaction capabilities. Capable of reproducing up to 62 facial expressions and debating complex subjects, she has been on the cover of a fashion magazine, spoke at UN events and has thousands of followers on Instagram .
In 2017, Saudi Arabia decided to recognize Sophia as a citizen, the first robot-citizen in the world , having nationality and passport.
3. Experts believe robots should become smarter than humans by 2029
According to Ray Kurzweil, former director of engineering at Google , this really can happen. The inventor and futurist believes that computers will be more intelligent than humans and that they may even joke and flirt. Today it is already possible to see artificial intelligence, such as the Sophia robot, capable of processing highly complex information and interacting fluidly.
4. Most AIs are female
Virtual assistants like Siri , Google Assistant and Alexa were created to facilitate people’s daily lives. Despite belonging to different manufacturers, they have one thing in common: female voices.
According to technology companies, the choice to make assistants with women’s voices was because people tend to find female voices friendlier and gentler than male voices. In this sense, the feminization of AI would be a way to humanize robots.
The practice, however, can contribute to reinforcing gender bias. In 2019, the United Nations (UN) published a report declaring that the creation of virtual assistants with a female voice by default encourages machismo. According to the institution, the automatic configuration reinforces the gender stereotype that women should be helpers.
Companies are taking initiatives to combat the practice. In November, for example, Google Assistant won a male voice option .
5. Experts believe that humans and robots can develop romantic relationships in the future
The possibility of humans dating machines and intelligences has already been explored in cinema. In the movie “Her” , for example, the protagonist develops a special love relationship with the new operating system on his computer.
For neuroscientist and relationship coach Bobbi Banks, however, relationships between humans and robots could actually happen in the near future. It is estimated that by 2050 these romantic relationships will become widespread.
6. There are already pets with artificial intelligence
Pets with artificial intelligence are also present among us. One example is Moflin, an AI pet created by Vanguard Industries. The pet uses a nature-inspired algorithm to adapt to its environment and be able to express its emotions. In addition, it can also interact with humans like a real animal and uses interactions with its owners to grow and evolve its behavior.
7. It was once used to bring people ‘back from the dead’
A South Korean TV show used artificial intelligence to recreate the voice of singer Kim Kwang-seok, who died 25 years ago . The result was machine learning: the AI ”heard” more than 700 different sounds to understand musical techniques and then memorized 20 songs by the artist so that it could adjust the synthesis and recreate Kwang-seok’s voice .
Although it was used to revive a singer, the technique can be adapted to synthesize voices in dubbing animations, games or even recording audiobooks. Also, other great music idols can reappear with new songs, even after death.
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