The Year of A.I.

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Last year marked the rise and fall of Bitcoin and its clones, as well as the splash of Smart Speakers and augmented reality. Entertainment companies are expanding into tech companies, and tech companies are exploding into entertainment companies, all the while the line between online and offline is blurred.

As I work on Marjorie Prime in the role of Walter Prime with American stage, 2018 is projected to be the new boom of Google with its A. I. software: RankBrain, a machine-learning system that helps Google process its massive amount of search results, helping Google rank pages better. 

“I could tell you a story; you liked that last time.” -Walter Prime 

Daily, I listen to podcasts without wifi and keep up with my friends all on LTE. Rarely am I not connected to some internet. If we are not already cyborgs, we are soon on our way to being so. 

We live in a world of algorithms where our actions are monitored, recorded, and sold for marketing dollars. Big data is the buzzword of the decade and companies seek to mine this information for understanding.

AI systems function as a supportive tool for big data making processes more simplified, effective, and faster. However it’s inching its way into journalism, financial services, video gaming, gambling, automotive, the military, and even healthcare. 

Sounds rudimentary, right? And yet, RankBrain is one of the biggest contributors to advancing and refining the massive data collected by Google, going from 15% use to a 100% use.  What’s the takeaway? It learns. 

Google is expanding upon its A.I. use including Cloud Vision API, which can recognize images, and the even more fascinating and aptly titled Google Brain. Its function, developing an A.I. that can build AI better than humans can…

“Part of its biology. Your genetic inclination.” - Walter Prime 

Can an A.I. be as smart as a human? We’ve seen computer beat Master level chess and Go, players. What’s next?

Currently, A.I. is when a computer can rival human intelligence in collecting data and acquiring knowledge both from being taught and building upon the connections it makes. Sort of like a child.

Luckily for mankind, our  A.I. overlords exist only in science fiction novels. In practice, A.I. is a tool to supplement man and his weaknesses, for now. 

As A.I. enters more and more fields, more questions arise about its purpose, with people like Jack Ma, Alibaba’s founder and Executive Chairman, questioning the future impact on society as a whole. Ma believes A.I. should support humanity and “empower people.” A.I. may not be killing humanity, but it is killing economic futures:

“The AI, Big Data is a threat to human beings. The AI and robots are going to kill a lot of jobs because, in the future, these will be done by machines,” Ma stated during a discussion panel.

One of the Bard’s favorite elements of storytelling is time, in fact, he often capitalized Time to emphasize its importance to the players. Likewise, Hitchcock’s idea of suspense, the difference between a normal chat and a normal chat with a bomb under the seat, emphasizes the importance of time. Human beings have limited amounts of time. A.I., once set in motion has all the time in the world. 

“I have all the time in the world.” - Walter Prime

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