What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

 To make it simple – Artificial Intelligence is intelligence exhibited by

machines.
 It is a branch of computer science which deals with creating computers
or machines as intelligent as human beings.
 The term was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy at the Dartmouth
conference, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
 It is a simulation of human intelligence processes such as learning (the
acquisition of information and rules for using the information), reasoning
(using the rules to reach approximate or definite conclusions), and self-
correction by machines, especially computer systems.
 Nowadays it has become an umbrella term which encompasses
everything from robotic process automation to actual robotics.
 Recently it has become widely popular and gained prominence due to
its multifaceted application ranging from healthcare to military devices.

Is it possible for a computer to become completely

Artificially Intelligent?
  Work is being done in this arena however except some instances of
computers playing games faster than the best human players no success
has been achieved.
 For Example: In May 1997, an IBM super-computer called Deep Blue
defeated world chess champion Gary Kasparov in a chess match.
 Another recent example of 2016 is, AlphaGo, a program driven by
Google’s DeepMind AI, has won Korean Lee Sedol, one of Go’s most
dominant players.

What is the philosophy and ethics of Artificial

Intelligence?
  The research and development of AI started with the intention of
creating intelligence in machines that we find and regard high in humans.
Thus answering the big question which is can machines think and
behave like humans do?

Three main philosophical questions related to

Artificial Intelligence
 Are they dangerous to humanity? How can we ensure that machines
behave ethically and that they are used ethically?
 Is artificial general intelligence probable? Can a machine decipher any
problem that a human being can solve using intelligence? Or are there
hard boundaries to what a machine can accomplish?
 Is it possible for machines to have a mind, consciousness, and mental
states in exactly the same sense that human beings do? Can a machine
be sentient, and thus deserve certain rights? Can a machine intentionally
cause harm?

Examples of Artificially Intelligent Technologies

 Robotic process automation: Automation is the process of making a
system or processes function automatically. Robots can be programmed
to perform high-volume, repeatable tasks normally performed by humans
and further it is different from IT automation because of its agility and
adaptability to the changing circumstances.
 Natural language processing (NLP) is the processing of human
language and not computer language by a computer program. For
Example, spam detection, which looks at the subject line and the text of
an email and decides if it’s junk.
 Pattern recognition is a branch of machine learning that focuses on
identifying patterns in data.
 Machine vision is the science of making computers visualize by
capturing and analyzing visual information using a camera, analog-to-
digital conversion, and digital signal processing. It is often compared to
human eyesight, but machine vision isn’t bound by biology and can be
programmed to see through walls. It is used in a range of applications
from signature identification to medical image analysis.
 Machine learning: Field of study that gives computers the ability to
learn without being explicitly programmed.  Deep learning is a subset of
 machine learning and can be thought of as the automation of predictive
analytics.
 Robotics is a field of engineering focused on the design and
manufacturing of robots. Robots are often used to perform tasks that are
difficult for humans to perform or perform consistently.

Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

 Healthcare Sector: Machine learning is being used for faster, cheaper

and more accurate diagnosis and thus improving patient outcomes and
reducing costs. For Example, IBM Watson and chatbots are some of
such tools.
 Business Sector: To take care of highly repetitive tasks Robotic
process automation is applied which perform faster and effortlessly than
 humans. Further, Machine learning algorithms are being integrated into
analytics and CRM platforms to provide better customer service.
Chatbots being used into the websites to provide immediate service to
customers. Automation of job positions has also become a talking point
among academics and IT consultancies such as Gartner and Forrester.
 Education Sector: AI can make some of the educational processes
automated such as grading, rewarding marks etc. therefore giving
educators more time. Further, it can assess students and adapt to their
needs, helping them work at their own pace. AI may change where and
how students learn, perhaps even replacing some teachers.
 Financial Sector: It can be applied to the personal finance applications
and could collect personal data and provide financial advice. In fact,
today software trades more than humans on the Wall Street.
 Legal Sector: Automation can lead to faster resolution of already
pending cases by reducing the time taken while analyzing cases thus
better use of time and more efficient processes.
 Manufacturing sector: Robots are being used for manufacturing since
a long time now, however, more advanced exponential technologies
have emerged such as additive manufacturing (3D Printing) which with
the help of AI can revolutionize the entire manufacturing supply chain
ecosystem.
 Intelligent Robots − Robots can perform the tasks given by a human
because of sensors to detect physical data from the real world such as
light, heat, temperature, movement, sound, bump, and pressure.
Moreover, they have efficient processors, multiple sensors and huge
memory, to exhibit intelligence. Further, they are capable of learning from
their errors and therefore can adapt to the new environment.
 Gaming – AI has a crucial role in strategic games such as chess, poker,
tic-tac-toe, etc., where the machine can think of a large number of
possible positions based on heuristic knowledge.
 Speech Recognition – There are intelligent systems that are capable
of hearing and grasping the language in terms of sentences and their
meanings while human talks to it. It can handle different accents, slang
words, noise in the background, change in human’s noise due to cold,
etc.
 Cyber Security: In the 20th conference on e-governance in India it was
discussed that AI can provide more teeth to cyber security and must be
explored.
What are the downsides and risks of Artificial
Intelligence (AI)?
 The decrease in demand for human labour due to machines and
intelligent robots taking over the jobs in the manufacturing and the
services sectors. For Example: In china some customs officers are now
robots, In japan robots as housemaid is emerging trend.

 Existential risks: Stephen Hawkins has once said “The development of

full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Once
humans develop artificial intelligence, it will take off on its own and
redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by
slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete and would be superseded”.
 AI technologies falling into terrorist hands may unleash modern terror
network including machine and therefore vulnerability of humans may
magnify.
 It may lead to moral degradation in society due to decreased human to
human interactions.
 In such an era of rapid and disruptive changes, many questions arise:
will these technological changes be accompanied by equally profound
economic, social and cultural changes? Will technology destroy jobs at a
faster rate than the rate of creation of jobs? Will future governments be
forced to fork out Universal Basic Income? How could education be
redefined with artificial intelligence, big data, augmented reality and
personalized learning pathways? Are conventional manufacturing plants
under threat with the advent of additive manufacturing? What will be the
impact on skills required? After all these changes, people-to-people
communication and socio-economic activities remain the same?

Possible areas for AI applications in Indian conditions

 It can complement Digital India Mission by helping in the big data
analysis which is not possible without using AI.
 Targeted delivery of services, schemes, and subsidy can be further fine-
tuned.
 Smart border surveillance and monitoring to enhance security
infrastructure.
  Weather forecasting models may become proactive and therefore
preplanning for any future mishaps such as floods, droughts and
therefore addressing the farming crisis, farmer’s suicide, crop losses etc.
 By analyzing big data of road safety data and NCRB (National Crime
Record Bureau) data for crimes, new policies can be formulated.
 Disaster management can be faster and more accessible with the help
of robots and intelligent machines.
 In the counterinsurgency and patrolling operations, we often hear the
loss of CRPF jawans which can be minimized by using the robotic army
and lesser human personnel.
 AI can be used to automate government processes, therefore,
minimizing human interactions and maximizing transparency and
accountability.
 It can be applied to study ancient literature upon medicines and
therefore help in modernizing the health care with the juxtaposition of
modern machines and ancient techniques.
 In the remotest areas where the last leg of governance is almost
broken, AI can do the job. For Example: in the tribal areas and the hilly
areas of the northeast.

Which is the nodal organization of the government for

the research work on Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
 Centre for artificial intelligence and robotics (CAIR), is the primary
laboratory of DRDO for research and development in different areas of
defense, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and is
located in Bangalore. It is involved in the Research & Development of
high-quality Secure Communication, Command, and Control, and
Intelligent Systems.
 CAIR came into existence in 1986.
 Projects: NETRA- software to intercept online communication, SECOS-
Secure operating system.

What are the challenges India’s Artificial Intelligence

Development is facing?
 AI-based applications are mostly driven largely by the private sector and
have been focused largely on consumer goods.
  Public-private funding model which is a success in the United States,
China, South Korea, and elsewhere may be considered good for India.
Presently it is not present in India.
 Our educational system is not updated to the modern technologies and
is outdated in today’s economic environment as the nature of jobs shifts
rapidly and skills become valuable and obsolete in a matter of years.
 The debate of poverty vs. technology and where to spend the most is
more likely to persist until the political class takes a higher interest in real
issues than trivial ones.

Conclusion
Despite these threats and challenges, it would be stupid to argue that Artificial
Intelligence (AI) is not the future and it’s only a matter of time that machines
will replace most of the jobs. It does not mean the end of the road for
humanity and we have a history of technological revolutions causing social
and political changes in society. In the Early years there are bound to have
some fears and challenges but so was the case with the French revolution,
steam engines, industrial revolutions and most recently the computers.
Nevertheless, there will be more opportunities in the fields not yet known and
there will be more jobs to cater to human needs. In the case of India, Innefu is
one such Artificial Intelligence (AI) based company which is still in its nascent
phase but soon may challenge global companies and therefore can create AI-
ecosystem in India.