Artificial intelligence can be defined as a computer’s ability to learn and think. Any program that performs tasks that normally require human intervention is based on artificial intelligence. Less than 20 years ago such technology was a story from movies that seemed unreal. In 2020, we can meet AI even in online stores. Sometimes the support service employee who helps you to choose the size of the perfect jeans is not a real person. It is still shocking for many ordinary people to realize that there is no human companion on the other side of the screen, just a set of codes and algorithms.
Now let’s consider AI’s best and worst parts.
AI Advantages
The benefits you get from AI are obvious:
1. No errors. A high-quality AI makes a lot fewer mistakes than your employees. It is accurate, precise, and fast. Technology operates logically and does not have emotions. Its decisions are based on previously collected information and analyzed by a set of algorithms. Such rational decisions provide fewer or no errors.
2. External environment. This is one of its biggest benefits. AI is not afraid to work in space or other dangerous places can be difficult for people to explore. You can take it to Mars or deep into the ocean, or send it to defuse a bomb and extract resources.
3. No repeat actions. We can finally entrust repetitive, exhausting tasks to others. There is no need to perform a time-consuming job manually. Artificial intelligence can check documents for errors, send emails or write reports for you. By automating these tasks you free the staff and let them deal with more important tasks.
4. Management. It is hard to keep all the information you need in your head. AI helps to manage and structurize data and notes.
5. 24/7. Unlike human beings, AI does not need to sleep, have lunch, or take breaks to cool its head. It is available round the clock, while human employees can efficiently work 5-6 hours per day on average. With such technology, we can make machines work without interruptions.
6. Support. The majority of people use websites and online stores for purchases. It has become especially important during a pandemic. But it can be hard to choose the right type of product or find the answers to all your questions. AI comes in to help customers with any issues. With modern technologies, you will not even distinguish a chat-bot from a real person. Meanwhile, it reduces expenses by making it possible to avoid hiring many employees.
7. Faster performance. AI makes decisions faster than any of your team members. It is because a person will need to analyze all the aspects both emotionally and practically while artificial intelligence acts according to algorithms.
8. Safety. AI can detect hackers in banking systems as well as any other niches. It can save us from spying data theft.
AI Disadvantages
Of course, artificial intelligence also has some cons that are more or less obvious.
1. Cost. Like any other IT solution, AI requires a large budget. The hardware and software will need updates over time to keep up with the requirements. Besides, some codes and details have expensive maintenance. Thus, the development and support will not be cheap.
2. No creative thinking. Artificial intelligence can perform only those tasks which they are programmed to do. It does not know how to improvise and has no creative skills. Unlike people, AI cannot perceive and create beauty.
3. No empathy. There is no doubt that machines are more accurate and fast, but people believe people. Sometimes we need to feel a connection. For example, surgeries are always a stress for the patient, and a friendly nurse can become a best friend in this situation. It is also difficult to imagine AI as a manager. You cannot talk, discuss details of a situation, or establish communication.
4. Unemployment. This is a distant future, but we are talking about all possible scenarios. AI can perform a lot of repetitive tasks and other jobs, that’s why human intervention is becoming less and less important. For jobs that don’t require many skills, companies will try to replace workers with artificial intelligence solutions. Thus, it can become an issue for people to find a job.
5. Addiction. By automating most of the work, AI makes people lazier, since we tend to become addicted to the easy way to do things. The most obvious example is our smartphones. We can hardly do anything without our phone in hands. They made our life a lot easier but they also made us more careless.
Read Also: Types of Machine Learning Out There
Why Choose Artificial Intelligence?
Let’s not talk about scenarios such as AI rebelling and focus on the real picture.
We can no longer imagine our life without Google Assistant, Siri, and other voice assistants. Such technology can come in handy, among everything else, in the medical niche. Artificial intelligence helps to make an accurate diagnosis and predict some dangerous conditions. It can also deal with much smaller parts of our body such as nerves. But it is not only such narrow-focused spheres where it can be of use – normal businesses will also benefit.
