Human imagination of artificial intelligence has roots in ancient myths and literature.
From the bronze giant Talos in Greek mythology to the artificial beings in Liezi and the creature in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel 'Frankenstein,' humanity has long contemplated intelligent machines.
This trend continued with the 1921 play "R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)" by Czech writer Karel Čapek, which later influenced the 1938 film adaptation. Even earlier, the German movie "Metropolis" in 1927 introduced audiences to the idea of artificial intelligence.
Over the decades, what was once science fiction has gradually become part of our reality. One significant milestone was the introduction of Eliza in 1966, a chatbot developed by Joseph Weizenbaum at MIT. Considered the world’s first chat program, Eliza utilized a thesaurus of synonyms to respond to user queries, simulating human conversation. Weizenbaum himself viewed Eliza as a superficial form of human-machine communication, yet many users felt they were interacting with a real person.
The name "Eliza" was inspired by the 1964 film where Audrey Hepburn’s character, Eliza Doolittle, transforms from a flower girl into a refined young woman. The film's original title, "Pygmalion," alludes to the Greek myth of a sculptor who creates a statue endowed with life by the gods. Similarly, AI creations, like statues, reflect human ingenuity, raising questions about the nature of AI-human relationships and their similarities.
Artificial intelligence is typically categorized into weak AI, which performs specific tasks, and strong AI, also known as Generalized AI (AGI), capable of mimicking human cognition, decision-making, self-awareness, and autonomous action. While strong AI remains largely confined to science fiction, recent advancements in weak AI have surpassed human capabilities in various domains, such as gaming, mathematical theorem proving, data analysis, voice and facial recognition, autonomous driving, and automated tasks in manufacturing and logistics.
Robots are now capable of recognizing and replicating human emotions, serving as companions and caregivers. As AI applications proliferate, they permeate every aspect of human life, revolutionizing industries and everyday experiences alike. The rise of deep learning and reinforcement learning has propelled AI to the forefront of technological innovation. The 2012 ImageNet challenge marked a significant turning point, catalyzing the integration of deep learning and big data with substantial investment inflows. Initiated in 2007 by AI scientist Fei-Fei Li, the ImageNet database revolutionized research in visual cognition software.
The evolution of artificial intelligence reflects humanity’s enduring fascination with the concept of intelligent machines. From ancient myths to modern advancements, AI continues to shape our understanding of technology and its impact on society. As we navigate this AI-driven era, questions persist about the ethical implications of AI-human interaction.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, its societal impact becomes more pronounced. While AI offers tremendous potential for innovation and efficiency, it also raises ethical and societal concerns. Issues such as job displacement due to automation, algorithmic bias, privacy infringement, and the concentration of power in tech giants underscore the need for thoughtful regulation and ethical guidelines.
