Artificial Intelligence: should you start looking for a new job?

[Michael_Bird]

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together" 

Is artificial intelligence really going to change the way we live and work, or are the supposed possibilities no more than seductive PR?

In the first episode of our new podcast Technology Untangled, alongside chief technologist Matt Armstrong-Barnes, we trace AI's technological leaps from Alan Turing to AlexNet via Dartmouth University. We map out the innovations impacting organisations right now by untangling strong and narrow AI, machine learning, deep learning, and artificial neural networks.

From cybersecurity to big data, we ponder the good, the bad, and the uncanny side of AI; how to tread the ethical tightrope; and identify implementation tactics applicable to organisations of any size.

Reality check: how close are we to the Bladerunner universe?

We've all had an experience with a confused digital personal assistant or a useless chatbot, yet advances in AI unleash hoards of futurist doom-and-gloomers predicting the demise of civilisation. So which is it? Is AI still in its infancy or are the superintelligent machines about to become our overlords?

We take a look at what's really possible with the AI that's already woven into society, discuss which innovations are about to transform our lives, and identify what's best left to comic books and cinema... for now.

Rise of the machines: will your job be automated out of existence?

We hate to break it to you, but the machines are coming for our jobs (although maybe not the ones you'd expect). Matt makes the case for AI as a helping hand in just about every industry, from medicine and agriculture to customer service and logistics.

Just like the industrial revolutions that preceded it, the artificial intelligence revolution is making everything a whole lot easier for humans. But with great power comes great responsibility, and it just so happens that nefarious parties are some of the earliest adopters when it comes to automation.

Sizing up AI: how can every organisation benefit?

In this modern world, AI needs to be a tool in every organisation's toolbox, from multi-national corporations to small businesses. But just because you've got a hammer with AI written on it, you shouldn't think of every problem as a nail.

Matt explains how organisations of any size can navigate, trial, and implement AI today, whether they're sequencing genomes or booking haircuts via a chatbot.

Key takeaways:

• We're steering the spaceship. Sorry to bust the bubble, but we aren't in the realms of sci-fi just yet. We've seen how AlphaGo was able to train itself, but this multi-knowledge domain capability is still out of reach. It could be 5 years, it could be 100, but our hands are firmly on the reins, which means the functionality, ethics, and bias of AI is also on our watch.
• AI isn't inherently unethical, but your data could be. Only you can make AI work - for better or for worse. Organisations need to take responsibility for their data, make sure it's free of bias, and that best practices are being followed. Remember, AI isn't inherently ethical, so skewed results (and their unfortunate consequences) are down to human error! Own that, move forward, and reap the benefits.
• The future is collaborative. Artificial intelligence is a journey, not a destination, and the possibilities really are as big as our collective imagination. In order to advance, AI needs to be openly shared, accessible for all, and ready for scrutiny. No more organisational silos: to harness the true power of AI we need to work together.

Links and Resources:

• AlphaGo | DeepMind
• The Alan Turing Institute
• The Institute for Ethical AI & Machine Learning
• AI4ALL - Education and Mentorship
• What is Artificial Intelligence? - Enterprise IT Definitions | HPE Europe
• What is Deep Learning? - Enterprise IT Definitions | HPE
• Video: "Artificial Intelligence: What's on the horizon" | HPE
• Article: "AI in cybersecurity: How to harness AI before hackers do" | Matt Armstrong-Barnes, HPE
• Technical paper: "Accelerating the Speed and Accessibility of Artificial Intelligence Technologies to act on Big Data" - Speed & Accessibility | HPE & Intel
• Technical paper: "Revolutionizing healthcare with artificial intelligence" | HPE & NVIDIA
• Technical paper: "Galvanizing manufacturing with Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning" | HPE & NVIDIA

Michael Bird
Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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