The history of artificial intelligence (AI) began with myths, stories, and rumors of artificial beings endowed with intelligence or consciousness by master artisans.
The seeds of modern AI were planted by philosophers who attempted to describe the process of human thinking as the mechanical manipulation of symbols.
The idea of inanimate objects coming to life as intelligent beings have been around for a long time. The ancient Greeks had myths about robots, and Egyptian engineers-built automatons.
The beginnings of modern AI can be traced to classical philosophers’ attempts to describe human thinking as a symbolic system. But the field of AI wasn’t formally founded until 1956, at a conference at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, where the term “artificial intelligence” was coined.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is seemingly everywhere. From redefining education to upending healthcare, AI has become that hard to ignore technology that tech companies cannot stop talking about.
While AI is being discussed at length, it is not a modern phenomenon either. AI has been maturing for centuries to become the transformational technology it is now.
Artificial intelligence was first coined by John McCarthy in 1956 when he held the first academic conference on the subject at Dartmouth College. Before the term was coined, researchers and computer scientists had laid the groundwork for AI to become a dominant field in computer science.
The past decade saw artificial intelligence (AI) advance by leaps and bounds. From the birth of Alexa to its application in vaccine development, AI has radically altered our personal and professional lives. Now, it’s everywhere — including in travel apps, streaming services, parking garages, and delivery robots.
I believe humans will play a vital role in AI deployments and training, but companies can’t always afford, scale or even find human workers. Today, efficiency and convenience are top priorities for customers.
In customer service, for instance, I’ve found that people want fast and easy answers — and often don’t care whether they speak with a person to get them.
In a recent survey my company conducted, two-thirds of consumers reported that they are comfortable speaking with an AI-powered customer service solution if they can speak normally and resolve their problems quickly.
There’s no denying that AI offers tremendous business benefits, but the real power comes from its synergy with people. By understanding the respective strengths of AI and people, businesses can unlock unprecedented efficiency and scale while maintaining the human touch that customers crave.
Carving out these respective roles early in the process and recognizing that neither is the be-all and end-all solution could allow businesses to strike the perfect balance as AI applications find a home in every aspect of our lives.
There will always be a place for human and machine intelligence in successful AI deployments. What comes naturally to people, such as empathy and judgment, is difficult for machines, while manually analyzing mountains of data at scale is practically impossible.
When humans and digital workforces work together, organizations achieve greater efficiencies, increased cash flow, and more satisfied and productive employees. We’ll continue to see this evolve. You can record your meetings, enabling AI to use the information discussed to make smart suggestions for your next meeting. It may suggest when, where, and whom to schedule.
AI could also help you develop an agenda and book the meeting. You, however, are still responsible for ensuring the meeting is productive and is a good use of time.
AI and humans must work together harmoniously, not simply focus on replacing roles and responsibilities.
