B1 - Group A - Schwakoff

In looking into the topics of AI, computers, software, and future, I found that many articles could be placed in several of these categories.

AI/software

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a booming field right now. Machines are gradually beginning to gain the ability to perform tasks that, up until this point, only humans could complete. A recent AI advancement was announced by General Electric (GE) in 2013. They announced software for the “Industrial internet”, which uses sensors, networking technology, and data analysis to better understand and perform large industrial processes. They’re utilizing data-driven tools to improve operative efficiency in industry. The process is fairly straightforward: install as any sensors as possible to gather as much data as possible, and from this data extract useful information to optimize industrial processes. This data utilization is already being used in many fields and I think this optimization really is the way of the future, as long as this data is protected. Some blogs have noted that all of this data could present privacy and advertisement issues.

Hardy, Quentin. “General Electric Adds to Its ‘Industrial Internet.” New York Times. Jun 19, 2013

AI/software/computer/future

Another emerging area in AI is “computer vision”. AI software has been developed capable of recognizing and describing the content of photographs and videos. This computer vision can now identify not just single objects in a photograph/video, but entire scenes. The possibilities for use of this technology are endless. It can be used to tag images for searching. Until now, images have had to be identified by text (tags) input by humans, but using computer vision could make searching for things vastly quicker and easier. It is also envisioned to be able to aid the blind and robots in navigating, identifying surroundings that otherwise would not been seen. It could be used for identifying individuals as well as their behavior, possibly helping detect criminals and crimes before they happen. This technology has already been implemented on new cars with the ability to recognize people and stop the car automatically if the driver doesn’t do so themselves. These are just a few of the futuristic uses of computer vision.

This is all done through neural networks, which are statistical learning algorithms motivated by how the brain works. Neural networks use vast amounts of data to train themselves to recognize patterns. The more data that is available for training the better the recognition of the software. Though this technology is still a long way away from matching humans’ recognition ability, it is advancing at a very fast pace and is expected to be on par with that of human’s in the near future.

Markoff, John. “Researchers Announce Advance in Image-Recognition Software.” New York Times. Nov 17, 2014

Computer/future

We are at the brink of a new age in technology. We will soon have computers that are small enough to be integrated into everyday objects. Our day-to-day life will be like living in a virtual reality. Some examples include: identification without physical ID’s, a firefighter having a mapped display of a building they are unable to see in, and a valuable recognizing if it is being accidentally left somewhere.

Smartphones/tablets are expected to become obsolete in the not-too-distant future. Instead, things that we wear will become “smart”. There will be smart glasses, watches, etc. Computers may also be injected into the body, aiding in countless medical issues. They could even be swallowed as a pill to run through the body and provide a health report. This technology is already becoming real. Companies have begun selling smart watches. Others have fitness/health trackers. Google Glass sells wearable glasses that display information in a smartphone-like format without having to hold a physical object. One can imagine if these were combined with the computer recognition software, people would be wired to an endless supply of information every minute of every day.

Cincotta, Katie. “Future technology is bright, says Intel guru Steve Brown.” The Sydney Morning Herald. December 12, 2013

Future

Solar panels are doing more than just providing electricity to your home. They are now being experimented with for use as roadways. Instead of our current asphalt roads, we’d have solar panels that would allow for electricity generation during the day, the charging of electric cars as they drive along the roadway, heating to melt snow and ice, etc. These panels are built using a very strong textured glass, with LED lights laid out as road markers. The panels have been tested already and have passed several tests: (1) they can withstand loads of up to 125 tons and (2) can stop a vehicle in the required stopping distance. A major result of these panels could be a greenhouse gas emission reduction of roughly 75%.

This is a very interesting technology. It may seem ludicrous at first, but these solar roadways have proven their ability on a small scale, so maybe it isn’t too far-fetched. The possible advantages of these roads could be truly ground-breaking. Energy demand and pollution are at the forefront of global environmental issues. Being able to utilized solar energy on such a large scale would have incredibly beneficial effects.

Kermeliotis, Teo. “Solar-powered roads: Coming to a highway near you?” CNN. September 18, 2014

Computer/software/future

Intel has developed an affordable computer stuffed into a 4” HDMI dongle. The “Compute Stick”, as they call it, turns HD-compatible devices into fully-functional computers. The latest windows version comes with a quad-core 1.3 Ghz processor, 32GB of storage, 2GB RAM, Bluetooth, and WiFi. This is essentially a computer in a zip drive. While this doesn’t offer the opportunity to play the latest graphic intensive video games, it does allow one to run most day-to-day programs.

Downsizing computers has been an ongoing challenge since the development of the very first computer. We have made great strides thus far, and I believe we are probably nearing a plateau in computer size reduction. However, this is very impressive. A computer this small opens up countless possibilities.

Mauro. “Intel’s HDMI Compute Stick crams a Windows 8.1 PC on a crazy small device.” Pureinfotech. Jan 8, 2015

Comments

Plotkin’s blog – I enjoyed your write-up very much. I have done a lot of research in the automated HVAC field and can tell you that, at least in terms of HVAC, all of the sensor data is typically stored in databases. I imagine that as we transition into more smart homes, most of the other data will be stored. You brought up a good point about privacy issues and invasive advertisements. I surely hope these companies wouldn’t be able to sell this information. If so, I would probably double think living in a smart home.

Catherine Stephens’ blog – I think you did a great job covering both of the sides on artificial intelligence. I think you could have gone into a little bit more detail in computers and software. What exactly is this PaleoDeepDive? It sounds really interesting; I’d like to hear a little bit more about it. As for the future category, I agree with you that drones are fascinating and have countless uses. I’m curious to hear a little more about the other futuristic technologies you mentioned.

Ritvalsky’s blog – Great job in your discussion of AI. I think you’re in the majority in initially being concerned about these self-driving cars before realizing that they are actually safe. This is the first I’ve heard about the contact lenses but they sound like they have great potential if the trials are successful. I agree with Wilson’s idea of the universal cloud. The rate at which technology has advanced over the last couple of decades is incredible, and it continues to surpass even the most open-minded peoples’ expectations, so his idea is very plausible.