Thinking and other Intelligent programs

Thinking and Other Intelligent programs

Introduction For over 50 years, the concept of robots and thinking machines has spawned continuous dialog on their potential to simulate human abilities. At various times, researchers created different criteria to evaluate the edge, where functionality of the software applications or robots could be similar to something belonging to human's behavior. As the technology evolved and became more sophisticated, so did the evaluation criteria. A.M. Turing in 1950 suggested a test for determining whether a computer were to be regarded as "intelligent". The Loebner prize contest is annual attempt to find the world's most "human-seeming" application or machine. The examples written below must have convinced everyone, that the possibility for realization of the main human functions such as abilities to think, create something, speak, see, hear, etc. have been mostly proved separately for each function, and partly in common for humanoid robots. Obviously, mankind is close to the solution of the complex problem which is the creation of a device that can be confused functionally with humans. Of course, it will not have what we call a soul. It is not difficult to predict, that this problem will be solved fully in this century.

There are many applications not covered, and some vendors could fit in multiple categories, but due to space limitations, there are only included in one.

Intelligent Software (Artificial Intelligence applications) covers the following field of knowledge (computer science): natural language input/output systems, perceptive systems, expert systems, creative programs, and so on. Here are the some Artificial Intelligence applications:

Natural language input/output systems are developed in the following ways: speech recognition, understanding natural words, automated translation from one language to others, and generation of speech. In the last decade, computer speech recognition reached a practical level for many purposes. Many companies have replaced former communication systems by the systems using speech recognition. Today, Nuance (ScanSoft) maintains the industry's most extensive portfolio of speech technologies, applications and services, comprising speech recognition, text-to-speech, dictation, auto-attendants, and so on.

Perceptive (Machine vision) systems are computer vision (optical, infrared and so on) systems including powerful tools for image pre-processing, measurement, analysis, and data transfer operations. These systems are primarily used for high-tech manufacturing applications such as: electronics, semiconductors, precision mechanical components and assemblies, aeronautics & aerospace, automotive, etc. Samples of this technology include:

Cognex is the leading supplier of machine vision systems and components that gauge, guide, inspect, and identify products on the fastest production lines. These systems help manufacturers worldwide to automate the production of a wide range of products.
Machine vision system manufacturer Sightech produces the self-learning PC- Eyebot, which assists companies inspect their products and manufacturing processes for visual defects. Eyebot improves quality control, increases throughput, augments yield, and raises customer satisfaction.
Optical Recognition Objectives Ltd (Russia) offers the outstanding technology GABITUS for face recognition. The GABITUS uses three fundamental methods: artificial neural networks, optimization techniques and combinatorial calculations. Later recognition algorithm has been included in new information system for person identification CRIMMET.

Expert systems: Expert systems are a category of applications of Artificial Intelligence which focuses on the development of computer systems to simulate the processes of knowledge acquisition, problem solving, etc. See the page: AI and Expert systems

For more information see and order the book "Artificial Intelligence Around Us".