Thomas Friedman has dedicated a chapter appropriately titled Turning AI into IA, to the topics on
Artificial Intelligence in his work Thank you for being late
Friedman discusses work in America, the high wage benefits the
average worker derived for several decades in the industrial era. What was
learned in school was relevant and training on the job was sufficient in the
pre-internet era for the average worker to enjoy steady employment. In the
current times of accelerated changes in many fronts, Friedman states -
"say good bye to all that" insisting the needed skills for good jobs (even average) are going up.
In this broad context, he analyzes how the machines augment human
activities with examples like an intelligent milking machine in a farm. He rips
apart the job of a cow milker with the routine part and the skilled part. But
that is only the part of the job itself. He further analyzes the competition to
the cow milker as a profession from several angles in the global world.
The discussion on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is practical. It is
pictured first as Intelligent Assistance (IA). AT&T's pioneering models
for life-long learning endeavors with MOOCs and gaming platforms for its
workforce take up a significant portion of this chapter.
Next, he takes the reader on tour of Intelligent Assistants and
Intelligent Algorithms. Friedman paints the big picture to the most commonly
heard about topics about the AI world centering the discussion around knowledge
worker, learning to upgrade skills continuously in a fast cycle approach, by
using technologies to meet the demands.
The primary purpose of technologies is to better human lives along with meeting their daily needs. In this context, Khan Academy, Launchcode.org, LearnUp.com find their place in the chapter. He reminds how the human, soft, never changing skills are even more important to conduct themselves in fast cycles of change - a wake-up call for the theme of discussions on changing technologies.
The primary purpose of technologies is to better human lives along with meeting their daily needs. In this context, Khan Academy, Launchcode.org, LearnUp.com find their place in the chapter. He reminds how the human, soft, never changing skills are even more important to conduct themselves in fast cycles of change - a wake-up call for the theme of discussions on changing technologies.
In the Second Machine Age authors, Andrew McAfee and Erik
Brynjolfsson discuss the fascinating miracles achieved by innovations in
Artificial Intelligence aiding the visually impaired by bringing aspects of
sight to the blind, restoring hearing to the deaf. IBM's Watson is already
saving lives not just improving them but pioneering AI aided diagnoses. The chapter
focuses on the influence of useful AI and the connected digital network of
people benefiting from the innovations.
The role of people, their ability to continuously add and refine
the stock of existing knowledge, and improve the innovative offerings, is
getting easier with the advances the mobile, smart phone technologies. The
people all around the world are privileged to be meaningful contributors to the
knowledge creation and innovation.
The new book has an entire section devoted to the Mind and
Machine. It is clear that machines are an integral part of the human world, how
humans can re-fit themselves is being debated and drawing the attention of
many.
