Pros And Cons Of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence, the cult movie excluded, is a term that helps throw light on the intelligence of machines and various branches of computer science that help put the same together. The term ‘artificial intelligence’ in 1956 was first coined by a then very eminent John McCarthy who chose to define it as ‘the science and engineering of making intelligent machines’. To better understand the fine nuances of ‘artificial intelligence’, think robots, think computers, think state-of-the-art machines that assist in the performance of functions that is otherwise not humanly possible. Artificial intelligence has made possible what only a few years ago would have seemed like a far-fetched dream. However, this dream, thanks to prodigious efforts, managed to make a way and carve a very distinct niche for itself within the well-defined realms of reality. Make a move and read on to uncover the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence.

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Artificial Intelligence
Without stepping into the boundaryless terrain of technical specifications, listed below are insights into the pros and cons of artificial intelligence. Like everything else in the real world, artificial intelligence comes with its own share of advantages and disadvantages. Its advantages make its patrons swear by it, and its disadvantages help the skeptics get more vocal about their arguments. Read on:

• Tireless performance of tasks makes for one of the biggest advantages of artificial intelligence. Believe it not, but with the assistance of artificial intelligence, it actually is possible to get a particular job done without the harrowing need for a lunch break or a break for coffee. Unlike humans who need to take a break at the drop of a hat, a machine can get a particular job done in the blink of an eye and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Thus you see how the ‘tireless factor’ in its very own way has managed to add to the success of artificial intelligence as we know it.
• With artificial intelligence ‘copying’ becomes that much easier. Copying here does not refer to a student copying from another in an exam. It in fact refers to the training of an artificial mind to perform a particular task, duplication of task-performance if you will. When compared to the training of a large workforce to perform a certain set of tasks, training an artificial mind to do the same makes for a slightly more feasible option.
• Most of the time, if not all the time, when a human being makes a decision, he or she does so after taking well into consideration his/her emotions. This setback that plagues the psyche of a human being is absent when an artificial mind performs a given task. With an artificial mind it is more about making logical and feasible decisions and so much lesser about giving into emotions. Maybe this is because an artificial mind feels no real emotions to speak of.

• The risk of a breakdown makes for, one of the, if not the biggest disadvantage or con of artificial intelligence. It’s like spending a million bucks on a car to get you from Point A to Point B and having to deal with the issue of the car breaking down one day after its purchase. Similarly, artificial intelligence is all about the effortless performance of a job, but in the event of a breakdown, the whole picture can turn dark.
• Apart from the risk of a breakdown, there also always is the imminent risk of a loss of data. In certain cases, due to the malfunction of certain components, a machine can fail to keep within its memory the files that it should have. This is something that can also happen with humans. When a human being is in charge of the collection and storage of data and fails to perform his or duty, it’s something that’s accepted and often branded as human error. However, with a machine it is not expected and this makes all the difference, ultimately making it a disadvantage.
• Computer systems or artificial minds need to be shut down on a regular basis for maintenance work. This can be a deterrent to productivity and to the general welfare of the organization in question.