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Running head: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial Intelligence as an Emerging Technology
Melody Murphy
The University of Alabama
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Abstract
Artificial intelligence is a growing trend to business, industry, and education. It studies the
design of intelligent agents. The agents include a system which is an engineered machine.
Artificial intelligence has been around for fifty years. However, scientists and engineers research
daily ways to improve technological systems for our businesses and our educational system. This
paper will explore some examples of artificial intelligence and how the future looks for artificial
intelligence.
Introduction
According to the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (2008),
artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as “the scientific understanding of the mechanisms
underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines. John McCarthy,
one of the founders of the field of AI defined it as the science and engineering of making
intelligent computer programs (p.1). Many robots are made to look and act like humans.
According to Rodney Brooks (2002), humans have been interested for thousands of years in
making robots that are in the human form. In the early 1970s, Hirokazu Kato oversaw the
building of Wabot-1. Wabot-1 is a robot that could walk a few steps and pick up simple objects
with its two hands and carry out some speech interaction. However, Wabot-1 is still a
mechanism. Wabot-2 was built in 1984. Wabot-2 could not stand but sat at a piano bench and
would play an organ. In the early 1990’s humanoid robots were being developed in Japan,
Germany, and the U.S (p. 33-34).
Rodney Brooks (2002) discusses the first humanoid robot, called Cog, which was created
to act as a person does. Cog has facial expressions and eye movements just as a human does
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(p.35). In order to study more social interaction based on how humans react to each other another
robot was created. Its name was Kismet. Kismet was created in the 1990s. Kismet and Cog was
used for research on social interaction. Cog and Kismet’s vision is based on the social
interaction. Of course, their eyes are different from human eyes. However, they use their eyes
for perception and control systems. Rodney Brooks (2002) explains that Cog and Kismet are able
to detect human faces and can estimate the gaze of a person’s direction. Their gaze is what helps
them with their social interaction. They understand what a person is paying attention to by their
gaze (p.36). In other words, Cog and Kismet recognizes social interactions based on the eye
gazes. As humans, we watch each others eye movements to recognize what a person is feeling
or thinking. However, Cog and Kismet cannot move their eyes that quickly so they have to
recognize a gaze or stare. According to Brooks (2002), there are lawn mowing robots and home
floor cleaning robots in addition to Toyota’s robot and Honda’s robot Asimo. Honda’s robot
Asimo is the only robot in America that can go up and down stairs. Asimo is an acronym for
advanced step in innovative mobility. According to Honda, Asimo is controlled by a laptop
computer or a wireless networked system. Asimo can comprehend and carry out tasks off of
voice commands. These commands must be preprogrammed into its onboard memory. Asimo
can maps its environment using its camera eyes and registers stationary obstacles. Asimo is able
to store data in an onboard map of its environment, then its recall the data while walking which
enables it to avoid obstacles. In addition, Asimo is able to recognize moving pedestrians in its
walking path and stop for a moment until the people have cleared the robot’s path. Asimo’s
intelligence lies in technology, not in the ability to think or reason things out like humans. Asimo
is powered by a 51.8v lithium ion battery in which he can operate for approximately 1 hour on a
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single battery. The battery can be recharged onboard ASIMO through a power connection for
three hours.
Artificial Intelligence in Education
Artificial intelligence is not at prominent in the educational setting/classroom as it is in
the technology or business world. There is research being conducted daily on how different
types of artificial intelligence can help with students in school. There are discussions from
testing to tutorials. However, not near as much progress is being made in education as with the
technology realm. Hopefully, in the future more progress will be made with more research.
Rama Ramaswami (2009) mentions how artificial intelligence has not made much headway in
education. In one area that it would be the most beneficial is in assessment. For example, a
standardized test is graded consistently and has no room for individual student abilities.
However, critics insist that despite the government’s resistance that one-size-fit all learning will
be gone soon. Software makers are not waiting around they are making enhancements to the AI
technology. One program that is gaining recognition is Lexia Learning Systems. Lexia’s AIbased reading programs have been around for years. Its latest version of Lexia Reading was
released in September 2007. Lexia’s “intelligent” content includes that if a student doesn’t
understand something then the software recognizes the area of weakness and gives the student
additional practice before moving on. The program generates reports for the teachers and
administrators about the student’s skill level and areas in which he or she needs more instruction.
Artificial intelligence has capabilities in education in helping students in other areas besides just
assessment. Artificial intelligence technology is now capable of tutoring students in the
fundamental understanding of concepts. The Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces
(ALEKS) was designed to ask students personalized assessment questions; the response to each
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new question is based on the responses to all the prior questions. After using ALEKS there was a
seventeen percent mastery increase in criterion referenced tests. The US Department of
Education awarded $2.8 million grant to WestEd, a nonprofit research and development agency
to evaluate the impact of Quntum’s chemistry tutoring software on student learning. After using
the Quauntum software along with their classroom studies, the students understand concepts
quicker and improve quicker than students who learn the same curriculum without the
technology (p. 42-45).
Our Future
As we know technology is changing on a daily basis. There are some many things that
artificial intelligence has to offer to the world of technology. We don’t really know what the
future will hold in technology, business, or education. According to Edwards (2008), it is
predicted that by the end of the late 2020s that an artificial brain will be developed. By this being
developed scientists and researchers are hoping that this artificial brain will make it possible to
escape death (p. 21). I have to wonder is this good? I definitely think it is good on the thought
of people not dying and nobody ever having to say goodbye to their loved ones. However, is
dying not part of living? I almost wonder when technology is being taken too far. Edwards says,
“we could upload our consciousness into the machine and remain conscious just as long as the
computer receives power and maintenance” (p.21). However, my question is would it remain
conscious? We all know how technology has failed us before and what if the computer does not
receive power and maintenance? What if the power goes out? There are many questions to be
asked about whether or not the artificial brain is possible, only time will tell.
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According to Riva, Gaggioli, and Mantovani (2008), even if the most complex robot now
available cannot learn and move in the same ways as humans, two decades of research in
artificial intelligence and cognitive systems introduced the concept of embodiment: the mind has
to be understood in the context of its relationship to a physical body that interacts with the world
(p. 631). What make robots advanced are their abilities that are so much like humans. They are
able to walk, kick, and lift just like humans. Also, another thing about robots in dangerous plant
jobs it is better for the robot to complete the tasks rather than a real person. Changes for the
future will depend on many things. However, the main focus is research. Riva, Gaggioli, and
Mantovani (2008) said, “that there is research toward a cognitive robot”. However, the road is
long and a lot of research will have to be conducted (p.631).
Closing
There are many new types of artificial intelligence being developed in our country and
around the world. Most of the artificial intelligence is being seen in the business world and
industry. Education is not reaping as many benefits from artificial intelligence except through
testing and tutoring. However, I feel strongly that in our future that we will see changes in the
education field. There are many things to be developed whether good or bad that is something I
am unsure about. For example, the artificial brain, I am unsure how good of an idea it really is
for us. There are many robots and they look very mechanical and some of them look like the girl
next door. They have very real features and even have voice commands to sound humanized.
According to Brooks (2002), “the weight of progress in so many forms of robots for unstructured
environments leads to the conclusion that robots will be common in people’s lives by the middle
of the century if not significantly earlier” (p.38). There are so many questions today already
about people being worried about losing their jobs to a robot. The concerns heighten for the
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future about what things will be replaced with robots. Also, will the robots take human form or
not to replace the things they will be replacing.
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References
Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (2008). Artificial Intelligence
Overview. Retrieved on April 22,2009 from
http://www.aaai.org/AITopics/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/AITopics/AIOverview
Brooks, R. (2002). Humanoid robots. Communications of the ACM, 45(3), 33-38.
Edwards, C. (2008). It thinks…..therefore…. Engineering and Technology. 20-23.
Honda (2009). ASIMO. Retrieved from on April 22, 2009 from www.honda.com
Ramaswami, R. (2009). Is the future now for A.I.? The Journal 36.2, 42-47.
Riva, G., Gaggioli, A., and Mantovani, F. (2008). Are robots present? From motor simulation to
“being there”. Cyberpsychology & behavior, 11(6) 631-636.