Computer against man

Artificial Intelligence to 2030. could be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the human. Million dollars received a "virtual" winner of the legendary American game show "Danger!"

Prize of one million dollars in the legendary American quiz show "Danger!" poured few weeks ago on account of - computer. It was, however, more than a game.

Artificial "genius", named "Watson", entered the history not only as a first computer who defeated people-pundits 74 times in a row, but its maker, the company Ai-Bi-Em brought confirmation achievements so far known only from the movies scientific fiction, like "Star Trek". "Watson", namely, the first computer that understands human speech and successfully answer the questions.

Millions Award "Ai-Bi-Em" was redirected to charity, they got laurels because of new technological achievements. Although he showed a certain amount of imperfection, "Watson" is, in fact, opened a new era of technological development, comparable to that begun "genius" of his predecessor, called "Deep Blue", from a decade ago and that in 1997. The defeated chess champion Garry Kasparov. Combining "encyclopedic knowledge" with the ability to "live" communication with people, "Watson" with a word, began a new chapter in the struggle of man and machine.

For Ai-Bi-Em, designers of both "winning" computers, the future has already begun with the announcement that, in collaboration with scientists leading American universities, in less than two years to produce "virtual" assistants in medical offices, ready to respond to calls to patients.

The new series "Watson", named after the founder of Ai-Bi-Emma Thomas Watson, would expand on a number of tasks currently performed by humans. Those that involve answering questions from customers - from orders for the purchase to technical support. Computers will, according to the company, to be able not only to respond to one, but on a series of questions and sub-questions.

Like every previous one, and the technological revolution, opens a new, controversial, chapter in the economic sphere. It is already known what the victims and the transformations required technological progress which has for the past century and a half from predominantly agriculture-oriented United States made the earth, where less than one percent of the workforce engaged in this activity.

Computers that "speak and understand" the language of man, say scientists in the United States, will affecting tech sector untouched, until now exclusively reserved for men. News at first will not be good for the Army staff in the world of business, education, medicine jobs, which include the telephone, "questioning" and answers. But those who spend hours waiting to receive a response by phone, greet an innovation.

The idea of "artificial intelligence", initiated in ancient myths, the embodiment of the received middle of the last century, when scientists working in parallel to improve the natural and "virtual" intelligence. Within the next two decades, according to scientists, computer and human intelligence will be - equal.

American computer guru Ray Kurcvel, speaking last week at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), said that in the next half century, technological advances increased 32 times more than during the entire 20th century. Already in the twenties of this century, human and artificial intelligence will stand shoulder to shoulder, he said.

Computers are now, as explained, based on two-dimensional chips made of silicon, but they are already developing in the direction of three dimensions, with much better performance. Incorporation of biological molecules, much smaller than the chip based on metal, opens up endless possibilities for new generations of computers.

Three-dimensional, molecular computerization create hardware for strong artificial intelligence, human level in the twenties of this century - is convinced Kurcvel.