Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will create computers so sophisticated and godlike that humans will need to implant “neural laces” in their brains to keep up, Tesla Motors Inc and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told a crowd of tech leaders this week.
While Musk’s description of an injectable human-computer link might sound like science fiction, top tech executives repeatedly said that AI was on the verge of changing everyday life at a conference by online publication Recode this week.
It is no secret that tech companies are diving into AI analytics research, an industry that is forecast to grow to US$70 billion by 2020 from just US$8.2 billion in 2013, according to a Bank of America report, citing International Data Corp research.
AI is already used in Web search systems, marketing recommendation functions and security and financial trading programs. The technology will spread to driverless cars and service robots in the future, the report said.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said he sees a “huge opportunity” in AI.
Google first started applying the technology through “deep neural networks” to voice recognition software about three to four years ago and is ahead of rivals such as Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp in machine learning, Pichai said.
However, he and others acknowledged that the work of building machines that teach themselves is still in its infancy.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said that the company has been working on AI for at least four years and now has 1,000 employees working on Alexa, the company’s voice-based smart assistant software system.
Bezos predicted a profound impact on society over the next 20 years.
IBM CEO Ginni Rometty said the company has been working on artificial technology, which she calls a cognitive system, since 2005 when it started developing its Watson supercomputer.
“I would say in five years, there’s no doubt in my mind that cognitive AI will impact every decision made” from healthcare to education to financial services, Rometty said.
However, it was the comments by Musk, on how he would potentially develop the technology to implant humans with technology to augment brains, that captured the imagination of attendees.
“It got people thinking on a philosophical level and away from what Google or Tesla will come out with next year,” said Adam Burrows, senior vice president of emerging businesses at HomeAdvisor.
“It brings up the question, are we human anymore if we are part computer?” he said.
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