Why is AI Important?

The differences between a computer and a human mind have always been clear. We have creativity and imagination; a computer does not. A computer can do hundreds of calculations a second; we can not. They have code and follow instructions; we appear to have free will. But will there always be these differences?

In many ways computers are much like a brain already. They require power to work as we require food; They have Inputs and Outputs (sensors and motors), as we have sensory and motor neurons. The main difference between how they compute these inputs into outputs could be summarized like this, brains are hugely parallel where computers are predominantly singular. Individual CPU's can only compute small numbers of instructions per clock cycle. In a brain every neuron is in effect its own processor, so there are thousands of them all working at the same time and communicating.

The development of new systems such as multiple processors will lead to computers behaving more like brains over time. the benefits of parallel computing include greater flexibility, damage resilience and abstract thinking. The Internet is an example of a system that could become very clever. Millions of CPU's all connected each with huge amours of individual inputs and output, sounds very similar to a brain!

Artificial intelligence is the branch of computer science that studies and creates 'intelligent' technology. It is an important science to develop because understanding what makes a system intelligent will answer ethical questions of the future.