Smart Software: Maybe Not What It Seems
January 27, 2019
Fast computers, memory, and bandwidth can make stupid software look smart. That’s one take away from Big Think’s AI debunker “Why A.I. Is a Big Fat Lie.” Marketers at the likes of IBM, Palantir Technologies, and similar companies are likely to take an opposing view. These firms’ software are magical, reduce the time required to make sense of information, and deliver the “fix” in to the “find, fix, and finish” crowd.
Among the weak spots in the AI defenders’ suit of armor are:
- AI as a buzzword is “BS”. I assume this acronym does not mean Beyond Search
- Machine learning is one thing but it is not autonomous. Humans are needed
- AI won’t terminate me.
The article tackles talking computers and fancy concepts like neural nets.
I learned:
There’s literally no meaningful definition whatsoever. AI poses as a field, but it’s actually just a fanciful brand. As a supposed field, AI has many competing definitions, most of which just boil down to “smart computer.” I must warn you, do not look up “self-referential” in the dictionary. You’ll get stuck in an infinite loop.
The problem is that venture capitalists desperately want a next big thing, lots of money, and opportunities to give talks at Davos. Therefore, smart software is, by golly, going down the bullet train’s rails.
The entrepreneurs who often believe that their innovation has cracked the AI problem have to tell the world. Enter marketers, PR people, biz dev types with actual suits or sport jackets. These folks cheer for the smart software team.
Finally, there are the overwhelmed, confused, and panicked software procurement teams who have to find a way to cut costs and improve efficiency, yada yada yada. The objective is to acquire something new, study it, realign, and repeat the process. Ah, complex smart software. A thing of beauty, right?
Take a look at this Big Think article. Interesting stuff.
Stephen E Arnold, January 27, 2019
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