How artificial intelligence will change the world

IN as little as 10 years, driving could be outlawed, taxis could fly, walls could talk, and the act of cleaning the bathroom could be considered ‘inhumane’.

IN as little as 10 years, driving could be outlawed, taxis could fly, walls could talk, and the act of cleaning the bathroom could be considered “inhumane”.

These are the predictions of artificial intelligence experts, who say the fourth industrial revolution has already begun, and will also deliver medical breakthroughs, more comfortable lives, and new employment opportunities “quicker than we think”.

But Australia’s chief scientist Alan Finkel this week (Friday) warned that artificial intelligence could go too far, and recommended the introduction of a voluntary “Turing certificate” in which manufacturers would be subject to external checks so consumers could ensure they were dealing with “ethical AI”.

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Engineered Arts prosthetic expert Mike Humphrey checks on Fred, a recently completed Mesmer robot. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Robots will soon be cleaning our homes.

And mowing the lawn.

Sage Group artificial intelligence vice-president Kriti Sharma, who will discuss the technology at Sydney’s Vivid festival next month, said few people realised the artificial intelligence revolution had already begun, and machines were already making decisions for humans every day.

“When we think of artificial intelligence, we quite often think of giant humanoid robots,” she said.

“In reality, we are already using machine-learning and artificial intelligence several times a day. When you are presented with the next program you should binge watch, this decision has been made by an AI-powered algorithm.”

These “small, algorithmic decisions” were already affecting everything from whether applicants were approved for home loans or car insurance, she said, or whether they were hired, thanks to software that scanned resumes.

And futurist Steve Sammartino predicted the rapid pace of the artificial intelligence revolution would surprise most people.

“As computer power and speed continues to double, things don’t change slowly,” he said.

“We need to understand that digital technology and artificial intelligence develops much faster than we think.”

Robots hang on cables prior a soccer match of the Standard Platform Liga competition at the RoboCup German Open 2018 in Magdeburg, Germany. Picture: AP/Jens Meyer

Mr Sammartino said cleaning robots would be so thorough it “might be regarded as inhumane to make a human clean a toilet or a bathroom” in future, and smart speakers would evolve into “smart walls” to which homeowners would issue commands for their connected appliances.

Even more transformational technology, like flying taxis, would arrive within the next decade and could solve not only transport issues but enable people to live further away from cities, he said.

“In close to 10 years, we’ll be flying in drones across cities and using them as taxis,” he said.

“And within 10 years, it might be outlawed to drive a car — we’ll all be in autonomous cars because they’re far safer. A lot of this stuff is much, much closer than we think.”

Tests of some autonomous cars have recently come under scrutiny, however, after a self-driving Uber car hit and killed a pedestrian in Arizona.

Artificially intelligent computers could also be used to analyse huge amounts of information in scientific and medical fields, and “make findings a human never could,” Mr Sammartino said.

The technology could even play a role providing solutions to critical social problems.

Ms Sharma presented research into an artificially intelligent device designed to combat domestic violence to the United Nations this week, for example.

Robotics researchers Justin Clark and Matthew Imhoff from the Sydney Australian Centre for Field Robotics.

“Victims feel it’s difficult because of the social stigma to ask for help even within their closest communities … but when they were going to the AI companion there wasn’t any of that judgment,” she said.

But while many of the solutions offered by this emerging technology were positive, experts warned greater ethical guidelines were needed to ensure it wasn’t used to trick humans or make decisions without their knowledge.

Mr Finkel, speaking at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia forum, proposed national voluntary certification for AI creations, similar to the Fairtrade scheme, that would let consumers know whether the technology they were buying met ethical criteria.

“The voluntary Turing system would allow responsible companies to opt in,” he said.

“A voluntary system does not mean self-certification. It means that the companies would voluntarily submit themselves to an external process.”

The interior of Engineered Arts workshop is pictured at the company's headquarters in Penryn. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

His remarks follow the Turnbull Government’s $30 million Budget commitment to the development of artificial intelligence and machine-learning, including an national ethics framework.

Ms Sharma said anyone could see the need for greater technological checks after Google’s recent Duplex demonstration, which showed its smart assistant holding a phone conversation with a human to book a hair appointment.

“Artificial intelligence should not pretend to be human,” Ms Sharma said. “If you’re speaking to a machine, you should know you’re speaking to a machine. There needs to be more transparency when it comes to AI.”

WHAT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WILL CHANGE

TRANSPORT

Tech firms including Tesla, Apple, and Uber are spending big developing reliable self-driving cars, and Google recently announced its autonomous Waymo vehicles would launch passenger rides in Arizona later this year. Mr Sammartino predicts Australians will no longer need licences soon after mass adoption, and University of NSW artificial intelligence professor Toby Walsh predicts they will end car parks and reduce accidents. Uber’s Elevate project is also working on autonomous passenger drones, which Mr Sammartino says will quickly and cheaply fly riders around cities and their surrounding suburbs, helping to spread population density.

MEDICINE

Wearable technology such as the Apple Watch and Fitbit Versa are already credited with helping to diagnose heart conditions or even pregnancies, but future devices could monitor more vital signs, such as blood pressure and blood glucose levels, and report results to a doctor. Novartis and Google created smart contact lenses to monitor diabetes sufferers, for example. But artificial intelligence will also be used to analyse scans to more accurately identify cancerous growths, and perform mass calculations beyond the scope of humans to devise cures for diseases.

SMART HOME

Now that’s what we call a smart home. Spag bol please robot.

Half a million Australians currently own a smart speaker, according to Telsyte, but artificial intelligence will be built into homes themselves in future. “We will be talking to the walls,” Mr Sammartino predicts. The smart assistant will act as a hub for multiple internet-connected appliances, including everything from toasters and fridges to air conditioners and vacuum cleaners, and will be able to respond to more natural conversations. Artificial intelligence will also displace other technology, with the latest LG televisions able to be controlled with a voice rather than a remote control, for example.

SHOPPING

Work is already underway to change the way we shop, both in stores and online. Australian firm List Premier has developed ZenoBot, for example, that can tell you “what aisle nails are in and … lets you know there’s a sale on hammers as well” when you walk into a hardware store. Augmented reality will let clothes buyers upload their measurements and try garments on their virtual selves before buying online.

Originally published as How artificial intelligence will change the world