Chapter 17. Machine learning and artificial intelligence
Hopefully, we won’t end up in a world where films like The Terminator and The Matrix come true. In those movies, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) almost causes the downfall of humanity as machines fight to take control of their surroundings. One cause for concern in computing right now is how the development of AI is mostly done by large, private companies, with little or no regulation and central oversight. That’s not at all to say that AI is a bad thing! Digital assistants on smartphones can help with many day-to-day tasks, and machine learning (ML) in navigation apps and home-heating controls allows the user’s daily drive or room temperature to automatically adjust based on the outside temperature, time of day, and whether it’s summer or winter.