What do you and the next generation want? AI-based smart devices, IoT-based home maintenance, or do they want robots taking away all tasks and doing it on their own, or they want a mix of these, or you or Next Gen wants it all, or they want just humans, means none of the above? Choosing one option does not stop research on it, as these can be used in urgent situations or in space explorations.
My generation and the previous generation were different! To some, extra features on smartphones are a trouble, while to others, the more features a device has, the more it is worth! For me, I want things simple, I like a simple washing machine, a simple AC, and a simple smart TV.
I just want a timer and the type of load in my washing machine, and then a start button. But when I went to Ausi, to meet my relatives, I found a complex washing machine with so many options, I said, “ Wait, why can’t I just tell the washing machine, ‘Start washing, with high load in minimum time”? I want it that simple. The puzzle of options was too much. Call it anything I like simple ease of use.
But sometime back, I wrote about “Smart AC,” which can talk to us and provide simple cooling. Someone said to me, “Keep AI out of our houses.” I was like, the remotes of AC, we keep finding combinations that work for certain options. For example I was setting auto cool in normal mode, normal blow speed. What is the problem with just telling AC to cool to a normal temperature? But I thought I had written so much about AI that he would be annoyed again, so I removed him from my subscription. He would be happy not to get any AI updates from me now. But I want a poll on it, as you are the one who would decide what AI you want- IOT, robotics, Smart AI devices, mix of them, all of them or none of them.
What is IoT that you can have? A fridge that tells you vegetables like capsicum and cucumber are used daily, and there is no stock for tomorrow. It can ask you if it can order them from the grocery store. Or say bread is not there, and it already ordered bread. Here, money computation that is bill payments would be a concern, as we can’t let machines decide what quantity of things we like. But with time the fridge can get smart and know our preferences from bar codes and image recognition. Do you like such a framework? Or you like some parts to be automated that is informing you what is not in stock, what is extra in stock, what is about to get off the shelf?
What is AI that you can have — Smart AC-I gave you an example, an AC that can talk to you. You can say to it, “I am not feeling cool. Can you be a bit cooler?” And the AC does that. When you are in the kitchen, the AC turns to normal mode. When you come from outside and say to the AC, “Hey AC, turn on, I need some cooling to ease my sweat!” And the AC does so. Same with AI in a washing machine, you go to the washing machine and say, “Washing machine, a lot of dirt on my soccer clothes, they are all white, don’t forget to use conditioner in clothes, wash them fast.” These are some examples of AI in smart devices. We are not there yet.
With only the robotics option, you would have a robot that would use locomotive powers to go to the grocery shop itself to buy things, or, on your order, can tell the grocery robot to deliver you things. The robot would be sluggish and slow in the first few years if it were deployed for use over the next 5 years. The robot would operate the washing machine on its own without the washing machine being intelligent.
What is the mix of these technologies? For example, a smart AI washing machine could interact with a grocery store to indicate that the detergent’s washing power has finished and place a request. It instructs the home robot to collect it and fill it into the washing machine slots. This is an example of a mixed approach.
None of these means all work humans would do, but with advances in technology, we don’t want to sit there and watch it all; we have to be part of advancements that are there to complement what humans are worthy of — ease of use, comfort, developments, advanced applications, benefits, time saving, and more properties.
We are nowhere near complete automation of any one of the above options. So, we have humans working on our tasks. Smart AI has reached homes, but it still needs finishing touches and the implementation of intelligence to correct issues. So, it’s the time, tell what you want, then only that would be worked on; there is no point in investing billions in robotics when you want a mix of kinds of intelligence, or if you don’t want robotics. However, these would need to be studied for research purposes, as we want to build autonomous intelligent units in space, on the Moon, on Mars, and on asteroids to spread mankind’s fingerprints, if not footprints, to far-off places.
I hope you understand these things well. I just want things to be simple. If you ask me, I would want smart AI devices to help with complicated new options on washing machines. I just like 3 buttons on a washing machine. Simple TV remote which can talk through and simple AC remote which can switch off when at I am sleeping I can say, “Please switch off”. Robots, I think, would occupy space, but it is good to stand if I am not well, so that someone can bring me hot water boiled with basil leaves. But all this with robotics would take time. Smart AI has already made a niche in your and my lives. IoT would take time; we are not that advanced yet. So think what you and the next generation want, and poll?
Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science & Mathematics 