The Five Basic Components of AI, New Software Development
Despite the number of products and services that utilize artificial intelligence in their respective functions, many people may be wondering about the different components that allow AI to function in the first place. With this being said, while the development of artificial intelligence is a nuanced and complex process, it does not differ from any other machine or system in that there are basic rules that govern its operation. As such, the five basic components of artificial intelligence include learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding. Through the implementation of these five basic components, software developers and engineers have been able to create a multitude of technologies and services that consumers around the globe have come to covet and revere.
Learning
Just as is the case with human beings, the first step in the development process as it pertains to artificial intelligence is the learning stage. For example, when teaching a child how to ride a bicycle for the first time, there will be a trial and error process in which the child makes mistakes and falls off their bike, gradually learning the rules and techniques that are needed to effectively handle the task at hand. In the context of the development of artificial intelligence, the learning process involves the memorization of individual items including different solutions to problems, vocabulary, and foreign languages, among others. Through this learning process, programs that utilize artificial intelligence are able to keep notes of all actions or moves that led to positive results, allowing the program to leverage this knowledge within its data should similar problems arise in the future.
Reasoning
The second major component of artificial intelligence is reasoning. While the concept of mental reasoning is something that has largely been limited to the human mind for much of recorded history, much of the development of artificial intelligence hinges on software programs that are able to draw conclusions and inferences from a situation, without the need for human interference. Furthermore, these inferences are divided into two categories, inductive and deductive reasoning. To this point, the use of inductive reasoning has allowed computer programmers and software developers to create products and systems that achieve consistent results when faced with a particular problem or issue, whether this is in terms of a broad topic such as automatic transcription and translation, or a more niche application such as the cloud-based grammar and writing assistant Grammarly.
Problem-solving
The third major component that makes up the development of artificial intelligence programs and systems is problem-solving. As the entire premise of artificial intelligence is the creation of computer programs and systems that solve problems in a manner similar to that of human beings, problem-solving is perhaps the most pivotal component in terms of the development of AI. In the most basic of terms, an AI’s problem-solving ability is based on the application and manipulation of data, where the solution needs to be x. Alternatively, in more advanced applications, problem-solving techniques in the context of AI can include the development of efficient algorithms, performing root cause analysis with the goal of discovering a desirable solution, and heuristics.
Perception
The fourth major component in the development of artificial intelligence programs and systems is perception. In keeping with comparisons to the function of the human mind, the way in which individuals perceive the world around them is critical to the manner in which they solve problems in their respective lives. As it relates to artificial intelligence, perception is achieved through the utilization of different sense-organs, whether they be real or artificial. As human perception itself is extremely complicated, enabling artificial intelligence programs to perceive certain inputs and information can prove to be extremely challenging. To provide a real-world application of perception in terms of artificial intelligence, many self-driving cars function through the perception of different physical objects within a given environment, ranging from traffic lights, weather conditions, buildings, and highways and roads, just to name a few.
Language understanding
The final component that makes up the development of artificial intelligence is language understanding. Put in the simplest of terms, language understanding in the context of the development of artificial intelligence can be defined as a set of different systems signs that justify their various means or methods using convention. To this point, as the vast majority of artificial intelligence programs and systems are developed within the English-speaking world, a major component of the creation of many such programs and systems is enabling them to understand the English language. Through this language understanding, software developers are able to ensure that computer programs are able to efficiently execute their respective functions and operations.
From artificial intelligence assistants such as Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa to partially autonomous vehicles such as those that are currently being developed by major electric and clean energy company Tesla, all products, goods, and services that implement artificial intelligence do so in accordance with five basic components. Through the application of these components, AI systems are able to work effectively without the need for human inputs, as software programs that make use of artificial intelligence are able to govern themselves in conjunction with the codes or rules that are provided to them by software engineers and developers. As such, while these components are already being used to create a wide range of product offerings, there are many more that will surely be on the horizon in the near future.
