Page 28 - Bulletin Vol 29 No 2 - May. - Aug. 2024 FINAL

Article | What is Artificial Intelligence?

AI, or artificial intelligence, is the ability of computer systems to perform tasks that normally require human
intelligence, such as reasoning, decision making, or problem solving. AI is a broad and diverse field that

encompasses many subfields, applications, and challenges. In this essay, I will briefly introduce some of the
main types, uses, and examples of AI, as well as some of the benefits and risks associated with it.
There are different ways to classify AI, but one common distinction is between weak AI and strong AI. Weak
AI, also known as narrow AI, refers to systems that are designed to perform specific and well-defined tasks,
such as playing chess, recognizing faces, or translating languages. Weak AI systems are often based on
machine learning, which is the process of learning from data and improving performance over time. Weak AI
systems can be very powerful and useful, but they are not able to generalize beyond their domain or
understand the context or meaning of their actions. Strong AI, also known as general AI or artificial general
intelligence (AGI), refers to systems that can exhibit human-like intelligence across a wide range of domains
and tasks, such as reasoning, planning, creativity, or common sense. Strong AI systems are not yet a reality,
but they are the ultimate goal of many AI researchers and enthusiasts.

AI has many applications and uses in various fields and industries, such as health care, education, entertain-
ment, finance, security, and more. Some of the examples of AI in use today are:
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ChatGPT: A large language model that can generate text in response to questions or comments posed to it .
Computer vision: The ability of computers to process and understand visual information, such as images,
videos, or faces. Computer vision can be used for tasks such as face recognition, object detection, medical
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diagnosis, or self-driving cars . Natural language processing (NLP): The ability of computers to process and
understand natural language, such as speech or text. NLP can be used for tasks such as speech recognition,
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text analysis, sentiment analysis, machine translation, or chatbots . Artificial neural networks (ANNs): A type
of machine learning model that mimics the structure and function of biological neural networks. ANNs can
learn from data and perform complex tasks, such as image classification, natural language generation, or re-
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inforcement learning .
AI has many potential benefits and advantages for society, such as improving productivity, efficiency, quality,
and innovation. AI can also help solve some of the global challenges and problems, such as poverty, disease,
climate change, or education. However, AI also poses many risks and challenges, such as ethical, social, legal,
and economic issues. AI can also have negative impacts, such as displacing workers, increasing inequality,
creating bias, or threatening privacy and security. Therefore, AI needs to be developed and used responsibly,
ethically, and transparently, with the involvement and oversight of various stakeholders, such as govern-
ments, businesses, researchers, and civil society.
In conclusion, AI is a fascinating and influential field that has many implications and applications for the
present and the future. AI can be a powerful tool for human progress and well-being, but it also requires
careful and critical evaluation and regulation. AI is not a magic solution or a threat, but a complex and
evolving phenomenon that needs to be understood and managed.

There is one more thing we should mention that AI can do…it can write an article about itself. With the
exception of this and the following paragraph, the entire article you just read was written by AI. Welcome to
the future.

Speaking of the future, in a related story, the world’s first AI-powered, fully automated dental procedure on
a human was performed by a robot on August 6, 2024. The Boston-based start-up, Perceptive, used an FDA
approved dental robot powered by AI-driven 3D imaging software, that guides a robotic arm. The data
captured by its scanner is analyzed by AI algorithms to diagnose, treatment plan, and perform procedures.
They claim the system can replace a crown in as little as 15 minutes. Perceptive also claims their technology
achieves over a 90% accuracy rate for detecting caries versus a 40% accuracy rate of 2D radiographs.
They’ve raised $30 million in funding from backers, including Dr. Ed Zuckerberg, dentist/father of Meta
(Facebook) founder Mark.
28| Nassau County Dental Society ⬧ www.nassaudental.org