The Sunday Mail
4IR Simplified
John Tseriwa
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is causing a dynamic shift in how we live, work and relate to one another.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an undeniable part of our everyday lives.
As Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in celebrating women’s month, it is proper that we reflect on the strides our mothers and sisters have taken in innovation.
Amid the constant obstacles, female scientists and mathematicians have persisted in having their work recognised and widely used.
Many early pioneers of computer programming are women.
Among the women in technology of the 1800s was Ada Lovelace, widely recognised as the first computer programmer.
The Hollywood blockbuster “Hidden Figures” is a must-watch for anyone keen on tracing the roots of the role of women in technology.
In this movie, Katherine Johnson was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) “computer” responsible for successfully plotting the flight paths of some of America’s earliest space exploration expeditions.
To all the young women in tech, be inspired by the multitudes of women dominating the industry locally and globally.
If Lovelace, Johnson and others did it, you, too, could be part of the history and change-makers of the 4IR.
AI is one of the technologies that power the 4IR.
Remarkable advances in AI capabilities have led to various innovations, including autonomous vehicles and connected internet of things (IoT) devices.
We need to understand intelligence first before we delve into artificial intelligence.
Intelligence is regarded as learning and solving problems.
Against this backdrop, AI is the simulation of human intelligence in machines programmed to think and act like humans.
It involves developing algorithms and computer programmes to perform tasks that require human intelligence.
An algorithm is a set of rules or instructions that a computer can use to help solve a problem or decide what to do next.
With the way AI has been dominating the headlines recently, one is tempted to think it is a new concept.
However, as far back as the 1950s, scientists began investigating the feasibility of creating machines that could think and reason like humans.
Among these scientists was Alan Turing, who suggested that if humans can use available information and reason to solve problems and make decisions, machines should be able to do the same.
Allan Turing introduced a test, now famously known as the “Turing Test,” where a human interrogator would try to distinguish between a computer and a human text response.
The “Turing Test” has undergone much scrutiny since its publication.
However, it remains an integral part of the history of AI.
Inspired by Turing’s work, John McCarthy is widely credited as the person who coined the term “artificial intelligence” in 1956.
McCarthy was a computer scientist and cognitive scientist who worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Since then, AI has evolved, and investments in AI have led to transformative advances impacting our everyday lives.
AI is a rapidly changing landscape because the present innovations are accelerating at such a blazing-fast pace that it is tough to keep up with.
AI can be used for many different tasks and activities in our daily lives.
Our devices, like phones, tablets and social media accounts, use AI to learn more about us and what we like.
For instance, Netflix uses AI to understand what we want to watch and recommend other shows based on their learning.
AI can be used in healthcare to assist patients through improved diagnosis and monitoring.
Farmers can use AI to monitor crops and weather conditions to make predictions, which will help them to be more efficient.
Driverless cars are also an example of AI technology in action.
It can also be used in the aviation industry, for instance, in flight simulators.
There has been much debate as to whether AI can replace humans.
One thing for sure is that AI has the potential to automate many of the tasks that humans once performed.
However, AI still has limitations, making it unlikely to replace human workers entirely, at least for now.
AI will not replace jobs that require emotional intelligence and empathy to be effective.
It has often been said, “AI will not replace you, but a person with AI skills will replace you.”
John Tseriwa is a tech entrepreneur and a digital transformation advocate focusing on delivering business solutions powered by 4IR technologies. He can be contacted at [email protected] or +263773289802.
