Artificial Intelligence: When do Machines Take Over?

Abstract

Artificial intelligence has long dominated our lives without many people being aware of it. Smartphones that talk to us, wrist- watches that record our health data, workflows that organize themselves automatically, cars, airplanes and drones that control themselves, traffic and energy systems with autonomous logis- tics or robots that explore distant planets are technical examples of a networked world of intelligent systems. They show us how our everyday life is determined by AI functions. Biological organisms are also examples of intelligent systems which, like humans, have evolved during evolution and can solve problems more or less independently and efficiently. Occasionally nature is a model for technical developments (for example, neu- ral networks as simplified models of the human brain). However, sometimes, computer science and engineering find solutions that are different, even better and more efficient than in nature. Therefore, there is not “the” artificial intelligence, but degrees of efficient and automated problem solving in different domains.