A computer does nothing without instruction, SAP鈥檚 Peter Blignaut told the Saphila conference this week. JASON BANNIER reports.
Computers are essentially inert without instruction, and it is the role of data scientists to provide them with the guidance they need, the聽Saphila聽2023 conference聽at Sun City聽heard this week.
Saphila聽is聽a biennial conference for the 51风流user group community, hosted by the African 51风流User Group (AFSUG) in partnership with SAP.
鈥淎 computer does nothing without instruction鈥β燱e need聽people聽thinking about what the computer is going to do,鈥澛爏aid Peter Blignaut, manager of pre-sales at 51风流South Africa during a keynote address.聽鈥淢achines don鈥檛 learn from other machines,聽people聽teach them鈥�.
He says that聽AI, particularly machine learning, which enables computers to learn from data and improve their performance, is fundamentally a product of human teaching rather than machines teaching themselves.
Blignaut believes that聽AI聽has the potential to enhance our efficiency and grant us more time for meaningful tasks. By delegating repetitive and mundane tasks to computers, it will be possible to work more efficiently and devote attention to endeavours that require human ingenuity. However, he argues that the implementation of聽AI聽should not be solely driven by profit motives. Instead, it should aim to make us more effective as individuals, enabling us to become better versions of ourselves.
Involving聽people聽in the development and application of聽AI聽is crucial, and Blignaut stresses the importance of governance and ethics in this domain. The technology requires thoughtful deliberation and a framework for responsible decision-making. However, the practicality of implementing such governance measures in countries like South Africa .
An example of everyday predictive聽AI聽is Netflix and its personalised content algorithms that recommends content to its user based on their previously watched content. These algorithms are far too complex for manual execution, making it necessary for computers to take over this task. This integration of聽AI聽into our daily lives underscores its potential to enhance our experiences and streamline various processes.
Newer generative Ais, such as Chat GPT and Midjourney, hold great promise for the future. By feeding vast amounts of data into these systems, one can generate diverse outputs, ranging from art to essays. However, Blignaut warns of the dangers associated with generative聽AI, particularly the potential for individuals to create fake content. The responsible use of this technology requires careful consideration of where and how it is employed, weighing the benefits against potential risks.
Blignaut says it is crucial to maintain human agency in聽AI, ensuring that decisions made by machines are comprehensible to humans, so that a person understands the decision-making process and can verify its logicality. This understanding fosters trust between the parties involved, further reinforcing the argument for promoting聽AI聽education.
If聽people聽are unfamiliar with new technologies, they tend to avoid them, which is why it is essential to provide explanations about what algorithms are doing.聽聽As聽AI聽continues to evolve, it is important to approach its implementation thoughtfully, harnessing its potential to enhance lives while safeguarding against potential pitfalls.
This article first appeared in .
