Recently, there has been a lot of media coverage on Artificial Intelligence (AI), sparked by the launch of ChatGPT, a large language model-based chatbot, in November 2022. For many of us, this has raised questions about current state of AI technology and what its potential might be. Is AI technology an existential threat? Have we already opened our homes to AI technology thanks to digital assistants powered by AI? Are Siri and Alexa our future overlords? Is the robot revolution next? Well, that all depends on what you mean by AI. Let’s discuss.
What is AI technology?
The question of whether Siri is AI first begins with an understanding of what AI actually is. AI technology is a branch of computer science that is designed to mimic human intelligence. It has the ability to ingest and process massive datasets and develop patterns to make predictions for the completion of future tasks. AI technology has the potential to replace jobs that are repetitive and predictable, such as cashiers, data clerks, customer service representatives, copywriters and more.
Although AI technology has been developing since the 1950s, the field is still in its infancy. The use of quantum computing, for example, could have a powerful effect on the future of AI technology.
There are four main types of AI technology:
- Reactive machines are the most basic kind of AI technology, which are unable to form any memories on its own or learn from experience.
- Limited memory AI is able to look into the past. Self-driving cars are considered limited memory AI technologies.
- Theory of mind AI technology are very complex machines that are currently being researched but are probably where the technology is headed. These will be able to both understand people and concepts that will enable them to produce their own original thoughts.
- Self-awareness is still the stuff of science fiction. Although AI technology such as chatbots can mimic human conversations accurately, they don’t actually possess self-awareness. It’s unclear whether, in the future, the technology will exist to create machines that are genuinely sentient.
How do voice assistants powered by AI work?
Is Siri AI? Siri and Alexa, and other smart speakers use conversational AI technology that attempts to mimic real-life human conversations. These are not simply bots programmed with answers to questions, they have access to extensive amounts of data that allow them to recognize speech or text and then respond.
Siri and Alexa operate slightly differently. Siri, once activated by pressing a button or hearing the phrase “Hey Siri”, converts the audio it hears from the user into a data file and sends it to the Apple servers. It’s there that the automatic speech recognition and natural language processers break down the command, which is then sorted through algorithms to determine what is being asked. A response is then generated and relayed back to the user. In the case of Alexa, the voice of the user is recorded and sent to Amazon’s servers, which analyze what the words are, and a response generated and returned to the user.
In both cases, the applications are benefiting from machine learning.
What is machine learning?
Machine learning is a form of AI technology that enables computers to learn by recognizing when they’ve made an error and altering their behavior in the future. If their answer is rejected by the user, they use that information to improve their response for future requests. Examples of this is the way Siri has improved its ability to recognize the “Hey Siri” command even when there is loud background noise or music behind the person speaking, and how Alexa can now respond to follow up questions during a conversation.
So, is Siri AI?
Digital assistants on your phone or smart speaker like Siri and Alexa are applications powered by AI technology. They rely on two subsets of AI technology - natural language processing and machine learning – to improve over time. So, strictly speaking, they are systems that use artificial intelligence rather than being AI technology themselves.
With the release of versatile and complex AI technology chatbots like ChatGPT, there is pressure on existing AI technology applications to up their game. Both Apple and Amazon have announced that they are working to enhance the capabilities of Siri and Alexa in the future. So, there seems little doubt that AI technology will continue to expand its prominence in our lives.
