Types of AI
Under the broad umbrella of AI there are two main types: narrow artificial intelligence and general artificial intelligence. The former, as its name depicts, is narrow in its scope in that it is created to solve one given problem, or one task at a time – it performs only one task at a time in a single domain such as conducting internet searches. In that regard it is constrained to that one task it is programmed to perform. Hence, it is not an independent thinker, and it can only simulate human behavior based on given rules, parameters, and contexts, thus making it ‘weak’ (Hole & Ahmad, 2021). However, this is not to say that narrow AI is limited in its scope of usefulness, for according to Thomas and Busenhart (2021), “Narrow artificial intelligence is an increasingly integral part of utility, emergency, industrial, transportation, communication, entertainment, financial, medical, and governmental infrastructure systems” (p. 16-17). Carson and Hruska (2023) declared that the majority of current AI experiences stem from narrow intelligence, and businesses use it to transition from standardized to adaptable processes for the purpose of increasing efficiency and automation of routine tasks. With AI being so vastly applied, it is easy to understand why Larkin et al. (2022) considered AI as being poised to be in the category of the most transformative technology in the history of mankind. Indeed, AI has penetrated a wide array of businesses and global markets, and it is thus influencing the lives of humans on a grand scale. This seems to be by design, as Rajakishore and Vineet (2020) stated, the primary aim of AI is to develop advanced programs targeted at finding solutions to the problems of man, and to reproduce mental qualities in machines.
General AI systems, on the other hand, are endowed with commonsense knowledge which equip them to make application of knowledge and skills in numerous contexts. Therefore, general AI is more flexible, and better able to adapt to new situations in less time. Additionally, general AI systems can comprehend abstract concepts, and achieve goals through their ability to manipulate the environment. Since general AI has all these abilities, and can solve any problem that requires AI, it is considered as ‘strong’ AI (Hole & Ahmad, 2021).