Aiming to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) fundamentals, this chapter was written with a slightly diverse approach, doing that by observing some recent market movements where AI was really or potentially applied. This way to express was chosen because it offers an alternative of reflection and essential discussion of the topic, with the objective as to produce a complementary level of understanding to the huge technical, social, and legal production already available for immediate consultation through Internet. In this chapter, a brief historical path for AI is analyzed, compared to other tech and market efforts, presenting main fundamentals and concepts in this story, developing a deeper analysis in the following study case approaching. Through these cases, concepts and artificial intelligence relations and contributions are researched, completing the initial intended level for a theoretical (and practical) background. Artificial intelligence is here to stay. And evolve. To where, we still do not know.
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To fear or not to fear. This will be the question.
For many years, a theoretically supported field, based on Mathematics and Computing fundamentals, has been developed, studied generally in some unattractive ways, such as pure academic discussions, scientific forums and specialists talk. Who could wonder those ideas of an “automata” which/who would mimic human actions through some kind of automation could result in something available in our bathrooms, beds, and kitchens? (Turing, 1950; Samuel, 1959). Maybe, in some time, these robots will be my indispensable help because of aging or will help my granddaughter to discuss the last Geography class with kids around the world, comfortably learning from wherever she wants. At this moment, however, with the sudden introduction of OpenAI´s ChatGPT as a simple, accessible and free (at least in one version, until now) tool, the world became amazed, scared, hopeful, desperate and, obviously, confused by the emergence of a new wave of technological implements, although based on those long and detailed Math talks, studies which, due to the immense tech available for platforms, is now at the dreamed reach for any human being (Peres et al., 2023).
Artificial intelligence became the topic of the moment. It started few years ago with vague “robot” support for automatic answering services which aimed to respond interested customers - as a usual character of any announcement of innovations, that “customer” who we must understand and serve in customized way - and advanced to remarkable applications such as in Medicine, Aerospace, Meteorology, Agribusiness, among many other fronts where it still show a possible sophisticated and complex fashion (Lacerda and Jamil, 2021; Peres et al., 2023).
But when a character-based interface of a simple webchat allowed anyone to type in a question sentence such as “Assert about a…” followed by a topic ranging from a strategic plan of a company to carrot cake preparation, we all became scared. And about our dialogues? Our jobs? Do we have to talk with machines from now on? Will we talk through machines from now on? What will be the change of AI introduction in my life? In our life? Will this tech conundrum last for months? Years? Forever? Is it a… change?
No doubt it is. It is a real change. Although many of us were talking about some math-based problems being solved by algorithms, automatically, in a standardized way, allowing, from the same automation point, a further discovery of signals and facts we never paid attention or perceived, now the thunder has officially arrived! We listen about artificial intelligence every time, every day, everywhere (Marr, 2023).
In this chapter, not keeping essentially a formal discussion based on literature review, building a conceptual background, and attaining to the usual informality for knowledge proposition, sharing and discussion of our days, a discussion around the impacts of artificial intelligence will be conducted. As a proposition for this writing, I intend to call the reader´s attention for some reflections regarding the moments we are living, facing this impressive new wave of change. It is opportune to understand how we can appreciate this phenomenon of AI “introduction” in our lives, as to develop the fear in correct points and aspects of its adoption for any task we use to conduct.
It is important to understand some processes we face towards innovation usages in our lives. First, the complicated and usually deceptive path followed by the pioneers, such as Professor John McCarthy, from the Dartmouth College and his fellows, when they insisted to announce that “automata” theory (McCarthy, 1959). Doubts, issues, lack of precision, critics… those ideas, for AI denialists, were absurd and deserved no attention. Some research fronts faced interruptions for a significant period, as there was no infrastructure and laboratory requirements available to promote test, prototype building and implementation simulations. Origins of AI thoughts are related to works of the remarkable researcher, scientist Alan Turing, who addressed the possibility of automation and control emulating human rationale some years before (McCarthy and Hayes, 1969).