How do you define AI?

I would define it as the computer’s ability to think and solve problems like a human.

Can you name at least three different subfields of AI?

1. Computer Vision
2. Machine Learning
3. Natural Language Processing

AI has been around for about 70 years so far. Why is it booming right now?

Several reasons have caused the current rise of AI. First, computers are so powerful and fast nowadays, the computing infrastructure is very fast and highly available and there is a rise also in cloud computing. Moreover, there are giant companies that are investing so much money in this field. Google, for example, are investing heavily in driverless cars, Deep Learning, and Quantum Computing, which are going to enable AI to use even more power. Also, the public are aware of the importance of AI and it can revolutionize many aspects of their life, as we see that technologies such as virtual assistants and many image processing technologies are powered by AI.

Can you name at least three application sectors where robots are being largely employed? What are the reasons?

1. Building construction. Because they improve safety, they can work in places where it is hard for human workers to work and they offer labor when there is a labor shortage.
2. Automotive Manufacturing. Because they can assemble car parts faster and more efficiently than human workers.
3. Military robots. As they save soldiers’ lives and do not have the feelings and human effects that make soldiers less effective in taking rash decisions.

Can you identify three major challenges for a wheeled autonomous robot performing a 24h surveillance task in a large facility? (e.g., something like Mall of Qatar)

1. How to deal with obstacles like walking people.
2. How to navigate through the building.
3. Charging?

References

Bullinaria, J. (2005). IAI : The Roots, Goals and Sub-fields of AI. School of Computer Science. Retrieved September 5, 2022, from https://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~jxb/IAI/w2.pdf

Hodjat, B., & LaCour, K. (n.d.). The AI Resurgence: Why Now? WIRED. Retrieved September 5, 2022, from https://www.wired.com/insights/2015/03/ai-resurgence-now/

Military robot. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved September 5, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_robot#Advantages

7 Key Robot Applications in Automotive Manufacturing. (2019, November 14). Robotics Business Review. Retrieved September 5, 2022, from https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/manufacturing/7-key-robot-applications-in-automotive-manufacturing/

Stannard, L. (2020, April 20). How Construction Robots Will Change The Industry. BigRentz. Retrieved September 5, 2022, from https://www.bigrentz.com/blog/construction-robots