177: Technology: Future Trajectory of Artificial Intelligence

AI is going to change the world more than anything in the history of mankind.

– Kai-Fu Lee

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has permeated into all aspects of our lives. AI tools are everywhere we look. AI is delivering tangible benefits across every industry one can think about.

Transportation: Although it could take a decade or more to perfect them, autonomous cars will one day ferry us from place to place.

Manufacturing: AI powered robots work alongside humans to perform a limited range of tasks like assembly and stacking, and predictive analysis sensors keep equipment running smoothly.

Healthcare: In the comparatively AI-nascent field of healthcare, diseases are more quickly and accurately diagnosed, drug discovery is sped up and streamlined, virtual nursing assistants monitor patients and big data analysis helps to create a more personalized patient experience.

Education: Textbooks are digitized with the help of AI, early-stage virtual tutors assist human instructors and facial analysis gauges the emotions of students to help determine who’s struggling or bored and better tailor the experience to their individual needs.

Media: Journalism is harnessing AI, too, and will continue to benefit from it. Bloomberg uses Cyborg technology to help make quick sense of complex financial reports. The Associated Press employs the natural language abilities of Automated Insights to produce 3,700 earning reports stories per year — nearly four times more than in the recent past.

Customer Service: Last but hardly least, Google is working on an AI assistant that can place human-like calls to make appointments at, say, your neighbourhood hair salon. In addition to words, the system understands context and nuance.

Future Trajectory

Most AI applications today are classified as “narrow” or “weak” AI, meaning that they usually carry out a specific task they are designed for.

AI is only just getting started. Computers will get smarter, quicker, and increasingly become capable of tasks that traditionally are carried out by humans, such as making complex decisions or engaging in creative thought. Truly intelligent entities would not be designed for one specific task but would be able to carry out many number of tasks.

A Quantum Powered AI

Computing power is the engine of AI.

Quantum computing, along with other next-level processing capabilities such as biological and neuromorphic computing, is likely to unlock even more possibilities.

Quantum computing is basically, ability of sub-atomic particles to exist in more than one state at the same time. It is theoretically capable of completing some calculations up to 100 trillion times faster than today’s fastest computers.

In order to continually evolve to become smarter, machine learning models will inevitably become larger.

Additionally, more processing power means we will be able to create larger amounts of “synthetic” data for training purposes, reducing the need for collecting real data to feed into algorithms for many applications.

Other technologies like neuromorphic computing would be able to mimic the “elastic” capabilities of the human brain to adapt themselves to processing new forms of information.

Creative AI

These days we can see art, music, poetry, and even computer code is being created by AI.

This has been made possible by the ongoing development of “generative” AI i.e. when Ai creates new data rather than simply analyzing and understanding existing data.

With generative AI, analyzing and understanding is the first step of the process. It then takes what it has learned and uses it to build further examples of the models that it has studied.

This ability to create synthetic data will lead us into an era where machines will be doing things we simply haven’t seen them do before.

Ethical and Accountable AI

At the moment, much of the inner workings of today’s AI is not transparent due to proprietary algorithms or complexity involved.

This creates a trust deficit and reluctance to let machines make decisions that affect people’s lives.

If AI is going to live up to its potential, then the smart machines of the near future will have to be more transparent, explainable, and accountable than the ones we’re familiar with now.

Legislative and regulatory changes are likely to be put in place in future.

Interesting

Intel recently unveiled its Loihi processing chip, packed with more than two billion transistors, which is one application that was able to identify ten different types of hazardous material by smell alone – more quickly and accurately than trained sniffer dogs.

Titbits

Adversial Model – AI vs AI

The most impressive results available today are usually obtained when this is done via an “adversarial” model – effectively, two AIs are pitted against each other, with one tasked with creating something based on existing data and the other tasked with finding flaws in the new creation. When these flaws are discovered, the creative network (known as the “generator”) learns from its mistakes and eventually becomes capable of creating data that its opponent (the “discriminator” network) finds increasingly hard to distinguish from the existing data.

Value additions are most welcome

For regular updates, please register here

Subscribe

References

https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/artificial-intelligence-future

https://futureoflife.org/background/benefits-risks-of-artificial-intelligence/

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consulting/articles/the-future-of-ai.html

August 28, 2021December 27, 2024

176: Leadership Lessons from Hollywood War Movies: Schindler’s List

Films have a huge impact on the human mind. Films can communicate, embody and articulate the effectiveness of behaviours of leadership.

Hollywood has a variety of award-winning films that portray the heroism and sacrifices of different military leaders in battlefield.

Schindler’s List

Film. Schindler’s List is an American epic historical period drama film released in 1993, directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the novel Schindler’s Ark by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally.

Plot. Schindler’s List illustrates the profoundly nightmarish Holocaust. It re-creates a dark, frightening period during World War II, when Nazi-occupied Krakow first dispossessed Jews of their businesses and homes, then placed in ghettos and forced labour camps in Plaszow, and finally resettled in concentration camps for execution. Oskar Schindler, a German businessperson and an opportunist member of the Nazi party acquires a factory for the production of mess kits and cooking paraphernalia. Without prior experience, he gained a contact, Itzhak Stern, who has links with the underground Jewish business community in the ghetto. They loan him the money for the factory in return for a small share of products produced for trade in the black market. Schindler witnesses the horrifying visions of the Holocaust and the toll it takes on the Jewish people. Schindler’s motivations switch from profit to human sympathy and by lavishly bribing the SS officials; he is able to save over 1,100 Jews from death in the gas chambers.

Leadership Aspects

Two distinct and extreme leadership pattern are visible for two characters in this movie.

Oskar Schindler is the transformational leader Schindler is a perceptive, charismatic businessperson who can do anything to make a fortune. Schindler slowly transforms to a courageous, sympathetic leader determined to use his power and persuasive charisma for the betterment of the Jews. Sacrificing his safety and wealth to help others, Schindler bravely stands up for what he believes in through bribing Nazi/SS commanders to protect his Jewish workers and keep his factory a safe “sub-camp” for them. Demonstrating courage, kindness, assertiveness, and charisma all in the face of one of history’s most ruthless regimes Schindler provides an extraordinary example of leadership.

Nazi commander Amon Goeth is an autocratic leader, using a ruthless, authoritarian leadership style to assert his power and control over the Jews of the Plaszów work camp. Deeply rooted in Nazi philosophy, Goeth rarely listens to input from others, refuses to admit he is wrong for fear of showing weakness and dictates all decisions in the camp–including shooting random prisoners from his Villa balcony for fun.

Recommendations

In the war movies the heroes display different types of leadership ranging from transformational, ethical, and transactional to situational.

Young military leaders can benefit from watching these war films, because it helps in shaping their behaviour in professional roles.

Therefore, leadership educators should include different historic war films in their course curricula.

This film is highly recommended to be included in the list for leadership series.

Titbits.

This movie is often listed among the greatest films ever made. It has won seven Academy Awards (out of twelve nominations), including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score, as well as numerous other awards (including seven BAFTAs and three Golden Globes). In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked the film 8th on its list of the 100 best American films of all time (American Film Institute, 2007). The Library of Congress (2004) selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Which is your favourite war movie?

For regular updates, please register here

Subscribe

References

Lavella, N. (2013, February 25). Evaluating ethics and leadership in Schindler’s List. http://cronkitehhh.jmc.asu.edu/blog/2013/02/evaluating-ethics-and-leadership-in- schindlers-list/

Kirkpatrick, T. (2017, May 18). 8 awesome enlisted leaders depicted in war movies. https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/8-awesome- enlisted-leaders-depicted-in-war-movies.

Guthrie, K. L., & Jenkins, D. M. (2018). The role of leadership educators: Transforming learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Meridian: Knowledge Solution. (2016, April 6). Leadership styles of characters from Quentin Tarantino movies. Retrieved on November 27, 2018 from https://www.meridianks.com/leadership-styles-of-characters-from-quentin-tarantino- movies/

Rajendran, D., & Andrew, M. (2014). Using film to elucidate leadership effectiveness models: Reflection on authentic learning experiences. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 11(1), 8.

August 27, 2021December 27, 2024

175: China’s Active Defence Strategy

Genesis. China’s Active defence Strategy appeared first time in MAO’s writings in the year 1936. However, its meaning has been changing from time to time along with the war fighting philosophy of China.

Changes in War Fighting Philosophy. War fighting Philosophy of China has changed with the era of person in power. Over the years the changes are as follows:-

Mao Zedong – Final War (with reference to world wars)
Ding Xiaoping – Local War (Shift from world war to limited wars)
Jing Zemin – Local war with Hi Technology.
Hu Jintao – Informatised Local War (Network centric war)
Xi Jinping – Informatised and intelligentised war (Unrestricted War – including elements of hybrid and unconventional warfare even in the Grey Zone).

Initial Connotation. When the idea was conceived initially it meant allowing the enemy to come into own territory, in area of own choice and up to pre decide depth. Allow the enemy’s logistics supply lines get stretched out and dry down and at an opportune moment attack and defeat him. It was sort of offensive defence.

Present Framework. China articulates its Active Defence response as:

“China would never invade or expand, at the same time would never permit any piece of Chinese territory to separate from China & PLA will strike after enemy has attacked”.

Analysis & Implications

There is always a gap between what china preaches and practices. China although states that she will not expand, but is driven by the baser instinct of expansionism, considering herself as an empire state rather than nation state.

China decides as to what is part of China, by staking claims and producing conveniently select and doctored historical and legal documents.

China has left definition of enemy attack intentionally vague. It is not limited to military attack by kinetic means. It may include any action by the adversary which is against the interest of China.

In other words China decides what enemy attack is, and reserves the right to respond in a way it feels is appropriate.

It means China will always have the initiative and will have the legitimacy (in her opinion) for her actions.

China justifies her approach to this active defence strategy as strategically defensive but operationally offensive.

In tune with her war fighting philosophy of unrestricted warfare, the attack on enemy would be any domain (land, air, sea, cyber, space, electronic, information, psychological or even nuclear). It could use everything and anything as a weapon from the instruments of national power (DIME).

This strategy coupled with China’s practiced strategic approach of “achieving objectives without firing a shot”, would mean that China would continue to perpetuate grey zone warfare (inclusive of hybrid and unconventional warfare).

China’s formation of Strategic Support Force as a separate service, is in tune with the above mentioned strategy and actions.

Bottom Line

There is an urgent need for reorientation and gearing up (not only by military) to deal with these challenges.

Question

Are we doing it?

YOUR SUGGESTIONS & VIEWS ARE MOST WELCOME

For regular updates, please register here

Subscribe