Artificial Intelligence is one of human beings' greatest and most useful inventions. Though easing the life of humans, it is still incapable of human competition. Narrow AI is an example of such incapability as this AI is capable of performing specialized tasks based on pre-learned knowledge. With a focused and targeted approach efficiently benefitting human tasks, there remains room for improvement and advancement. Let us get a brief overview of narrow AI to ensure better familiarity.
What is Narrow AI?
A specialization of Artificial Intelligence focusing on a specific goal or designed to handle a single task is referred to as Narrow AI. It is also known as weak AI, Artificial Narrow Intelligence or ANI.
The narrow version of AI is named so compared to strong AI which can act on more than one task at a time. The specific specialization also emphasizes the inability of narrow AI to update, learn or modify the knowledge or training for other tasks. The narrow AI can be estimated to mimic or simulate human behavior in a narrow range of parameters. The functionality here is achieved through NLP or Natural Language Processing.
Applications of Narrow AI
Advancements in narrow AI with increased improvements have drastically enhanced its incorporation into modern devices and technologies. The applications of Narrow AI are commonly seen as
- Virtual Assistants: It is the widest and most common application present in every household. It responds to the voices to perform simple tasks and provide information.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): It performs and acts as sentiment analysis, customer support system, language translation and chatbots to understand and generate human language.
- Image and speech recognition: The visual and auditory analysis by narrow AI is seen in speech-to-text converters and facial and image recognition technologies.
- Recommendation systems: It works based on users’ preferences and behaviors to suggest products, music, movies or content.
- Fraud detection: It can detect patterns to find fraudulent transactions, minimizing risks and identifying unusual behaviors.
Different Types of Narrow AI
There are two categories of narrow AI, reaction and limited memory AI.
Reactive AI
The reactive AI acts to perform specific tasks and responds to simple inputs. It is the basic version of Artificial Intelligence lacking memory or storage capabilities. The response received from reactive AI is new and not based on prior knowledge or information. The generated responses are based on pre-programmed rules and patterns to make decisions and respond. The best performance is seen in playing games such as chess, where moves are based on well-defined rules.
Limited Memory AI
The limited memory AI has been developed by humans post advancements. The version finds incorporated memory that aids in better performance. It contributes to training the narrow AI and provides reference via past experiences allowing it to learn through historical data. The statistical and learning-based decisions are witnessed in its advanced application in self-driving cars. However, improvement opportunities remain in learning and decision-making beyond the training data.
Advantages and Challenges of Narrow AI
While the technology does encounter certain challenges, it offers a set of benefits too:
Advantages of Narrow AI
- Faster decision-making: The data processing based on a known set of rules focuses solely on decisions making, eliminating the requirement of additional activities. It enhances the decision-making speed contributing to humans' speed and overall productivity.
- Automates redundant tasks: Redundant tasks do not require the active presence of the mind and are repetitive and boring in nature. Narrow AI specializes in specific domains and can efficiently relieve humans of such tasks.
- Fundamental for advancements: The narrow AI is the backbone for AI development. The combination of multiple narrow AI specializing in different tasks provides the platform for an efficient system. Furthermore, their development to a more capable version is also possible.
- Efficiency: The accuracy is seen better than humans, thus finding efficient usage in multiple sectors. It can efficiently perform tasks consisting of thousands of datasets in a small timespan.
Limitation of Narrow AI
- Lack of information: The functionality of narrow AI is to perform actions and make decisions according to a known set of rules. However, the specific pathway followed to reach the decision is unknown. It poses difficulty when the mechanism of action is of immense importance to judge the decision and its reliability.
- Security: Hackers tend to decode the systems evident in real-life scenarios easily. For instance, fraud detection systems are common news reflecting the requirement for enhanced security.
- Learning: Narrow AI possesses limited learning capability compared to advanced AI systems. Besides, the lack of contextual understanding witnessed from chatbots and other such devices is a common experience. Furthermore, the creativity of AI is based on programmed algorithms.
- Ethical and bias concerns: The lack of empathy and judgment ability due to lack of intelligence leads to ethical issues and biased replies. Narrow AI cannot judge the effect of activities like stealing or lying in different situations.
Examples of Narrow AI
The narrow AI examples are seen in different aspects of life, such as:
- Virtual Assistants: Available as Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant
- Chatbots: Available on messaging apps and websites
- Image and speech recognition: In security camera and facial recognition system
- Recommendation systems: Used as e-commerce platforms, social media networks and streaming services.
- Fraud detection: Banks
- Language translation: Google Translate or other language translation apps
- Medical diagnostics: Detecting cancer in MRIs or X-rays
- Gaming AI: AI opponents in chess and strategy games
- Robotics: Industrial robots in car manufacturing
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Conclusion
Narrow AI is a specialized part of Artificial Intelligence that focuses on specific tasks. However, the remarkable proficiency in exhibiting expertise in specific tasks is limited to influence its knowledge in other domains. It poses multiple challenges with room for improvement. However, regardless of these, great efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and elimination of the chances of task errors, widespread usage is seen in the human world. Further enhancements in the technology provide hope for promising and more efficient results.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is an example of narrow AI?
Examples of narrow AI include chatbots like Siri and Alexa, fraud detection systems, self-driven cars, recommendation systems, and language translation.
2. What is the difference between Narrow AI and Weak AI?
Narrow AI refers to the narrow or limited capability of the AI to perform tasks. Weak AI, on the other hand, emphasized the limitation of AI compared to human intelligence. Although, the two terms find interchangeable usage in daily life.
3. Is Alexa an example of narrow AI?
Yes, Alexa is an example in the virtual assistant category of narrow AI. It performs specialized voice recognition tasks and actions as per the voice commands.
