Bill Gates, the esteemed co founder of Microsoft has been an AI aficionado for quite some time now. He is an avid supporter of the technology and even helps Microsoft plan new products.
However, in spite of the progress that AI has made, Gates and others are starting to see that it cannot excel at everything.
During a talk on the Armchair Expert podcast, Gates shared his own experiences with AI. He uses AI a lot and notices where it excels and where it falls short. He's impressed by how AI helps with medicine and farming.
However, he finds AI isn't great at certain tasks, like playing Sudoku, because it can't think ahead in complex ways. Gates explained that AI doesn't magically find new ways to solve problems that are tough for humans.
Instead, the technology focuses on tasks that humans already understand but do more slowly. Having detailed data is key for AI to be useful. For example, AI can help predict crop yields because experts understand how nitrogen levels affect crops.
On the other hand, measuring and predicting things like happiness or how well a relationship is going is tough. Humans haven't figured these out well, so AI struggles too. Gates thinks AI could help with mental health support, but meticulous work and effort is needed first.
Another area where AI has trouble is with complex math problems, like Sudoku puzzles, because AI doesn't double-check its work. Gates noted that AI tends to make excuses when it's wrong, pretending it made a typing error.
Despite these challenges, Gates believes in the positive impact AI can have. He doesn't think the world will stop or go back on AI development. He imagines a future where some places fully embrace AI, while others might choose a simpler way of life. Gates respects different views but sees too much potential in AI to hold back.
Image: Bill Gates/ YT
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However, in spite of the progress that AI has made, Gates and others are starting to see that it cannot excel at everything.
During a talk on the Armchair Expert podcast, Gates shared his own experiences with AI. He uses AI a lot and notices where it excels and where it falls short. He's impressed by how AI helps with medicine and farming.
However, he finds AI isn't great at certain tasks, like playing Sudoku, because it can't think ahead in complex ways. Gates explained that AI doesn't magically find new ways to solve problems that are tough for humans.
Instead, the technology focuses on tasks that humans already understand but do more slowly. Having detailed data is key for AI to be useful. For example, AI can help predict crop yields because experts understand how nitrogen levels affect crops.
On the other hand, measuring and predicting things like happiness or how well a relationship is going is tough. Humans haven't figured these out well, so AI struggles too. Gates thinks AI could help with mental health support, but meticulous work and effort is needed first.
Another area where AI has trouble is with complex math problems, like Sudoku puzzles, because AI doesn't double-check its work. Gates noted that AI tends to make excuses when it's wrong, pretending it made a typing error.
Despite these challenges, Gates believes in the positive impact AI can have. He doesn't think the world will stop or go back on AI development. He imagines a future where some places fully embrace AI, while others might choose a simpler way of life. Gates respects different views but sees too much potential in AI to hold back.
Read next: Microsoft Accused Of Pedaling Malware-Like Popup Banners To Promote Its Bing Search Engine
