Types of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can be divided based on capabilities and functionalities.

There are three types of Artificial Intelligence-based on capabilities:

• Narrow AI
• General AI
• Super AI

Under functionalities, we have four types of Artificial Intelligence: 

• Reactive Machines
• Limited Theory
• Theory of Mind
• Self-awareness

Artificial Intelligence Based on Capabilities

What is Narrow AI?

Narrow AI, also called as Weak AI, focuses on one narrow task and cannot perform beyond its limitations. It targets a single subset of cognitive abilities and advances in that spectrum. Narrow AI applications are becoming increasingly common in our day-to-day lives as machine learning and deep learning methods continue to develop. 

Example of Narrow AI is Apple Siri, IBM Watson supercomputer, google translate, image recognition software, recommendation systems, spam filtering and Google's page -ranking algorithm.

What is General AI?

General AI, also known as strong AI, can understand and learn any intellectual task that a human being can. It allows a machine to apply knowledge and skills in different contexts. AI researchers have not been able to achieve strong AI so far. They would need to find a method to make machines conscious, programming a full cognitive ability set. General AI has received a $1 billion investment from Microsoft through OpenAI.

Example of strong AI is the K computer, which is one of the fastest supercomputers in the world built by Fujitsu. It took nearly 40 minutes to simulate a single second of neural activity.

What is a Super AI?

Super AI surpasses human intelligence and can perform any task better than a human. The concept of artificial superintelligence sees AI evolved to be so akin to human sentiments and experiences that it doesn't merely understand them; it also evokes emotions, needs, beliefs, and desires of its own. Its existence is still hypothetical. Some of the critical characteristics of super AI include thinking, solving puzzles, making judgments, and decisions on its own.

Artificial Intelligence Based on Functionalities

What is a Reactive Machine?

A reactive machine is the primary form of artificial intelligence that does not store memories or use past experiences to determine future actions. It works only with present data. They perceive the world and react to it. Reactive machines are provided with specific tasks, and they don't have capabilities beyond those tasks.

IBM’s Deep Blue that defeated chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov is a reactive machine that sees the chessboard pieces and reacts to them. Deep Blue cannot refer to any of its prior experiences or improve with practice. It can identify the pieces on a chessboard and know how each moves. Deep Blue can make predictions about what moves might be next for it and its opponent. It ignores everything before the present moment and looks at the chessboard pieces as it stands right now and chooses from possible next moves.

What is Limited Memory?

Limited Memory AI trains from past data to make decisions. The memory of such systems is short-lived. They can use this past data for a specific period of time, but they cannot add it to a library of their experiences. This kind of technology is used in self-driving vehicles.

• Limited Memory AI observes how other vehicles are moving around them, at present, and as time passes. 
• This ongoing, collected data gets added to the AI machine's static data, such as lane markers and traffic lights. 
• They are included when the vehicle decides when to change lanes, avoid cutting off another driver, or hit a nearby vehicle. 

What is the Theory of Mind?

Theory of mind AI represents an advanced class of technology and exists only as a concept. Such a kind of AI requires a thorough understanding that the people and things within an environment can alter feelings and behaviors. It should understand people's emotions, sentiments, and thoughts. Even though many improvements are there in this field, this kind of AI is not fully complete yet.

• One real-world example of the theory of mind AI is Kismet. Kismet is a robot head made in the late 90s by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher. Kismet can mimic human emotions and recognize them. Both abilities are key advancements in theory of mind AI, but Kismet can’t follow gazes or convey attention to humans.

• Sophia from Hanson Robotics is another example where the theory of mind AI was implemented. Cameras present in Sophia's eyes, combined with computer algorithms, allow her to see. She can sustain eye contact, recognize individuals, and follow faces.

What is Self Awareness?

Self-awareness AI only exists hypothetically. Such systems understand their internal traits, states, and conditions and perceive human emotions. These machines will be smarter than the human mind. This type of AI will not only be able to understand and evoke emotions in those it interacts with, but also have emotions, needs, and beliefs of its own.

<Source: https://www.simplilearn.com/>