Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool, but not a magic potion. It cannot be used in all areas of our lives, but it can be used in many. To fully utilize the opportunities of AI, it is important to understand the technology and use it responsibly.
The driving forces behind AI: machine learning and deep learning
Two key terms in this context are machine learning and deep learning. While machine learning refers to the general principle of machine learning, deep learning refers to a special type of machine learning based on artificial neural networks — inspired by the human brain. These networks can recognize extremely complex relationships and thus solve tasks that would be difficult or time-consuming for humans.
Application examples from everyday life
From automatic speech recognition in digital assistants to weather forecasting, AI is playing an increasingly important role. AI is also used in medicine, for example, to help diagnose diseases.
AI can do a lot — but not everything
Despite its potential, AI has its limits. It is not an oracle that can predict the future. Rather, it provides probability statements based on existing data. And even if AI systems are becoming increasingly powerful, they are still dependent on the data provided by humans.
The challenge of hallucinations
A well-known problem with large language models such as ChatGPT is so-called hallucinations. This means that the AI sometimes generates incorrect or nonsensical answers that sound very convincing. To avoid such misinformation, it is important to critically scrutinize the results of AI systems.
AI as a tool for the future
The future of AI is promising. It offers companies and organizations new opportunities to optimize their processes and develop innovative products and services. However, it is important to realistically assess the potential and limitations of AI.
Opportunities and risks of AI and how start-ups and SMEs can train AI
What is intelligence and what is artificial intelligence all about? What are the opportunities and risks of AI and how can start-ups and SMEs train their artificial neural networks on Austria’s supercomputers? Martin Pfister from EuroCC Austria answers all these and many other questions about machine learning, deep learning and artificial intelligence — which he does not describe as ‘intelligent’, by the way.
About EuroCC Austria
EuroCC Austria is the national competence center for supercomputing, big data, and artificial intelligence, founded in 2020 as part of the EuroCC initiative. This international project supports researchers, startups, and SMEs by providing expertise, networks, and access to HPC infrastructure (supercomputers). The Austrian competence center is operated by Advanced Computing Austria GmbH (ACA), the University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Technology, and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (as part of the Vienna Scientific Cluster consortium)—in close cooperation with the business incubator INiTS.
This article is based on Bettina Benesch interviewing Martin Pfister. Find the full interview here
