Artificial intelligence (AI), the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. 

The term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience. 

What is intelligence?

• All but the simplest human behaviour is ascribed to intelligence, while even the most complicated insect behaviour is never taken as an indication of intelligence. 
• Psychologists generally do not characterize human intelligence by just one trait but by the combination of many diverse abilities. 

Research in AI has focused chiefly on the following components of intelligence: learning, reasoning, problem solving, perception, and using language.

What is Artificial intelligence (AI)?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. 

• Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing (NLP), speech recognition and machine vision.
• The term was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy at the Dartmouth conference, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

AI programming focuses on three cognitive skills: learning, reasoning and self-correction.

Learning processes:

• This aspect of AI programming focuses on acquiring data and creating rules for how to turn the data into actionable information. 

• The rules, which are called algorithms, provide computing devices with step-by-step instructions for how to complete a specific task.

Reasoning processes:

• This aspect of AI programming focuses on choosing the right algorithm to reach a desired outcome.

Self-correction processes:

• This aspect of AI programming is designed to continually fine-tune algorithms and ensure they provide the most accurate results possible.

Advantages of artificial intelligence:

Artificial neural networks and deep learning artificial intelligence technologies are quickly evolving.

• It’s primarily because AI processes large amounts of data much faster and makes predictions more accurately than humanly possible.

• While the huge volume of data that’s being created on a daily basis, AI applications that use machine learning can take that data and quickly turn it into actionable information. 

Disadvantages of AI:

The primary disadvantage of using AI is that it is expensive to process the large amounts of data that AI programming requires.

• AI technologies falling into terrorist hands may unleash modern terror network including machine and therefore vulnerability of humans may magnify.
• It may lead to moral degradation in society due to decreased human to human interactions.

• The decrease in demand for human labour due to machines and intelligent robots taking over the jobs in the manufacturing and the services sectors.

Artificial intelligence in India: 

As per Global AI Report 2019, India stood at the ninth position in terms of the number of the AI specialists working in the field. 

• The US, China and the UK topped the list.
• IIT Hyderabad has launched a full-fledged Bachelor of Technology (B Tech) program in AI becoming the first Indian educational institution to do so. 
• Defence forces of India are now venturing into the products and technologies which will aid defence measures using the AI and technologies.
• It is estimated that AI will add 957 billion dollars to India’s GDP by the year 2035 boosting India’s annual growth by 1.3% points.

Benefits of AI in India:

NITI Aayog estimates that adopting AI means a 15% boost for the gross value added (GVA) for the economy by 2035.

• India still has a conventional policing. AI based products open a new window of opportunity to do predictive policing in India.

• With the help of AI, one can predict the pattern of crime, analyze lot of CCTV footage which are available across the country to identify suspects.
• AI can increase access and affordability of quality healthcare.
• In agriculture, it can contribute towards enhancing farmers’ income, increase farm productivity and reduce wastage.
• Develop smarter and safer modes of transportation to address traffic and congestion problems.
•  ‘Make in India’ programme can be strengthened and help India in becoming a major manufacturing hub with AI-assisted technology.

Source: Britannica / The Hindu