Imperfect AI is to be expected

The problem with artificial intelligence is that everybody thinks it should do everything perfectly right out of the box, according to Rama Chellappa, an expert in computer vision and machine learning. There are always tradeoffs," said Chellappa, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering, during a virtual discussion on Thursday--the latest session in the Johns Hopkins Congressional Briefing series. AI, Chellappa noted, is built on data, and data is not always perfect or complete. Errors in how data is collected, compiled, or processed will affect the success of any AI tool that relies on it. That is how challenges such as bias creep into autonomous systems. The process for reaching for fully functional AI, he said, yields new discoveries along the way. "[AI] is doing good things in a lot of ways, but it is not a perfect technology," he said. "For example, take the autonomous car.