Communication is an essential part of the human experience. Being such an instrumental aspect of life, it's only natural that we expand upon it, making it more comfortable, more efficient, and give us the ability to communicate with anyone, anywhere on the globe. Technology has long been a driving factor behind making communication much more natural and far-reaching, such as the telephone and fax machines. However, more recent technologies are radically changing the way that we communicate with each other. AI and related technologies -- IoT, machine learning, automation, etc. -- have found their way into almost every industry, with benefits too valuable to be ignored.

In "Hyping Artificial Intelligence Hinders Innovation" (podcast episode 163), Andrew McDiarmid interviewed Erik J. Larson, author of The Myth of Artificial Intelligence: Why Computers Can't Think the Way We Do (2021) (Harvard University Press, 2021) on the way "Machines will RULE!" Erik Larson has founded two two DARPA-funded artificial intelligence startups. Inthe book he urges us to go back to the drawing board with AI research and development. This portion begins at 01:59 min. A partial transcript and notes, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow.

AI is something that is revolutionizing each and every field. It is concerned with building smart machines that are capable of performing intelligent tasks that involved human intelligence and skills. In some cases, it does more than that and is responsible for eliminating human intervention to a minimum level. With the advancement of AI, things have changed a lot and one can see a paradigm shift in the way things are carried out or executed these days. Once the computer was invented, people might have thought that this is it.

Prior to the pandemic, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning had been predicted to grow. But just how far has that demand increased, or has it even reduced due to the COVID-19? Interestingly, while some industries are finding that the use of AI and machine learning is accelerating, others have seen little or no change in attitude. For businesses that are noticing a higher value in AI during the pandemic, many are recognizing opportunities to prepare for the future whilst also considering the changes necessary in their workplace. However, the fact that some businesses' attitudes to AI have not changed – or changed minimally – since the pandemic, shows that some sectors have a much higher need for AI than others.