There have been a lot of breakthroughs in the fields of computer and information technology and this is going to continue in the future, but all these trends will be influenced by the following:
- Rapid evolution in computer hardware and software
- Artificial intelligence
- Expanded information highway
Rapid Evolution in computer hardware and software
Since the introduction of computers in the business world around the 1950’s a lot of technological improvements have been made both in hardware and software. Future trends will see reduced size and cost of components but increased capability. Improvements in input, processing, storage, output, and communication devices have led to faster, cheaper, and more reliable data processing devices.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This is the foremost talked about technology on the internet right now, especially due to the recent introduction of chat GPT and this is expected to dominate the entire internet and revolutionize how we do things. But for those who are new to this topic, let’s dive in.
Artificial intelligence can be defined as a branch of computer science that is concerned with the development of machines. That emulates human qualities such as learning, reasoning, communicating, seeing, and hearing. Computer scientists and engineers are still working hard and carrying out intensive research to come up with smarter computers that simulate human thinking and learning instead of relying on static programmed instructions.
There are four main application areas of Artificial intelligence.
- Expert systems
- Natural language processing(NLP)
- Artificial Natural Network
- Robotics/perception systems
Expert systems
This is software designed to make a computer operate at the level of a human expert in a specific narrow area of specialization such as medical diagnosis, financial forecasting, etc. An expert system is a software system run by 3 main components
Knowledge base: This is the expert systems database of knowledge about a particular subject it contains relevant facts beliefs assumptions and procedures for solving particular problems.
Inference engine: This is the software that controls the search for knowledge in the knowledge base and procedure conclusions. it takes the problem posed by the user and seeks to analyze it to arrive at a conclusion
User interface: This is the display screen that enables the user to interact with the system.
An example of an expert system is MYCIN developed by Stanford University, USA
Natural language processing (NLP)
These are ordinary human languages eg Kiswahili, English, French, etc The problem with Natural language processing is that they are ambiguous and may be interpreted differently by different people. computer languages on the other hand are clearly defined.
Natural language processing is aimed at coming up with programming languages that would make computers recognize Natural language processing and participate in a conversation with the user the same way you free chat with a friend. One successful approach to this technology is chat GPT by open Ai
Artificial Neural Networks.
Maybe you have once or twice heard this term being mentioned particularly in the fields of machine learning but still have never understood what it really means worry no more since you are in the right place.
what are artificial neural networks?
This is the use of electronic devices and software to emulate the cognitive learning process of the human brain and how it recognizes patterns
How do artificial Neural Networks work
Before we dive into how Neural networking we have to know how the human brains work so that we can relate both:
The human brain works by receiving signals from special sensory cells called Neurons . when neurons receive the information they either excite the cells to send a signal to the brain or not. Artificial Neurodes in the artificial network work similarly by perceiving environmental stimuli like for example light intensity and deciding whether to pass a signal to the perceptive system or not. The idea is to create a system that recognizes patterns and develops a mathematical model that can learn
The essential attribute of an artificial neural network are:
The neurons can be trained to distinguish between what constitutes a signal and what does not.
They are capable of recognizing patterns in a large amount of data that are too complex for the human brain. From these patterns, they can make predictions and point out anomalies. For example, in banking, the pattern of a credit card can be tracked over time to try and generalize the spending patterns of individual card owners. in case of loss or theft, the bank can notice the change in spending patterns and conclude that the card is in the wrong hands
Robotics
A robot is a computer-controlled device that emulates a human being in carrying out tasks that would otherwise be dangerous and difficult. Although robots are being used in workplaces research is still going on to come up with robots that will incorporate perception systems.
what is a perception system These are sensing devices that emulate the five common senses of a human being ie sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste such artificial senses would operate under the control of a microprocessor? The development will give robots artificial senses. for example, feeling the shape of an object, Listening to ultrasound, detecting the smell of leaking gas, tasting whether food is ready, and seeing using two miniature video cameras
Expanded information superhighway
Expanded information superhighways involve the integration of cabled and wireless technologies for the purpose of data and information transmission. Computers make use of existing communication infrastructure and technology provided by telecommunication, television, and radio networks.
applications of Expanded information superhighway
- video conferencing
- distant learning
- virtual learning centers
- teleshopping
- virtual office
There is a lot of research being carried out to come up with even better methods of transmitting information.