Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence – Part One: Origins
From Linux, as a veteran blog of the LinuxverseIt typically has a very broad vision of all the knowledge and developments, sciences and technologies that arise from it or are deeply related to it. Therefore, we not only focus on sharing publications related to news and developments about applications, systems, websites, people, and institutions in the field of Free and Open Source Software, and about GNU/Linux distributions and BSD-based operating systems; but also about relevant and current technological areas associated with free and open technologies in one way or another. A good example of this was the boom of Cryptocurrencies, Digital Wallets, and Digital MiningWhereas, today we will begin, with this «Part one of a short series of publications on the Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence in general, but with emphasis on the Generative Artificial Intelligence (IAG).
So, if you've been reading here on this blog about the different AI chatbots available for Linux, or on the various Free and open AI technologies, or about the different GNU/Linux distros with integrated AIWe invite you to read this series of publications on the Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence, so that you can learn and understand a little more about this exciting and ever-changing field.
LocalAI: A free, open-source Local AI on your computer
But, before we delve into this "Part one of the exciting and surprising field of Artificial Intelligence"And more specifically about its foundations, we recommend exploring a previous and recent related publication about one of the many AI tools available for Linux, after finishing reading it:
LocalAI is an open-source tool, ideal as a free alternative to the OpenAI platform. Its comprehensive set of AI features and functions They allow anyone to easily run powerful language models and autonomous agents, and manage diverse document formats. locally on most modern home hardware. And best of all, sUsing the cloud, without limits, and without compromise.
Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence – Part One: Definitions
What is Intelligence? (Natural and Human)
Yes, we are going to to study Artificial Intelligence in a general and direct wayA good starting point is undoubtedly to clarify the concept of what is meant by Intelligence, more specifically natural and human intelligenceThat is, that of our human species, which is the one we ourselves try to replicate in Artificial Intelligence, that is, with and on machines, both at the software and hardware level.
Therefore, a clear and simple definition of natural and human intelligence is:
Intelligence is a general mental capacity that enables us to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, understand complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience. It involves adapting our behavior to the environment and using various skills to manage new situations, encompassing cognitive, emotional, and social components.
Key aspects of natural and human intelligence
Furthermore, and more specifically, we must highlight and clarify the key aspects of natural and human intelligence that we seek to recreate artificially. In short, these are the most prominent or important ones:
- Basic skills: To understand, reason, learn, solve complex problems and adapt to the environment.
- Multiple IntelligencesThere is no single intelligence, but rather a set of different skills or intelligences.
- AlternativeThe ability to think, analyze situations, use creativity, anticipate consequences, and use critical thinking.
- Types of Intelligence: Fluid (which prioritizes and favors the resolution of new problems) and Crystallized (which prioritizes and favors the use of previously constructed knowledge).
Difference between natural intelligence and artificial intelligence
One important fact to consider is What differentiates natural and human intelligence from artificial and robotic intelligenceTherefore, while the first, natural and human intelligence, through us as conscious living beings, integrates cognitive, social, and emotional systems and is intimately linked to personal experience and the consciousness of each individual, the second, artificial intelligence (predictive, generative, and agentic), neither reaches nor surpasses these levels of development and scope. However, this is expected to be achieved someday through the attainment of what is known as the Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), and the Artificial Superintelligence (ISA).
Finally, an interesting fact about natural and human intelligence Currently, intelligence is measured through a mechanism known as the Intelligence Quotient (IQ). This yields a score obtained from standardized tests that evaluate cognitive abilities such as logic, memory, and problem-solving, comparing a person's performance to the average for their age group, where 100 is the mean. Meanwhile, a mechanism for measuring the (potential) intelligence of AIs is the following formula:
AI Power = Algorithm Power x Computing Power.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Having clarified the above, a modern, precise and comprehensive concept The current understanding of Artificial Intelligence is as follows:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science dedicated to developing systems capable of simulating human intelligence processes, such as reasoning, learning, perception, and creativity. This is achieved through algorithms and large volumes of data, managed by powerful machines or advanced/specialized hardware, which are capable of analyzing information, solving complex problems, making autonomous decisions, and improving their performance over time.
Reason why, Artificial Intelligence should be understood as the simulation of human intelligence in machines These are machines programmed to think and learn like humans; in other words, machines that exhibit human-like intelligence. For example: a self-driving car that can navigate and make decisions on its own using AI technology. Or a robot that cleans a home or workplace without damaging anything or itself, and only when it detects dirt or has been programmed.
Another important fact that we cannot ignore, and which is worth highlighting, is that like all human science and technology, Artificial Intelligence draws on other areas of human knowledge, such as Mathematics. (Linear Algebra, Calculus, Probability and Statistics, among others), Computing (operating systems management, database use, software engineering, robotics, among others) and Biology (Bioinformatics, Evolutionary and Systems Biology, Computational Neuroscience, among others).
Types of Artificial Intelligence
Current AI
1. Narrow or Weak Artificial Intelligence (NAI)
This type of Artificial Intelligence refers to that which applies machine learning and natural language processing techniques and algorithms to perform very specific tasks automatically, thus having limited capabilities outside that range of tasks. Therefore, it focuses on performing very well-defined tasks, such as pattern identification, image recognition, and many others. For this reason, it can be found in various applications such as chatbots, autonomous vehicles, and more.
2. Generative Artificial Intelligence
This type of Artificial Intelligence refers to that which focuses on creating new and original content (text, images, music, code, etc.) by learning patterns from large datasets to then generate unique results. Unlike traditional AI, which follows predefined rules, generative AI uses deep learning models to produce creative and varied results. For example, creating an original short story based on the analysis of existing published short stories; creating images, videos, or sounds from the analysis of previous samples; creating new medical compounds or diagnoses from thousands of formulas, tests, treatments, and cures performed; or detecting new stellar and planetary objects based on previous findings.
3. Artificial Intelligence
This type of Artificial Intelligence refers to that which is focused on achieving a specific goal with minimal supervision. Therefore, it involves the use of AI agents—that is, machine learning models that mimic human decision-making to solve problems in real time. Furthermore, in a multi-agent system, each agent performs a specific subtask necessary to achieve the objective, and their efforts are coordinated through AI orchestration. Thus, unlike traditional AI models, which operate within predefined constraints and require human intervention, agentic AI demonstrates autonomy, goal-oriented behavior, and adaptability.
Important noteThe term “agent” refers to the ability of some AI models to act independently and intentionally. Therefore, while generative models focus on creating content based on learned patterns, agentic models expand this capability by applying generative outputs to achieve specific goals.
Future AI
1. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) or Strong Intelligence
This type of Artificial Intelligence refers to one that possesses a wide range of cognitive abilities, very similar to those of humans, allowing it to learn, reason, adapt to new situations, and develop creative solutions in diverse tasks and domains, rather than being limited to specific tasks as narrow AI systems are. For now, and publicly, it is a theoretical concept that aims to develop mental capacities and functions that mimic the human brain. And although it remains a theoretical concept, it would have the ability to learn and reason, a strong sense of adaptability to new situations, as well as the capacity to possess and understand other mental states.
2. The Artificial Super Intelligence (ISA)
This type of Artificial Intelligence refers to one that far surpasses human intelligence, by an enormous margin. Therefore, if General AI is at a human level, Superintelligence is that which surpasses Human Intelligence in virtually every field, including scientific creativity, general wisdom, social skills, and other advanced properties characteristic of Human Intelligence. Consequently, an AI could solve problems that no human could and could recursively improve itself to become even more powerful. It could also set its own goals and perhaps exhibit something akin to consciousness or self-awareness, in a far more sophisticated way than we can.
Final Thoughts.
Although Artificial General Intelligence and Artificial Superintelligence are currently merely probabilistic and speculative concepts, since nothing resembling them has been created, or at least nothing publicly revealed to us yet, the truth is that the development of an AGI/ISA could undoubtedly represent a major turning point, one where machine intellect eclipses human intellect. This should lead us to consider that an AGI/ISA could both mark the beginning of an era of unprecedented prosperity and pose an existential risk if it is not properly aligned with human values.
Summary
In short, we hope that this "Part one of the exciting and surprising field of Artificial Intelligence" with emphasis on the Generative Artificial Intelligence (IAG)Hopefully, this has met your initial expectations on the topic and allowed you to easily begin acquiring new knowledge about this technology. We will soon continue with this series so that many more users and passionate readers of the Linux universe can learn more about AI in general, especially Generative AI. This is the type of AI technology that is usually available to ordinary users, such as users of various operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android). Because, Generative AI is that which allows us to create new knowledge based on prior knowledge and advanced algorithms and models.such as Texts (Reports, Presentations and Written Works), Audios (Sounds, Voice and Music) and Videos (Animations and Films).
Lastly, remember visit our «homepage» in Spanish. Or, in any other language (just by adding 2 letters to the end of our current URL, for example: ar, de, en, fr, ja, pt and ru, among many others) to find out more current content. Additionally, we invite you to join our Official Telegram channel to read and share more news, guides and tutorials from our website.