‘Aha Oho Ai [2] – Mixed Bag EMagazine – November 2024

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Many people wonder, “Is AI a robot?” Here’s the answer.

When we use AI technology in a device, we call it an “AI device.” For example, an AI washing machine, AI camera, AI mobile, AI computer, or AI software. We can also use AI in robots.

To understand how AI works, it’s helpful to know how computers work. Computers use programs written to perform tasks. By giving them input data and running these programs, we can get the information we need as output.

Writing programs and providing input data for computers is called software. This is the basic operation of a computer.

For example, bank software collects information about account holders, and educational software stores student details. Before computers, we managed this information manually, but now we use computers and software to organize it logically, which is the beginning of AI.

Yes, computers are the forerunners of AI.

But we didn’t stop there. Gradually, we have advanced, AI to think for itself and make decisions based on past experiences, almost like a human. AI was invented to help people, and now it’s becoming very intelligent, even surpassing humans in some ways.

It’s important to note that software has specific functions. For example, bank software only manages banking information, while educational software manages educational information.

Similarly, AI works the same way. A robot designed to clean floors can only do that, while a robot in a restaurant knows how to serve. AI avatars that read news in TV learn specific information relevant to news and also read the news as it is in the given input data.

When we say “learning,” we mean programming software to teach robots and avatars. Our computers and mobile devices are powered by software. AI is a type of software that can think and act on its own, beyond just following instructions.

So, whatever we create a robot for, it will only perform those programmed tasks. If you tell a floor-cleaning robot to cook, it won’t understand. But it can clean the floor very well.

In India, for the first time, an AI robot teacher named ‘iris’ is teaching students in a school in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. ‘iris’ looks like a woman in a traditional dress and not only teaches but also answers students’ questions beautifully. It can move around easily because it has wheels. However, the AI software inside ‘iris’ can only teach subjects it has data for. It cannot teach anything not included in its programming.

Recently, at a wedding ceremony in Puducherry, an AI robot decorated like a bride served the guests, leaving everyone in awe.

I should also mention that our ComPcare software company in Tamil Nadu released an AI avatar that wishes people during the Vinayakar Chaturthi Festival in 2023.

In the three examples mentioned here, I have used the terms ‘AI robot teacher’ in Kerala,  ‘AI robot receptionist’ in Puducherry, and ‘AI avatar’ in Tamil Nadu. Note that only the last one is referred to as an AI avatar. I will explain the difference between AI avatar and AI robot next month.