Artificial Intelligence On The Rise? Google, Movidius To Make AI More Accessible Through Software, USB Sticks

Artificial intelligence (AI) is definitely on the rise as many innovators and entrepreneurs recently vowed to invest more time and money on AI-driven programs. In fact, Google and chip-maker Movidius are planning to make AI more accessible through their new innovations.

Google And Artificial Intelligence

In Google's annual letter published Thursday, 43-year-old CEO Sundar Pichai revealed its major plans for the future. According to CNET, Google will be integrating a dose of artificial intelligence and will make information and knowledge available for everyone.

Pichai also emphasized how artificial intelligence can help humanity. That's why, the company aimed to aggressively push into the development of artificial intelligence, Silicon Valley Business Journal notes.

"We've been building the best [artificial intelligence] team and tools for years and recent breakthroughs will allow us to do even more," Pichai said.

In addition, Pichai also outlined six areas of focus, including technology and products as well other priorities crossing product lines. These priorities comprise machine learning and artificial intelligence, search and assistance, content on YouTube and Play, computing platforms like Android and virtual reality, enterprise, and technology from mobile services to Cardboard, Chromebooks and phones, Media Post learns.

Pichai also made emphasis on Google's longstanding mission to make information universally accessible and useful. He added the major factor in making the world's information comprehensively available has been Google's long-term investment in machine learning and artificial intelligence.

"For us, technology is not about the devices or the products we build. Those aren't the end-goals," Pichai wrote in the letter, as per USA Today. "Technology is a democratizing force, empowering people through information. Google is an information company. It was when it was founded, and it is today."

Movidius And Artificial Intelligence

Aside from Google, chip-maker Movidius has recently unveiled another artificial intelligence implementation through a USB stick called the Fathom Neural Compute Stick and its Fathom deep-learning software framework. These products will reportedly allow device makers to move artificial intelligence from the cloud to a local deployment in end-user devices, PC Magazine reveals.

The USB stick also enables any Linux computer to handle one of the building blocks of artificial intelligence - advanced neural networks. However, the Fathom is not a standalone device.

Artificial Intelligence Application To Virtual Dance Partner

In other artificial intelligence-related news, a new AI-driven project from the Georgia Institute of Technology called the LuminAI Project will allow people to have a computer-controlled dance partner. The virtual character names VAI can create an impromptu dance couple through the use of co-creative artificial intelligence.

The latest artificial intelligence-driven project is held inside a 15-foot-tall geodesic dome lined with custom-made projection panels. It is designed and constructed by Georgia Tech digital media master's student Jessica Anderson, Georgia Tech News Center reports.

The Threats Of Artificial Intelligence

Despite the benefits of artificial intelligence, researchers are worried about the threats of AI. While AI is currently deemed as a "meta-solution" to society's biggest problems, it also brings an existential risk to humanity.

The threats of artificial intelligence, however, remains a debatable issue. In fact, it's quite challenging to determine its effects on humanity because AI has a highly uncertain future. But for some researchers, the real dangers of developing artificial intelligence are its effects on human labor, especially those who lost jobs because machines do the "menial" tasks they used to perform, Slate notes.

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