Transformative Power: Artificial Intelligence Reshapes Global Society
By Chuck Brooks, Skytop Contributor / October 25, 2024
Chuck Brooks serves as President and Consultant of Brooks Consulting International. Chuck also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University in the Cyber Risk Management Program, where he teaches graduate courses on risk management, homeland security, and cybersecurity.
Chuck has received numerous global accolades for his work and promotion of cybersecurity. Recently, he was named the top cybersecurity expert to follow on social media, and also as one top cybersecurity leaders for 2024. He has also been named "Cybersecurity Person of the Year" by Cyber Express, Cybersecurity Marketer of the Year, and a "Top 5 Tech Person to Follow" by LinkedIn” where he has 120,000 followers on his profile.
As a thought leader, blogger, and event speaker, he has briefed the G20 on energy cybersecurity, The US Embassy to the Holy See, and the Vatican on global cybersecurity cooperation. He has served on two National Academy of Science Advisory groups, including one on digitalizing the USAF, and another on securing BioTech. He has also addressed USTRANSCOM on cybersecurity and serves on an industry/government Working group for DHS CISA focused on security space systems.
Chuck is a featured writer for Skytop Media and the SkyTop/Sling streaming TV show host of "Intelligence Briefing". He is also a contributor to Forbes, The Washington Post, Dark Reading, Homeland Security Today, Skytop Media, GovCon, Barrons, Reader’s Digest, The Hill, and Federal Times on cybersecurity and emerging technology topics. He has keynoted dozens of global conferences and written over 350 articles relating to technologies and cybersecurity.
In his career, Chuck has received presidential appointments for executive service by two U.S. presidents and served as the first Director of Legislative Affairs at the DHS Science & Technology Directorate. He served a decade on the Hill for the late Senator Arlen Specter on the Hill on tech and security issues. Chuck has also served in executive roles for companies such as General Dynamics, Rapiscan, and Xerox.
Chuck has an MA from the University of Chicago, a BA from DePauw University, and a certificate in International Law from The Hague Academy of International Law.
The coming years will bring about a digital transformation or convergence that will significantly alter the way we communicate, work, and live. We are entering a new era of dynamic, networked technologies that combine engineering, computational algorithms, and culture on a global scale. Machine learning and artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in this transformation.
The digital ecosystem’s networked computer components, enabled by AI and machine learning, will create a plethora of new opportunities and significantly impact nearly all types of organizations. These combined AI and computer technology capabilities may open up new horizons in various fields, including big data, digital security, robotics, genetic engineering, augmented reality, and quantum computing.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Gartner defines artificial intelligence as “technology that appears to emulate human performance typically by learning, coming to its conclusions, appearing to understand complex content, engaging in natural dialogs with people, enhancing human cognitive performance, or replacing people in the execution of non-routine tasks.”
With the intention of outpacing human speed and constraints, artificial intelligence (AI) systems simulate human characteristics and computational abilities in a computer. Machine learning and natural language processing—two technologies that are now extensively utilized in our daily lives—have helped develop artificial intelligence. With the help of organized and unstructured data, modern AI can comprehend, identify issues, and provide solutions—in certain cases even without the need for professional programming.
Artificial intelligence has the power to fundamentally alter both the economy and cognitive capacities. According to McKinsey & Company, automating knowledge work with intelligent software systems that can carry out knowledge work tasks from unstructured commands might have an economic impact of $5–$7 trillion by 2025. These technologies provide a plethora of fascinating opportunities. AI is “the most important technology that anybody on the planet is working on today,” according to Dave Choplin, chief envisioning officer of Microsoft UK, and research and development spending is a good indicator of future technical advancements. Financial giant Goldman Sachs estimates that by 2025, global investments in AI might total $200 billion.
Computers with artificial intelligence capabilities are made to automate tasks like learning, planning, problem-solving, and speech recognition. By leveraging data to prioritize and take action, these technologies can aid in more effective decision-making, particularly in larger networks with more users and elements. AI-enabled computers are now being developed for a number of fundamental tasks, such as speech recognition, learning and planning, and problem-solving. AI will affect a wide range of enterprises by 2023. According to Gartner, 40% of infrastructure and operations teams in large AI companies are proficient in creating algorithms that aid in problem-solving. AI-augmented automation is already being used by several businesses to increase efficiency.
AI in Medicine
Artificial intelligence is already transforming the healthcare industry by being used to discover novel drugs and evaluate mixtures of substances and procedures that will improve human health and combat illnesses and pandemics. AI was essential in helping medical professionals respond to the pandemic and in the development of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Predictive analytics is one of the most fascinating applications of AI in healthcare. By using past data on a patient’s ailments and treatments, predictive analytics makes predictions about their future depending on their current health or symptoms. This facilitates the decision-making process for medical professionals when treating individuals with chronic illnesses or recurrent medical conditions. For scientific and medical research, the computers developed by Google’s DeepMind AI division—which recently demonstrated the ability to predict millions of protein configurations—would be immensely beneficial.
AI will grow more skilled at diagnosing conditions, creating individualized treatment plans, and forecasting medical results as it develops. Medical professionals will be able to treat patients more expertly in the office, at charitable or religious institutions, and at home with this expertise at their disposal.
Interface Between Human and Computer
The human/computer interface is a fascinating field of AI research that has the potential to improve human memory and cognitive function. Significant scientific progress has already been made in the field of brain/computer connection. Brain mapping and neuromorphic chips are two examples of this. The development of assistive technology that uses implantable sensors to recognize electrical impulses from the brain and use those signals to power external devices has led to the creation of brain-computer interfaces.
It has even been demonstrated that a brain-computer interface is capable of reading thoughts. To detect electrical activity, an electrode plate known as an ECOG is placed in direct contact with the surface of the brain. Professor Brian Brown of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai asserts that patients who received electroconvulsive treatment (ECOG) and were rendered immobile are now able to interact with others through text translation of their ideas.
The promise of human-computer interfaces was summed up in a Frontiers in Science publication that brought together scientists, academics, and organizations. A human brain-machine interface system powered by neural nanorobotics has the potential to significantly improve human intellect and learning capacities, enabling people to conclude that “We can imagine the possibilities of what may come next with the human brain-machine interface.” It may also set new standards for immersive virtual and augmented reality, enabling users to express themselves more fully and richly and to have more profound experiences. All of this is made possible by the instantaneous access to all of the human information stored in the cloud. These developments may help mankind adapt to new difficulties facing the species since they make it possible to leverage evolving artificial intelligence systems as human-augmentation technologies.
Neuromorphic computing is a technique that uses artificial intelligence to facilitate human/computer contact; it may help improve human brain functions, memories, and skills. At a seminar on the future of the globe in 2045, Google futurist Ray Kurzweil declared that processing power will, on average, quadruple every two years and that humans will “expand the scope of our intelligence a billion-fold.”
Connections and the Client’s Experience
AI is also changing the ways that people communicate in our culture. Businesses are already using robotic processing automation (RPA), a type of artificial intelligence, to cut down on manual labor and assist in getting rid of human error for routine tasks. By employing technology to manage monotonous, repetitive tasks, RPA improves service operations by freeing up human expertise for more complicated, higher-level problems. It is scalable and can be modified to satisfy performance requirements. In the private sector, RPA is widely utilized for many different purposes, such as contact centers, medical coding, insurance enrollment and invoicing, and claims processing.
Chatbots, voice assistants, and other messaging apps that leverage conversational AI to fully automate customer support and provide round-the-clock assistance can be advantageous for a variety of sectors.