Any smartphone owner or Google user is already intimately connected with artificial intelligence, but knowing what that means is a different matter. AI’s ubiquity has not yet translated to a corresponding understanding of what and how this revolutionary technology system works, according to a pioneer in the industry.
"I think the challenge for us is it's both everywhere and it's kind of receding into the background and people are not necessarily aware," Sir Nigel Shadbolt, one of the UK's pre-eminent computer scientists, tells The National from his home in Oxford.
“AI is a totally pervasive technology. It literally has become a new utility. We don't recognise it that way but the supercomputers we carry around in our pockets - our mobile phones - are running all sorts of AI-inspired and directly AI-implemented algorithms to recognise your voice or recognise a face in a photo you've just taken and label it, or when it's reaching back into the cloud services to decide what to recommend to you, or how to route you efficiently to your next meeting. These things are all running."
The professor in computer science at Oxford University likens our relationship with AI to that with electricity: we’re highly dependent on it without a full understanding of the complex engineering feats behind a power grid.
Mainstream AI is a process of combining datasets and algorithms, or rules, to develop predictive patterns based on the data provided. To the purist, AI is a machine or algorithm which can perform tasks that would ordinarily require human intelligence.
AI is used for geographical navigation, Google searches, video-gaming and inventory management. Perhaps most universally, AI is used as “recommender systems” in social media platforms, on-demand video streaming services and online shopping platforms to tailor content and suggestions for users according to historical preferences.
The more information that is gathered, the more machine learning accelerates.
“There is a duty for us to explain fundamentally what the basic principles are and what the issues are from the point of view of safety, of fairness, of equity, availability of access, these have a moral dimension to them,” says Mr Shadbolt.
For many people, artificial intelligence conjures up images of robotic humanoids or complex technology used by big tech giants to influence us. While this may be accurate in part, the fundamental misperceptions are widespread.
"I sometimes reflect on the fact we might be moving back to almost an animistic culture where we imagine there's kind of a magic in our devices we don't need to worry about," Mr Shadbolt tells The National.
He has worked alongside Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the worldwide web, since 2009. In 2012, the duo went on to set up the Open Data Institute which works with companies and governments to build a transparent, trustworthy data ecosystem.
“Data is kind of an infrastructure just like your roads and your power grid but you can't see it. It's invisible in a certain sense, but you know it's important and building that kind of infrastructure is hugely important,” says Mr Shadbolt, who was knighted in 2013 for his services to science and engineering.
Since the ODI was established, many national governments, regional authorities and public and private companies have gone on to publish their data online. In some countries, like France, the commitment to open public data is now enshrined in law.
The pandemic naturally pushed to the fore the importance of data, from the UK government's dashboard on hospital admissions rates to its track-and-trace system, information gathering and sharing was paramount in combatting the virus.
With such pervasive influence on our lives, Mr Shadbolt says there is a growing renaissance of interest in the field of ethics and AI.
Civil rights groups have called for the banning of facial recognition software over fears that the system encroaches on privacy through mass surveillance as well as reinforcing racial discrimination. There are also concerns that these complex learning models can be fooled.
Earlier this year, a new Institute for Ethics in AI was created at Oxford University with Mr Shadbolt as its chair. He says the institute's aim is to examine the fairness and transparency of the many uses of AI so that they "empower and not oppress us".
“The algorithms and the data of scale can be really transformational. But, on the other hand, we need to reflect on the fact that there'll be two questions we've been talking about - about just how is that data used, and is it fair representation and have has the population consented?”
Co-author of The Digital Ape: How to live (in peace) with smart machines, Mr Shadbolt says it is an ongoing conversation with science technologist and engineers on the one hand and legislators and ethicists on the other. "Because these things, at the end of the day, express our values, what we think are important to seek to preserve in the societies we build," he points out.
The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal and the numerous online data breaches of other companies have undoubtedly contributed to increasing public awareness about the perils of handing over personal information. A recent study by Penn State University researchers in the US suggests that users can become more willing to give information when AIs offer or ask for help from users.
Nevertheless, fears around the uses of AI extend beyond its access to personal data to forecasting what a truly intelligent machine might be capable of. Scientists at the Center for Humans and Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin recently said that human control of any super-intelligent AI would be impossible.
AI has been steadily developing since the Second World War and the code-breaking Turing machine. It took a major leap forward in 1996 when world chess champion Garry Kasparov said he could “smell a new kind of intelligence across the table” from the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue.
Companies that are more open to adopting AI are likely to do better
Kasparov's defeat is often identified as a symbolic turning point in AI catching up with human intelligence. Nineteen years later, the power of AI made an exponential advance when AlphaGo became the first computer programme to defeat a professional human player at Go, the complex and challenging 3,000-year-old Chinese game.
The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of AI across sectors, particularly in healthcare, pushing it more towards becoming a necessity. In England, AI systems were used to screen patients’ lung scans for Covid-19 and to sift through hundreds of research papers being published on the new virus.
“AI received a battlefield promotion as the crisis forced the pace of innovation and adoption,” said David Egan, a senior analyst at Columbia Threadneedle Investment, at a recent forum to discuss investor opportunities in the field.
“Companies that are more open to adopting AI are likely to do better and the benefit to those companies will compound at an exponential rate each year.”
Having surveyed the field for decades, Mr Shadbolt thinks now is the time to take hold of this "great opportunity" while also taking stock of the "bigger questions".
“Technical development has to go hand in hand with an appreciation of our values, why we're doing this, what kind of society we want to build, where we want decision making to reside, where the value of all this insight actually ends up landing.”
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7-inch%20flexible%20Amoled%2C%202%2C412%20x%201%2C080%2C%20394ppi%2C%20120Hz%2C%20Corning%20Gorilla%20Glass%205%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MediaTek%20Dimensity%207%2C200%20Pro%2C%204nm%2C%20octa-core%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F12GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20128%2F256GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Android%2014%2C%20Nothing%20OS%202.5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%2050MP%20main%2C%20f%2F1.88%20%2B%2050MP%20ultra-wide%2C%20f%2F2.2%3B%20OIS%2C%20EIS%2C%20auto-focus%2C%20ultra%20XDR%2C%20night%20mode%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2030fps%2C%20full-HD%20%40%2060fps%3B%20slo-mo%20full-HD%20at%20120fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2032MP%20wide%2C%20f%2F2.2%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2C000mAh%3B%2050%25%20in%2030%20minutes%20with%2045-watt%20charger%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Google%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fingerprint%2C%20face%20unlock%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP54%2C%20limited%20protection%20from%20water%2Fdust%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual-nano%20SIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Black%2C%20milk%2C%20white%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nothing%20Phone%20(2a)%2C%20USB-C-to-USB-C%20cable%2C%20pre-applied%20screen%20protector%2C%20Sim%20tray%20ejector%20tool%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%20(UAE)%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh1%2C199%20(8GB%2F128GB)%20%2F%20Dh1%2C399%20(12GB%2F256GB)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 1 (Martinez 18' pen)
Juventus 2 (Dybala 4', Higuain 80')
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E660hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C100Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488km-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh850%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOctober%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE rugby season
FIXTURES
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers v Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Division 1
Dubai Sharks v Dubai Hurricanes II
Al Ain Amblers v Dubai Knights Eagles II
Dubai Tigers II v Abu Dhabi Saracens
Jebel Ali Dragons II v Abu Dhabi Harlequins II
Sharjah Wanderers v Dubai Exiles II
LAST SEASON
West Asia Premiership
Winners – Bahrain
Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners – Dubai Hurricanes
Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference
Winners – Dubai Tigers
Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
- English Premier League
- Spanish Primera Liga
- Italian, French and Scottish leagues
- Wimbledon and other tennis majors
- Formula One
- Rugby Union - Six Nations and European Cups
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
