Breathing Life into Artificial Intelligence and Next Generation Autonomous Aerospace Systems

For many years, artificial intelligence (AI) experts have worked on models for machine learning (ML) and adapting those models to make sense for humans. A computer that makes decisions seems intelligent, even intuitive based on certain circumstances, however a closer look under the hood reveals how unintelligent AI really is. People have always both romanticized and feared machines becoming intelligent in the advent they take over humans, it might seem we are not even close to this much-prophesized next-generation autonomy. Or are we?

When it comes to image recognition in today's AI world, a human is required to initially train the underlying system to recognize an object. This is achieved though tagging countless images and recording what the object in the image really is. On a detection of the same or similar object, the AI algorithm is then able to lookup like images to see if there's an exact or close match. If yes, it recognizes that object. The problem however is when something is changed enough, AI fails to recognize that object for what it truly is. A clear example of this includes items with complicated geometry such as human hands. When it comes to hands, there are no universal collections of lines or shapes that AI can use to identify. AI must combine various shapes and combinations to identify hands with a high degree of confidence. An interesting mathematical problem for AI scientists. The human brain however overcomes this with basic logic.