Computer Science
Computer Science
● Autonomous Systems: Self-driving cars, drones, and robots are powered by AI, which
brings up both excitement and concern. While these systems can reduce human error
and improve efficiency, they also raise questions about accountability in case of
accidents, the future of driving-related jobs, and ethical decisions made by machines
(like life-or-death decisions in autonomous vehicles).
● AI in Creativity: AI is making strides in creative fields, such as writing, art, and music.
Programs like OpenAI's GPT-3 can generate human-like text, while AI-generated art is
being sold at auctions. However, this raises the question of authorship—who owns a
piece of art or text created by an AI? Is it ethical to allow AI to "learn" from
human-created content?
● General AI vs. Narrow AI: Narrow AI is designed to perform a specific task, like image
recognition or language translation, while General AI (AGI) is a more ambitious goal to
create machines that can perform any intellectual task a human can. We're still a long
way from AGI, but discussions around its implications—such as its potential to surpass
human intelligence (the "singularity")—are gaining traction.
● Quantum Supremacy: This refers to the point where quantum computers can perform
tasks that are practically impossible for classical computers. Google’s quantum
computer, Sycamore, claimed to have achieved this in 2019 by solving a problem in 200
seconds that would take a supercomputer thousands of years. This milestone sparked
excitement, but practical, large-scale quantum computing is still far off.
● Quantum Algorithms: One of the most famous quantum algorithms is Shor's algorithm,
which can factor large numbers exponentially faster than classical algorithms. This could
break many existing encryption methods (like RSA encryption) used to secure online
communications. Quantum computing also holds promise for improving optimization
problems, material science simulations, and machine learning.
● Quantum Cryptography: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a secure communication
method based on quantum mechanics. It allows two parties to share an encryption key
securely, as any attempt to eavesdrop would alter the state of the quantum bits (qubits),
alerting the parties involved to potential interception.