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Artificial Intelligence is the Real Thing by Britt Storkson Owner, P2FlowLLC There’s been a lot in the news lately about AI (artificial intelligence) and what it is capable of doing. The English Oxford Living Dictionaries defines artificial intelligence as: The theory and development of computer systems able to per- form tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. AI uses conventional microprocessors that do what microprocessors always do, which is: Test/measure the voltage levels on the input pins, and modify the out- puts based on the program it is running. Although the definition of AI is somewhat fuzzy, the only difference between AI and conventional programming is it is able to modify its program routine based on information input. This concept has many applications. One example is a car adjusting its performance based on the drivers’ driving pattern over a period of time. If one drives “like a little old lady”, the computer adjusts the engine power for economy to save fuel. Acceleration times are reduced and the car is not as “zippy” as it could be. If one drives like they’re on the race- track, the engine power is adjusted accordingly and more power is produced at the expense of fuel economy. The microprocessor code which directs all of this activity, can be defined a number of different ways. One way would be to check the throttle position over time. If the throttle position was at a certain point for a cumulative amount of time within a given interval, the microprocessor would “classify” this operation one of several ways. In this case, a microprocessor could create three “classifications” of driving style: 1. Little old lady 2. Average driver 3. Hot rod Each classification would reference corresponding engine settings to deliver the desired performance and fuel economy. Other metrics could be included as well. Many cars nowadays come with accelerometers which can measure acceler- ation or movement - including vibration - and output a voltage signal proportional to the amount of vibration sensed. This can also be used as a reference to develop the classifications the car computer would use to make adjustments in other areas. Please note, none of this is magical or otherworldly. The microprocessor simply compiles information (data) in an orderly manner and makes decisions regarding this data as directed by the program framework. Everything a microprocessor does can be traced back to code instructions interacting with real-world inputs. Given the complex nature of many programs (and I believe far more complex than they need to be), this tracing back could take considerable time, but it can be done. Computers are not nefarious unless they are programmed to be. Except for extremely rare instances, computers do not exhibit “Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde” characteristics. By far, the most common software or hardware failure is for the computer to simply do nothing. Now if one depends on this computer to do something to avoid a problem - like a self-driving car needing to avoid crashing into some- thing - doing nothing in this instance could very well be a problem, but most of the time it isn’t. Computers do not have a mind of their own, nor do they have the ability to reason. So they are pretty useless when it comes to “grey area” judgements. However, they are fast and have a great memory, and these are the very useful characteristics us computer program- mers take advantage of. Britt Britt Storkson may be contacted via e-mail to michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com 33 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® NOVEMBER 2018 New & Used Bits, HDD Bits & Tools, Drag Bits & Wings, Bolt-On Drag Bits, Reverse Circulation Tools, Hole Openers, Claw Bits, Stabilizers, Subs, Custom Tooling & Welding, Hammer Bits, Drill Collars, Pipe Wipers, and Drill Pipe. Office: (661) 834-4348 Rod Henderson / Eran Henderson 661-201-6259 • 661-330-0790 sales@bitcobits.com www.bitcoinc.us Congratulati ons to : Suset te Jager Hickman Sales & Service Wi l l iston,, ND Winner for October! Time for a Little Fun! October Puzzle Solution: Hose Solutions, Inc. Central Mine Equipment Company Win a prize! Send your completed puzzle to: WWDR PO Box 660 Bonifay, FL 32425 or fax to: 850-547-0329 Can you identify which ads in this issue these two photos came from?