What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

cccriminale
Mar 19
4 min read

A Therapist's Journey into AI Anxiety and Discovery (Part II)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a concept from science fiction. It has become a part of everyday life, influencing how we work, communicate, and solve problems. But what exactly is AI? This post represents a therapist's first steps in the journey to better understand AI and the impact in mental health care.

Eye-level view of a robotic hand interacting with a digital interface displaying data and graphs

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

Before AI, we used computer software that followed fixed instructions and performed pre-programmed tasks assigned to it. The computer gave us pre-programmed responses. That traditional software had no 'intelligence'. Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems designed to perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. Human intelligence is required to learn, reason, problem-solve, understand language, and recognize patterns.

AI systems, however, can 'learn' from data. They can filter the data through one, two, or multiple layers of processing and return with verbal, auditory, or visual responses and/or predictions. Some are more simplistic while latter versions may have much more complex computer networks. These latter generation AI's are capable of operating and creating responses without human direction.

AI making decisions chess game — Photo by Amos K on Unsplash

How Long has AI Been Around?

AI as an idea isn't new. Who first fantasised of a machine that can think like a human? Who knows. Given human imagination, that idea could be quite ancient. The idea of a computer making choices in a chess game against a grand master isn't unfamiliar to us. The first example of a device making autonomous decisions on a chess move dates to 1914. (1)

But the real explosion happened in the 1950's with Alan Turing. Yes, the man you see on a £50 note, the man who used a machine (Bombe) to lead the UK codebreakers in WWII to crack the German enigma code and was immortalised in a film with Benedict Cumberbatch, is often cited as catapulting the idea and direction of AI. Turing proposed that if a machine could provide human-like responses to the extent that a person could not differentiate it from another human, the machine would have demonstrated human-like intelligence. This became known as the Turing Test.(2) The test was conducted by an 'imitation game' where a person texts questions to both a human and computer. If the person cannot differentiate each based on their replies, the machine passes the Turing Test and exhibits human-like responses.

Examples of AI in Our Daily Life

AI touches parts of our daily routines, often in ways we don’t notice. A few examples:

Online Shopping and Social Media Scrolling: You'll likely be familiar with the unsolicited suggestions for products or information as you interact with AI engines that their feedback on your browsing and purchase history.
Transportation: Ever used your a device to navigate the fastest route and avoid traffic? Your navigation app is using AI to collect data and give you guidance.
Entertainment: That 'Suggestion for you' of movies, music, tv shows is based on data about your listening/viewing patterns.
Smart devices: We ask Siri or Google Assistant to answer questions: 'How do I ...?', 'Where is...?'

As AI filters into more of our life, what does that mean for mental health care? And in my field, sex and relationship therapy? Stay tuned for the next two blogs:

Part III - AI and Mental Health Care, Counselling, and Therapy
Part IV - AI in Sex and Relationship Therapy

What Types of AI are There?

AI can be divided into three types based on their ascending strength.(3)

Weakest form of AI
- (Narrow AI): The weakest type of AI is what we have now. It responds to a specific task, like providing the information you ask of Alexa, Siri, or ChatGPT. Weak or not, some narrow AI passes the Turing Test, i.e. a person is unable to tell the difference between AI and a human response.
Stronger forms of AI
- General AI: A theoretical form of AI that can perform any intellectual task a human can do, albeit with weaknesses, just like humans. Some argue that General AI (AGI) is present, if not now, imminently. (4) What we don't see is the ability for AI to apply it's information from one area to another. It lacks 'reason'. (5)
- Superintelligent AI: A future concept where AI surpasses human intelligence in all areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYNweeDHiyU

IBM Technology

How Does AI Work?

At its core, AI relies on data, lots of it. Then it uses algorithms, i.e. step by step rules, to process the data. The rules help AI identify patterns and make decisions that it gives us suggestions or responses. AI has developed over time in terms of how it learns. (The video above does a far better job than I can explain, but a summary follows.)

1980's: Machine Learning: AI systems learned from data and didn't have to be programmed for every step. For example, a spam filter learns to identify your unwanted emails as possible spam by analyzing examples from others.
2010's: Deep Learning: Rather than learning to identify and predict a simplistic task, deep learning uses multiple layers of processing. It feels more complicated and has been likened to the complexity of network connections the human brain uses to process information and come up with responses. Examples include speech or facial recognition.
202o's: Generative AI: This is a type of deep learning. But what makes it unique is that based on what we ask, it can create novel responses.

Update: My AI Anxiety Experience

The overwhelm I first experienced exploring AI has quieted...a little. I'm relieved I don't need to be a programmer to understand the basics of AI. Understanding the basics makes me feel a little more grounded. I'm ready for the next steps of exploring the meaning AI has in mental health care, therapy and counselling. Stay tuned for more episodes.