Autonomous AI

Autonomous AI functions independently without any human intervention. In traditional AI, there are pre-defined algorithms. In autonomous AI, there is ability to adapt, evolve and improve itself over a period of time. It recognizes patterns and makes decisions. In the process of evolving, it can match human intelligence and may even surpass it.

In the last seven decades, autonomous AI has continued to evolve. The early start was the Stanford Research Institute which developed a robot called Shakey in 1966. In the meantime, there was revival of neural networks. General Motors developed an industrial robot Ultimate in the 1980s. Then there was a 20-years pause. Again, autonomous AI gained momentum in the late 1990s. The concept of self-driving cars is in public domain. Tesla and Waymo are gathering data from multiple sources and are interpreting the data so as to attain smooth navigation. Autonomous robots have entered the manufacturing operations and perform repetitive tasks along with humans and sometimes they perform these tasks independently.

The increase could be attributed to the availability of large volumes of data and the computational capacity to process it and the breakthrough in deep learning. The models make decisions in real time. There is optimization of the supply chains, and financial transaction become error-free. Analytics enable faster decision making.

Of course, there are limitations of autonomous AI. Autonomous AI still falls short of comprehending nuanced context of patterns or decision making. It is good at handling specific well-defined tasks. Some tasks cut across multiple domains or relate to unfamiliar environment. Here autonomous AI does not fare well. Another limitation is its prohibitive cost. There are limitations of infrastructure, internet and sensors.

Despite the limitations, autonomous AI is gaining ground. It is being used for water distribution, electricity grids and waste management. E-commerce firms are using it in warehouse management. Banks are using it for fraud detection.