What are Artificial Intelligence and Robotics?

In a constantly dynamic world of technology where digital eco-systems continue to grow at warp speed- artificial intelligence and robotics are becoming a necessary part of life. With artificial intelligence finding relevance in almost every aspect of our lives- whether it is you telling Alexa to play your favorite song, or asking your automated assistant to switch the lights on, artificial intelligence is here to stay. As parents, these concepts are new and intimidating to us, but surprisingly children and young adults are quite well-versed with these terms and technologies. In a world where technological and technical skills are overwhelmingly in demand, as parents it is only right for you to know and be aware of these terms, so you can push your children to pursue these highly relevant and growing fields.

To start off with the basics - Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a computer or robot to think and function like a real human being. We take you through both individually.

Although it is quite obvious that AI and robotics are different, let us explore why they are completely distinct disciplines.

The first is that they can be both mutually exclusive. It is possible for a robot to function without an AI, and currently, there are a number of robots and machines that are working without complex AI systems.

Robotics is an important branch of engineering and computer science where one can build machines to perform routine and programmed tasks that reduce the need for human intervention. Now this definition covers anything from a rudimentary mechanical toy car, a motorized factory arm that assembles cars on a daily basis- to something straight out of your favorite science fiction book. In fact, a few years ago, the concept of an automated home assistant was something that you could only picture with Tony Stark!

The need for robotics arose from the difficulty of certain tasks that were very difficult for humans to perform- like manually shifting heavy machinery from one side to the other. It was also mentally strenuous as it requires the worker to repeat the same tasks over and over again. However, a robot devoid of any emotions or pain can do the same task over and over again- maintain the same level of efficiency throughout, and not get tired!

Artificial Intelligence, however, is different. It is when engineers create a coded system to emulate the human mind that learns and solves nuanced and easy problems and makes decisions regularly without having the need to specifically program intelligence all the time. However, robots can only perform a set number of duties and jobs. However, systems with AI, learn on the go and can perform complex and multiple jobs without having to program them regularly.

Artificial intelligence has a big role to play in robots. They can co-exist and build something better. Although there is a dearth of projects being developed that use AI and robotics, there is still some traction. However, such designs are projected to become more common as our understanding of such topics deepens and the future of AI becomes more sophisticated.

The Podar Education Network’s mindset is future-oriented. This is why almost all our schools have dedicated robotics and AI lab to keep children engaged and educated on tech and fast-growing technologies! To know more about admission, click here!