A central tenet of AI is that we, an intelligent species, can create intelligent machines. At present the machines we have created, while having better memories and greater speed, are clearly less capable than we are at most intellectual tasks. The gap is shrinking, however . . . A controversial question surrounding AI is whether the gap can ultimately be eliminated. Can machine intelligence ultimately equal that of human intelligence? Can it surpass human intelligence?
– The Age of Spiritual Machines, by Raymond Kurzweil (1990)
Futurist author-inventor Raymond Kurzweil’s keen insight into artificial intelligence will be centre stage this week as more than 250 Canadian researchers gather in Calgary.
Kurzweil, the 2001 Lemelson-MIT prize recipient whose inventions include speech and optical character recognition technology and a music synthesizer, is the keynote speaker at the 12th annual Canadian Conference on Intelligent Systems being held at the TELUS Convention Centre.
The working conference brings together some of Canada’s top research minds from universities and the private sector to showcase leading technologies which use intelligent systems (IS) in a wide variety of applications and industries – from fibreoptics which can detect leaks in pipelines to an automated system to test water supplies for E. coli bacteria.
“Almost any time you mention intelligent systems, you’re talking about cutting-edge technologies of the future,” says Anthony Eyton, president of Ottawa-based PRECARN Associates Inc., a not-for-profit research consortium of high-tech industries which funds research and development of intelligent systems technologies.
“I think business has the major role in not only creating but applying these technologies.”
Intelligent systems, machines and technologies which can perceive, reason and make decisions are at the forefront of many existing and emerging industries, but were first developed to automate routine or dangerous tasks.
Eyton, who is also the director for the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), which is co-organizing the conference, says Canada has become a world leader in several niche areas of IS, including vision and perception systems, and small robotics.
Some of the technologies which will be showcased in Calgary include:
* applying artificial intelligence (AI) technology to components to help natural-gas and fuel-cell vehicles operate more efficiently;
* computers that have “life-like” human behaviours that enhance a virtual experience. Uses can manipulate shapes of objects on a computer screen with their hands, such as poking a finger into a mound of bread dough and leaving an indentation. Other AI technologies can distinguish differences in surface textures using sound; * a virtual environment that simulates laparoscopic surgery, allowing surgeons to test new procedures on video before performing them on animals or humans.
“The innovations that we’re involved in are brand new and will have applications – but the applications are still three or four years away,” observes Eyton. Alberta-based companies which are participating in the three-day event this week include Matrikon Inc., Syncrude, SMART Technologies and Rightsmarket Inc. Defence researchers from CFB Suffield are also expected to attend.
Federally funded Precarn Inc. focuses on long-term research, but estimates its projects in academic, industrial and government labs deliver millions of dollars in economic benefits to Canada. Eyton says investments in Precarn and IRIS research projects will top $35 million over the next three years.
Its members include the Alberta Research Council, the Canadian Space Agency, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. and the Department of National Defence as well as more than 20 Canadian universities.
