Is the inclusion of AI in your washing machine a cause for concern or comfort?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere and will inevitably be part of your life whether you like it or not,
but is it all good news or are there downsides to the technology that we need to know about? Well, my opening question about the possibility of “self-aware” washing machines running amok in kitchens all around Yorkshire is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the use of AI has led to large organisations and even whole countries starting to think about what the future looks like when our technology can think for itself and if / how we can make sure that humanity isn’t adversely affected as a by-product.
Negativity abounds with the nay-sayers pointing out that at some point in the future, if machines understand the variables affecting their ability to grow, they might conclude that humans are using way too much of the available power and try to cut out the nuisance carbon-based lifeform by taking steps to eradicate mankind entirely. I think this is a bit of a stretch but a safe working framework the whole world could adopt when designing AI is a must.
Back to today, and you might be surprised to learn that AI has been around for years. Even before that, we had fuzzy logic built into household appliances that meant they could make decisions on-the-fly based on feedback from various sensors inside the machine, this could for example, mean that a wash cycle would be brought to an end early if the sensors told the washing machine the garments were clean. AI will just build on those foundations so that future models will be more energy-efficient (and remain efficient even as the machine ages or detergents change etc. through seamless connectivity) with greater sustainability and enhanced user friendliness. Your machine will understand you and the way you wash your clothes, it may make recommendations to help you save money or take better care of your fabrics, and it will know if some of its parts are wearing out and suggest to you that it pro-actively contacts a repair agent (robot?) to come with the right parts and keep things in tip top condition.
Of course, it may decide that it doesn’t really like washing clothes and go off to join the circus!
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