Intelligent Tools

considering recent developments in artificial intelligence, I believe we’re entering a third major revolution in software: the shift from simple, direct manipulation of data to tools that are intelligent and capable of complex, unpredictable output. Instead of software that mimics a paintbrush, we now have software that mimics the painter.

This happens with all radical new technologies: before they mature, our expectation of how they’ll work is only half right.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the vast majority of useful AI is not about creating an artificial human personality. It is about creating tools that are endowed with intelligence, and capable of performing far more complex tasks than before.