When machines get smarter

Word has it that Microsoft Cortana will soon be making its debut for iOS and Android users.

According to a report by Reuters, Microsoft plans to introduce the digital assistant in the form of a standalone mobile application to the two leading mobile ecosystems.

It is also reported that an artificial intelligence project dubbed “Einstein” will be the integral technology of the digital assistant. Similar to the intelligent computer operating system used in the award nominated film “Her”, Cortana will be able to read and understand emails, predict users’ behavior and automate more tasks.

It is wonderful to have intelligent machines complementing human skills but unlike the characters in “Her”, I shudder to think of a future where establishing a seemingly human friendship with an operating system or digital assistant would become an acceptable norm.

As the world’s largest technology companies (Facebook, Google, IBM, Microsoft, etc.) continue to work on machine learning, earlier in January the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, Elon Musk donated USD10 million to research on how we can keep artificial intelligence safe and to avoid an apocalypse depicted in “The Terminator”.

While the objective to develop advanced machines has always been for the betterment of mankind, the concern is valid and sound.

I can’t say that they are being paranoid because as much as I am all for artificial intelligent and robots, knowing that human has the power to create something out of nothing, to expand and push an idea into reality, we have the capability to create an ecosystem of software and machines that complement us. As is the case with good versus bad, we too have the capacity to give birth to an intelligent yet destructive digital monster.

In the meantime though, I am happy to welcome the enhanced version of Microsoft Cortana to my iPhone when it is released later this year.