Why Artificial Intelligence Will Shift Human Innovation Into Overdrive

Veritone, developer of the world’s first artificial intelligence operating system.”>A visionary serial entrepreneur, Chad is the CEO of Veritone, developer of the world’s first artificial intelligence operating system.

Civilization has reached a major inflection point, with the development of artificial intelligence technology triggering a massive acceleration in the pace of human innovation.

For the first time in history, the innovation equation is about to change, for it is no longer solely dependent on human cerebral capacity and population growth. I first indicated as muchduring a keynote presentationatAI World this past December. AI will hyper-accelerate the rate of innovation as its algorithmic capabilities and computer-processing power outpace its biological equivalent.

The description of the history of mankind has consistently followed an “innovation curve,” which started with man gaining control over fire about 1 million years ago and then continued with the invention of the wheel, Gutenberg’s printing press, the lightbulb and at least 10,000 other key innovations. The curve took a sharp bend upward in the 20thcentury, growing at an exponential rate because of the rapid developments in computer technology driven by Moore’s Law.

This means that the human innovation curve is about to dramatically change for the first time in history. That’s because innovation is no longer solely the domain of man.Inventions spurred by artificial intelligence are already widespread. For example, back in 2006, 80 personal computers worked together to design tiny space antennas for a NASA space mission. The antennas, each about the size of a quarter, weren’t invented by a human but instead devised completely by artificial intelligence. Additionally, Microsoft AI is assisting programmers by writing its own unique code, and AI-driven logo design services are providing a creative foundation for graphic designers. (Full disclosure: Microsoft and Google are two of many AI engines available on the Veritone platform.)

While luminaries like Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have issued dire warnings about the potential danger that artificial intelligence represents for humanity, I tend to take a more optimistic view. I predict artificial intelligence’s impact on the innovation curve will not only be beneficial to society but essential to its development.

The future of human civilization will depend on artificial intelligence, not perish from it. The solutions to cancer, security and safety all lie within this incredible domain of technology.

My feelings wereechoedby Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who predicted artificial general intelligence’s influence will be on par with some of the most fundamental innovations and discoveries in human history — including the control of fire.