Look, I understand that this AI utilization overview from Microsoft is designed to alleviate considerations amongst authorities departments, which is a key income stream for Microsoft. However in amongst its sensible notes as to how and why AI shall be beneficial to authorities companies, and certainly, any enterprise, there are additionally some fascinating factors of word as to what AI is, and its limitations.

The overall logic right here is sound, that AI isn’t a singular resolution, and that it’s going to nonetheless require human oversight to really maximize the worth of those instruments. Which anybody who’s used AI methods will concentrate on, however it’s price highlighting amid the broader hype, and worry, round AI altering work as we all know it.

However what I discover most fascinating is notes like “AI is simply math”. That’s appropriate, the present slate of AI instruments is definitely not what you’ll outline as synthetic “intelligence” in any respect, as a result of there’s no inside “thought” course of at play, it’s simply machine calculations, taking this knowledge level and that knowledge level, then pushing out the most probably end result.

They’re a lot better at doing this than earlier methods, and the outputs will be human-like. However these methods usually are not “pondering”, they’re not considering the depth of what you’re asking, and providing you with a nuanced response. It’s simply math, as Microsoft notes, and that math is relative to the info inputs that any given system has entry to.

That’s contextually vital in understanding how these instruments work, as are the notes right here about “grounding” and coaching AI fashions on particular makes use of.

Basically, AI instruments will be beneficial, however the hype round them could, at occasions, be overselling their capability to have an effect on your work.

That’s one factor of this overview, however the different notes are additionally price noting, each from a authorities and normal enterprise perspective.