Rastra Dhoj Karki

Technology is science or knowledge put into practical use to solve problems or invent useful tools. It is the skills, methods, and processes used to achieve goals. People can use technology to produce goods or services, such as scientific investigation or sending a spaceship to the moon.

Technology has evolved and shaped our workplaces in many ways, such as the internet and email for communications, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations for office productivity, electronic databases for record-keeping, and robots and artificial intelligence for automation. Now, this is an intriguing question, can we live without technology?

Yes, for most people, tech is not something we give a second thought to, but some people literally can't live without technology. For some people, technology is the difference between silence and laughter, loneliness and interaction, and even life and death, which sounds exaggerated but is the truth.

     Inception of Technology

 Another question that comes to mind is- how did technological innovation start? Nearly two million years ago, stone tools being the first known technological invention. This chopping tool and others like it are the oldest objects in the British Museum. It comes from an early human campsite in the bottom layer of deposits in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. The most drastic discovery made by man was the make and use of fire, which made the advancement of tech skyrocket to the roof. Let's now talk about how technology took another turn when Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity. Thomas Edison then applied electricity to light bulbs. Slowly later, electricity is used in machines to power it and perform tasks.

Anything automated (which works by itself) works on electricity or its relatives such as heat or mechanical energy. Speaking about automation, yet again, man has now discovered to make machines do intelligent tasks for them like solving equations or predicting natural disasters.

This study has further evolved into a field known as Artificial Intelligent (AI) and its application. AI is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. In a nutshell, it is the study to make machines think like human beings or with even more potential. The advantages of AI consist of Reduction in Human Error take risks instead of Humans, Available 24x7, Helping in Repetitive Jobs, Digital Assistance, Faster Decisions, Daily Life assistant, New Inventions and many more. There are three types of artificial intelligence (AI): narrow or weak AI, general or strong AI, and artificial Superintelligence.

     Articial Intelligence (AI)

Narrow AI works on a particular subject, General AI can do multiple tasks efficiently and are closer to humans in intelligence, and Artificial Superintelligence are AI that exceeds the human thinking process. Currently, the applications of AI are: Chatbots, AI in e-commerce, AI to improve work communications, Human Resource Management, AI in healthcare, Intelligent Cybersecurity,  AI in the Defense Department, Cryptocurrency, AI in logistics and supply chain, Cloud Computing, BlockChain, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, sports betting industry, Use of Autonomous Cars,  Streamlined Manufacturing in AI, Casino/Hotels/Integrated Resorts and retails.

And many more, because AI is only limited to human thinking and humans have unlimited imagination.

Though When it comes to AI applications in the healthcare industry, one can argue that "no AI application has yet reached a state of artificial general intelligence." However, there are various successful examples of applied AI.

Together, they can deliver high accuracy in information treatment and workforce augmentation. Artificial intelligence is affecting the future of virtually every industry and every human being. Artificial intelligence has acted as the main driver of emerging technologies like big data, robotics and IoT (Internet of Things), and it will continue to act as a technological innovator for the foreseeable future.

Artificial Intelligence is advancing drastically; the future of AI is bright. But, where there is light, there is a shadow of darkness. The disadvantages of AI are High Costs of Creation, Making Humans Lazy, Unemployment for Humans, No Emotions of AI, lacking Out of Box Thinking. If implemented responsibly, AI can benefit society. However, as is the case with most emerging technology, there is a real risk that commercial and state use has a detrimental impact on human rights. Some people also fear the prediction of "rise of the robots", where if AI robots were to gain immense intelligence, that would cause the downfall of mankind.

     Elon Musk

Elon Musk has proposed the idea of a brain chip implant to allow the paralysed people to operate technology, such as smartphones or robotic limbs, with their thoughts. Its long-term idea is to keep up with the fast-advancing AI so that humans would keep up information processing with them.

There are countries who had the head start in tech for a long time now. Countries with the Highest Technological Expertise are:

 Japan

 China

 South Korea

 United States

 Germany

 Singapore

 United Kingdom

 Russia

 Switzerland

Israel

And many other countries that are progressing in terms of tech.

The tech is also making its way into developing cities. An urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect data is called a smart city. Its aim is to innovate and create new initiative by the Government to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local development and harnessing technology as a means to create smart outcomes for citizens. Here are 10 cities that are widely recognised as leading the way:

Singapore

Dubai

Oslo

Copenhagen

Boston

Amsterdam

New York

London

Barcelona

Hong Kong

In general, a smart city is a city that uses technology to provide services and solve city problems. A smart city does things like to improve transportation and accessibility, improve social services, observing criminal activities, promote sustainability, and give its citizens a voice.

(Karki is an IT student)