Chapter 5: AI and Contemporary Technologies

When Google Maps finds the fastest route to Pokhara, when YouTube suggests your next video, or when your phone unlocks by seeing your face, that is Artificial Intelligence at work.

The term "Artificial Intelligence" was first used by John McCarthy in 1956. AI tries to give computers human-like abilities such as understanding language, recognising images, solving problems and learning from experience.

The main goals of AI are:

AI is used in almost every field today:

Instead of writing exact rules, we show the computer many examples and it finds the pattern. For example, to teach a computer to recognise a cat, we show it thousands of cat photos until it learns what a cat looks like.

There are three main types of machine learning:

Machine learning follows four main steps:

Machine learning is used in many everyday products:

People often mix these up. ML is actually a part of AI.

AI gives robots the ability to see (cameras), understand (sensors and software) and decide what to do. Examples include factory robots that assemble cars, delivery robots, and robot vacuum cleaners that map your room.

Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) is a free, block-based coding tool. We can simulate a simple robot by making a sprite (character) move, turn and react: just like a real robot would.

Example task: Make a robot sprite move and avoid the edge

Procedure:

1. Open scratch.mit.edu and click "Create".
2. Choose a robot sprite from the sprite library.
3. Drag the when green flag clicked block.
4. Add a forever loop block.
5. Inside it, put move 10 steps.
6. Add if on edge, bounce so it turns back at the wall.
7. Click the green flag: the robot now moves and avoids edges automatically!

Unlike older AI that only sorted or predicted, generative AI actually produces something new. You give it a prompt (a request in plain language) and it generates an answer.

Uses of Generative AI

• Writing essays, emails, stories and code.
• Creating images and art from text descriptions.
• Summarising long documents.
• Answering questions and tutoring students.
• Translating and improving writing.

Many apps we already use now have AI built right inside them:

Important ethical concerns include:

• Bias: AI may be unfair if trained on biased data.
• Honesty: Deepfakes and fake news can mislead people.
• Jobs: AI may replace human workers.
• Responsibility: Who is to blame if AI makes a mistake?
• Cheating: Students must use AI to learn, not to copy.

Privacy is the right to keep your personal information safe. AI systems collect huge amounts of data: your photos, location, searches and messages. If misused, this can harm your privacy.

Security means protecting AI systems and their data from hackers and misuse. AI can both help security (detecting cyber-attacks) and threaten it (smart scams, deepfakes).

In IoT, ordinary objects: lights, fans, watches, fridges: get sensors and internet so they become "smart" and can be controlled remotely.

• Security risk: Connected devices can be hacked.
• Privacy: Devices collect a lot of personal data.
• Cost: Smart devices are expensive.
• Internet dependent: Stops working without internet.
• Complex: Hard to manage many devices together.

VR completely replaces the real world with a virtual one. You wear a headset (like Meta Quest) and can look around and move inside games, virtual tours and training simulations.

The "cloud" simply means powerful computers (servers) located somewhere else that you use through the internet. When you save photos to Google Drive or watch YouTube, you are using the cloud.

Cloud is divided by who can use it and by what service it gives.

By deployment

By service

Instead of going to a physical shop, you order online and the product is delivered to your home. Payment can be online (eSewa, Khalti) or cash on delivery.

E-commerce technology

E-commerce works using: a website/app, a shopping cart, an online payment gateway (eSewa, Khalti, cards), a database of products, and a delivery system.

E-commerce is growing fast in Nepal, especially after more people started using smartphones and digital wallets.

It makes government services faster, easier and more transparent: citizens can get services online instead of standing in long queues.

Examples in Nepal

• Nagarik App: get government services on your phone.
• Online passport and PAN application.
• Online driving licence form and exam booking.
• Electronic payment of taxes and bills.
• Online results (SEE, NEB) and notices.

Especially after COVID-19, online classes became common in Nepal. Students learn through videos, apps and live classes.