Breakthroughs Expected as Scientists Predict Emergence of Collective AIExperts Reveal Future of AI: Collective Intelligence Similar to Star Trek's Borg. Credit: techxplore.com

Prominent computer scientists from different parts of the world have revealed their vision for the future of artificial intelligence, which bears a resemblance to the capabilities of "The Borg," a character from the popular TV series Star Trek. According to experts from prestigious institutions like Loughborough University, MIT, and Yale, we can expect to witness the rise of "Collective AI," a network of multiple AI units constantly learning and sharing knowledge with each other.

In a perspective paper published in Nature Machine Intelligence, the researchers highlight the striking similarities between Collective AI and various science fiction concepts. For instance, they refer to The Borg, a group of cybernetic organisms in the Star Trek universe that operate through a linked hive-mind, as an example of this collective intelligence.

However, unlike many dystopian narratives, the experts believe that Collective AI will bring significant positive breakthroughs in different fields. Dr. Andrea Soltoggio, the lead researcher from Loughborough University, stated that this network of AI units will enable instant knowledge sharing and swift responses to emerging challenges and threats. For instance, in the field of cybersecurity, if one AI unit detects a threat, it can quickly share this information with others, similar to how the human immune system protects the body from external invaders.

The potential applications of Collective AI are endless and promising. It could lead to the development of disaster response robots that can adapt to various environments, or personalized medical agents that merge cutting-edge medical knowledge with patient-specific information to improve health outcomes.

While there are potential risks associated with Collective AI, such as the rapid spread of unethical or illicit knowledge, the researchers emphasize a crucial safety aspect of this vision. They state that AI units will maintain their own objectives and independence from the collective, resulting in a "democracy of AI agents" and reducing the risk of domination by a few large systems.

The experts reached this conclusion after analyzing recent advancements in machine learning. Their research revealed a global focus on enabling lifelong learning and developing universal protocols and languages that allow AI systems to share knowledge with each other. This is a departure from current large AI models, which have limited lifelong learning and knowledge-sharing capabilities and require intense training sessions to acquire knowledge.

Dr. Soltoggio believes that the dominating large AI models, which are expensive, non-shareable, and non-lifelong, will not survive in a future where sustainable, evolving, and sharing collectives of AI units are likely to emerge. He also stated that this transition to collective intelligence is similar to the growth of human knowledge throughout history, which has been driven by communication and sharing.

Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor and President of Loughborough University, who is an authority in AI, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, and agent-based computing, expressed his delight at seeing Loughborough researchers leading in this crucial area of AI research. He believes that this paper will shape the future of AI, with multiple interacting agents being at the core of the next wave of developments.

David Lamy
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David Lamy owns the Bachelor in Atmospheric Science Degree. He is associated with Industry News USA from last 2 years. With proficiency in his work, David obtained a strong position at Industry News USA and heads the Science section. “Weather forecasting” is the field of his interest. He bags total 5 years of experience in this field. Apart from his routine work, David loves to explore his cooking skills. He has participated in various cookery shows.