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Innovation Trigger: At the start of each wave, there’s excitement due to early success stories. These stories, even if limited in scope, capture public attention and optimism. Researchers and companies jump into AI, hoping to benefit from increased funding.
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Peak of Inflated Expectations: During this phase, expectations soar. People believe that an all-encompassing, general solution to AI is within reach. However, reality often sets in as challenges emerge.
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Trough of Disillusionment: The initial euphoria fades when insurmountable problems arise. These issues, initially dismissed as minor hiccups, turn out to be significant roadblocks. For instance:
- In the 1960s, neural networks faced challenges related to handling nonlinearities and managing the increasing number of parameters.
- In the 1980s, expert systems struggled with uncertainty and common sense reasoning.
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AI Winter: When the true nature of these problems becomes apparent, pessimism accumulates, leading to an “AI winter.” Interest wanes, and research efforts shift elsewhere.
Despite these cycles, AI continues to evolve. Currently, generative AI dominates discussions, with innovations impacting content creation, authenticity, automation, and more. It’s essential to navigate this cycle wisely, avoiding disproportionate investments during the peak of expectations while also not prematurely giving up on AI innovations. Remember, progress often involves overcoming hurdles, and each cycle contributes to our understanding of AI’s potential and limitations.