Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has launched a research program which aims at making improvements in the interactions between human beings and artificial intelligence. In this initiative open-source tools will be availed to third parties such as software engineers and professionals in a wide array of disciplines including music, design and medicine.
The program, which is known as PAIR, will try to ensure that AI research spreads beyond the traditional areas of image search and speech. PAIR, which is acronym for People + AI Research Initiative, will also try to humanize technology while hoping new applications will be developed.
“The goal of PAIR is to focus on the ‘human side’ of AI: the relationship between users and technology, the new applications it enables, and how to make it broadly inclusive,” wrote Google’s research scientists Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg in an online post.
Open-source tools
Some of the open-source tools which have been released with PAIR include Facets Dive and Facets Overview. These are visualization tools whose purpose is to give software engineers and developers a better view of data used in training artificial intelligence systems.
Google has indicated that the project will focus on three kinds of users namely everyday users, domain experts and researchers as well as engineers. With regards to engineers and researchers, the project will aim to offer such practitioners tools which they can employ in trying to better understand and develop machine learning systems.
Domain experts
By also focusing on domain experts the project will aim to explore how artificial intelligence can assist professionals in various disciplines such as farming, design and medicine to benefit from the technology. In the case of everyday users, the project will aim to make sure that machine learning benefits are inclusive since that is the only way to ensure that everyone benefits from AI breakthroughs.
Currently, the PAIR project has 12 members of staff who are working full-time. But since it is a firm-wide initiative, there will be expertise provided by other units at Alphabet. Consultation and research from external artificial intelligence authorities such as Prof. Brendan Meade from Harvard University and Prof. Hal Abelson from Massachusetts Institute of Technology will also be made use of.
On Monday shares of Alphabet Inc rose 1.08% and closed the day at $951.
