AI Types (by Functionalities)

 

AI systems can also be classified into different types based on functionalities.  The 4 types are:

1) Reactive Machines:  These are the oldest form of AI systems that don’t store memories.  They can't use past experiences to determine future actions and work only with present data, so they don’t have the ability to learn.  They’re task-specific and don’t have capabilities beyond those tasks.  An example of reactive machine is the IBM’s Deep Blue that beat a chess master in late 1990’s.

2) Limited Memory Machines:  These AI systems can learn from past and present data, events, or outcomes to make decisions.  But this data isn’t saved into the systems’ memory as experiences to learn from over a long-term period.  These systems become smarter as they get trained on more data.  Currently, almost all existing AI systems fall under this category.

Example systems include generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude that rely on limited memory AI capabilities to predict the next word, phrase or visual element within the content they’re generating.

3) Theory of Mind:  These theoretical advanced AI systems could have the ability to understand other people’s emotions, sentiments, and thoughts.  In turn, this will affect how they behave in relation to those around them, i.e., as people’s emotions and thoughts change, the AI systems will adapt and behave in relation with the changes.  There’s no real-world example yet as these systems are only theoretical for now.

4) Self-Aware AI:  This is the final stage of AI evolution where machines have a sense of self-awareness, a conscious understanding of their existence.  These AI systems advance beyond the theory of mind that understands other people’s emotions to sensing or predicting others’ feelings and having emotions, needs, and beliefs of their own.  For example, they can feel “I’m hungry” to “I know I’m hungry” or “I like pizza because it’s my favorite food.”

The development of self-aware is the pinnacle of AI evolution which could advance our civilization tremendously.  However, it could also have the opposite effect because once achieving self-aware, the AI systems might understand the concept like self-preservation, outmaneuver the control of human beings, and plan cunning deception to take over humanity.