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Can computers improve themselves?

4 Feb 2019

Instead of writing detailed algorithms, a Dutch researcher is teaching computers how to prioritise tasks

According to Frans Oliehoek, associate professor at Delft University of Technology, artificial intelligence is not yet able to address highly complex challenges confronting human beings in the real world, such as optimising the use of limited road space in dense urban areas.

With today’s AI methods, says Oliehoek, “you are still using a model which requires training on millions and millions of games. The extent to which current algorithms can learn in the real world is very questionable. If you dropped a robot with these algorithms into a real world situation, it wouldn’t necessarily work.”

Instead of writing detailed algorithms, Oliehoek is helping computers prioritise what’s important to get things done. He is among several computer scientists awarded grants by the European Research Council to advance the study of artificial intelligence.

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