The Rise of Artificial Intelligence Across Iceland

Do you dream of one day owning that self-driving Tesla car that seems like something out of a childhood fairy tale? Is one of your New Year's resolutions to save enough money for an Alexa or a Google Home? It’s fascinating how fast the world is changing with the touch of technology and we humans can barely keep up - with the technology that was created by us humans. That's the irony! You don’t have to have read Yuval Noah Harrari’s Homo Deus (but it’s a great book, so read it if you can) to know how much the world depends on artificial intelligence, and as optimists say, this is just the beginning. The dependence of humans on artificial intelligence in the next few decades would be an interesting phenomenon to watch.

What is Artificial Intelligence or AI?

According to a definition from Investopedia, “Artificial intelligence or AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The term can also be applied to any machine that exhibits characteristics associated with the human mind, such as learning and problem solving.” So yes, the best realisation of artificial intelligence can be understood through our good old human robots, only this time it's not your mediocre science fiction, but reality staring us straight in the face (without blinking).

Utility of Artificial Intelligence in Daily Life

Whilst there are certain reservations about artificial intelligence and how these enhanced versions of Homo sapiens might take over the planet from us humans, there are a whole host of benefits that AI has brought to humanity - things we could only dream of before. As someone very aptly said, scientists are dreamers first and inventors later! And before you know it, this complicated-sounding technical tool will have found its way into your home and read its way through your brain. The virtual assistant and chatbots in your shopping app, the personalised post settings on YouTube and other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, etc. are all thanks to artificial intelligence.

AI in Iceland

Did you know that Iceland, the small Nordic country that lies across Europe and is covered in snow for most of the year, is one of the most advanced European countries when it comes to the use of artificial intelligence? The power behind Germany’s most influential start-ups is being made available to brands with the help of AI in Iceland!

To further promote their research and deep understanding of AI in Iceland, the country has been working towards building institutes and special centers for better development of AI.

The Icelandic Institute for Intelligent Machines (IIIM / Vitvélastofnun Íslands) is a not-for-profit institution that has been founded with the mission to accelerate the rate of innovation through AI in Iceland with the help of automation. It brings to table the practical approach and handholding required between scientists and businessmen, catalysing a guided stream of need-based inventions that would help both parties and most importantly, the people of the country. IIIM focuses on all areas of automation and artificial intelligence. This consists of robotics, machine learning as well as simulation techniques.

The other innovation centre that has been formed to nurture AI in Iceland is the Centre for Analysis and Design of Intelligent Agents (CADIA) in the Reykjavik University. It is home to the first lab cultivating AI in Iceland and consists of departments like Artificial General Intelligence, Language & Voice Lab, General Gameplaying, Socially Expressive Computing, Interactive Narrative and Game Design and Cognitive signals.

Whether you accept it or not, AI is the future and there is no way to escape it. And if there is no way to run away from a fact, then you should always accept it and upgrade.

For any assistance in Iceland, get in touch with Swapp Agency .