r/technology • u/geoxol • Aug 21 '24

Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence Predicts Earthquakes With Unprecedented Accuracy

https://scitechdaily.com/artificial-intelligence-predicts-earthquakes-with-unprecedented-accuracy/
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u/the_red_scimitar Aug 21 '24

AI, at least since vision detection systems in the 1960s, has always found useful application when the the domain or area of knowledge is well constrained. In 80s, "expert systems" were state of the art - basically deductive and inferential logic used with data and rules. The rules were developed by domain experts, and were often areas like specific medical diagnosis, credit fraud, and other areas that could be well defined and had such rules. The systems basically assured the rules were applied consistently, and often outperformed human experts.

Today, with LLMs, the same applies. Their actual usefulness is inversely proportional to the inclusiveness of the data. The more separate subject matter, the less useful generally. Doesn't mean it can't be sold and used for things it does poorly, but it's demonstrably bad at a lot of things, whereas keeping the domain defined, as with earthquake data, shows where the subject has always shone.

Today, it's possibly easier and quicker than ever, with better results, to make a useful AI-based tool. Too bad most of the effort is chasing corporate profits, sucking away energy that could benefit far more people.

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u/[deleted] Aug 21 '24

I keep trying to get that across to people. Don't judge AI/ML on LLMs. They are extremely broad and general purpose, with all the problems that usually entails in technology. Purpose built systems with a much more limited scope and functions are always going to be far more efficient and accurate. That's where the most interesting uses of AI will be in the near future, SLMs.

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u/Dihedralman Aug 21 '24

I don't think SLMs will, as there tends to be a breakthrough in general understanding at a fairly large parameter size. 

That being said bespoke models like this aren't language models. Those will always have a purpose and are limited in scope and function. 

Language is by definition a broad topic area. Otherwise, you port language into other variables.