back to article Oracle tells students: You're not going to solve the world's problems – but AI and ML might

Not content with foisting buzzwords on customers, Oracle is now pushing artificial intelligence and machine learning at students. The data science technologies are two of the latest additions to the curriculum of its Oracle Academy, which is ostensibly to boost training in academic institutions. The scheme is a free …

  1. DavCrav

    "(El Reg wonders when a similar plan for blockchain will surface – tech firms sure could use some help with that)."

    Something involving a washing machine and a fridge-freezer talking to one another without the householder's knowledge. I'm surprised you didn't see it, it was on TV.

    1. m0rt

      Can't trust anything you see on TV.

      If you saw it on YouTube, however....

  2. Martin Gregorie

    Blockchain, blockpile, blurgh

    The more I hear about blockchain, the more it looks like a solution in search of a problem - particularly if the problem requires both continually increasing CPU power slurpage matched with reducing data transfer rates.

  3. m0rt

    I STILL hate the term artificial intelligence...intelligence is intelligence. If it is artificial then it just gives the appearance of being intelligent but it isn't really. So we are better saying 'Pretend Intelligence'.

    Like Oracle is a pretend database company, as opposed to the red headed stepchild* of the tech world.

    * I feel guilty about this. Some of my best friends are red heads...**

    ** This was satire ***

    *** But the statement was also true...****

    **** Doesn't make it right though.*

    1. DavCrav

      "I STILL hate the term artificial intelligence...intelligence is intelligence. If it is artificial then it just gives the appearance of being intelligent but it isn't really. So we are better saying 'Pretend Intelligence'."

      Isn't it more artificial as in 'not naturally occurring'? Like artificial snow, artificial diamonds, etc.? Artificial snow is snow, it's just not naturally occurring.

      So AI is definitely A. As to whether it's I, that's a whole different question. The answer to which is 'no, of course not. Are you even paying attention?'

      1. m0rt

        "Isn't it more artificial as in 'not naturally occurring'? Like artificial snow, artificial diamonds, etc.? Artificial snow is snow, it's just not naturally occurring."

        Artificially created snow*. Artificially created diamonds.

        Artificial grass is not grass. 'Artificial 'Diamond is diamond, eg an isotope of carbon so it can't be artificial, but it can be artificially created.

        So intelligence can't be artificial, it is intelligent or it isn't. Artificial grass is not grass.

        So the term artificial intelligence can only be applied to something that mimics intelligence, but isn't.

        (Actually this is more complex. Snow we only have one word for, really. So it depends what you mean by snow. If you mean the frozen ice crystals then 'artificial' snow is snow. If you mean the entire process of how it is formed, then artificial snow works.)

        1. FozzyBear

          So the term artificial intelligence can only be applied to something that mimics intelligence, but isn't.

          I'd say Politicians & lawyers are good examples of this

      2. JohnFen

        This is the problem I have with calling things "natural"... humans are products of nature, and therefore, at the root of it, everything humans create is also "natural".

        "Natural" is really just an arbitrary distinction that is used in order to imply "good". The fact is that natural/artificial and good/bad are completely independent of each other.

    2. Peter2 Silver badge

      But artificial Intelligence does just give the appearance of being intelligent.

      The current state of the art AI is still no more "intelligent" than a complicated excel macro in that it performs specifically programmed tasks. There is a huge disconnect between the rhetoric from the sales types and the technical progress in development of AI's.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Having implemented an AI/machine-learning system in Excel, insanely complex at that, this is certainly true. Excel 97 by the way.

  4. JohnFen

    AI and ML can't solve the world's problems

    The absolute theoretical best those technologies could do is to replace the current set of world problems with new ones created by AI and ML.

  5. DerekCurrie
    Devil

    AI and ML Solve Human Created Problems? HaHaHa!

    No, humanity. There is no machine messiah. We have to solve the problems WE create through OUR OWN brains and actions. We KNOW the solutions right this minute. We know they work. Knowing the solutions isn't the problem at all!

    The problem is the psychopathic game players who demand short-term thinking, short-term $money&. They mandate our future with their powers of persuasion:

    'What's this future thing those tree-huggers keep babbling about? F-the future! Keep those suckers on the path. Eat that carbon fuel! Eat it all up! Make me richRichRICHER! Bless The Trump.'

    :-Q*****

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