ai: amplifying intelligence

Evening Lecture series on Friday, January 24 at 6pm. ›

“This will be my first time speaking at the lecture series, and I am certainly looking forward to it,” says Dr. Ford. “We usually bring in speakers outside of the Institute to speak on broader, relevant topics that we feel are important to the community, but my topic is pertinent to our institute, and the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has certainly been in the news lately.”

Dr. Ford says that in recent years the dialogue concerning AI has shifted. Just a decade ago, pundits declared it an impossibility; now they say that not only is it possible, it is inevitable and is the greatest risk in existence to the future of humanity.

“I am speaking out to defend the field of artificial intelligence. The pundits now say that we need to be frightened of our machines, and I find this to be such a weak statement that it is semi-humorous,” he says. “I have been in this field a long time, and I can tell you, there is no one or no group out there trying to create a stand-alone reasoning machine like the ones you see in science-fiction movies with human traits. AI is a field, not a thing, and it produces highly useful products—not all-knowing Wizard of Oz systems or the 2001 A Space Odyssey computer, Hal, but products that can be found in your car, internet router, phone and a host of other needful products. What AI really does is make everything just a little bit smarter, and it is really just an amplifier for our own human intelligence.”

Dr. Ford has authored hundreds of scientific papers and six books. He has received numerous awards, including NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Medal, and has served on the National Science Board, the NASA Advisory Council, the Air Force Science Advisory Board and the Defense Science Board, to name a few.

Dr. Ford, the owner of two patents in the field of artificial intelligence, was recently inducted into the Florida Inventor’s Hall of Fame. He

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is one of only 28 members statewide.

For more information on his upcoming lecture and to register, visit ihmc.us or call (352) 387-3050.

A Eal Of Approval

Ocala Health recently announced it has earned The Joint Commissions Gold Seal of Approval® for Sepsis Certification. The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and e ective patient care. Ocala Regional Medical Center and West Marion Community Hospital underwent a rigorous on-site review during which Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national disease-specific care standards as well as with sepsis-specific requirements. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.

“We’re proud of our team’s commitment to sepsis care and are honored to receive the Sepsis Disease-Specific Care Certification from The Joint Commission,” says Chad Christianson, Ocala Health CEO. “This certification exemplifies our commitment to excellence in providing care for patients in our community.”