In the archives of film history, one cannot overlook the formidable virtual companion of Iron Man, Jarvis, an artificial intelligence marvel that played a pivotal role in propelling Tony Stark, portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., into the echelons of iconic superheroes. Astonishingly, a prominent AI scientist in China has now birthed the world’s first AI entity, mirroring the intellectual and emotional essence of the aforementioned virtual assistant.
Diverging from the cinematic portrayal where Jarvis powered Stark’s home and controlled the Iron Man suit, the tangible counterpart, named Tong Tong (translated as Little Girl), embodies the characteristics of a youthful female. Conceived by the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI), Tong Tong made her debut at the Frontiers of General Artificial Intelligence Technology Exhibition in Beijing, showcasing a range of advanced capabilities.
In contrast to traditional large language models in AI, Tong Tong possesses the unique ability to autonomously assign tasks to herself, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Demonstrating problem-solving skills during interactions, she adeptly fixed a misaligned picture frame, reached elevated spots using a stool, and efficiently cleaned up spilled milk. Her capacity to understand human intentions and independently carry out tasks sets her apart in the field of artificial intelligence.
Tong Tong is intricately designed for autonomous learning and, remarkably, is said to harbor emotions such as joy, anger, and sorrow. Described as possessing a mind that aspires to understand the common sense imparted by humans, she discerns ethical nuances, expresses attitudes across various scenarios, and has the potential to shape the future trajectory.
In the realm of general artificial intelligence benchmarks, Tong Tong’s attributes align with those of a three or four-year-old child. Through continual exploration and human interaction, she can progressively refine her skills, accumulate knowledge, and cultivate values. The overarching goal is to create AI entities imbued with both physical and social common sense, akin to their human counterparts, capable of comprehending the intricacies of the real world and autonomously tackling novel tasks.
Zhu Songchun, the esteemed director of BIGAI and a recognized luminary in the field of AI, underscored the significance of advancing towards general artificial intelligence by creating entities with a diverse spectrum of skills and a profound understanding of the real world.
The exhibition also featured the Tong Test, an exhaustive AI assessment platform devised by Zhu’s team, evaluating proficiency across five dimensions: vision, language, cognition, motion, and learning. The Tong Test incorporates a comprehensive value system covering physiological, survival, emotional, and social values, constituting a thorough evaluation framework for the evolution of general artificial intelligence.
Zhu emphasized that the Tong Test’s focus on practical aptitudes and values is tailored to steer general AI towards more effective and secure learning, ensuring its seamless integration into human society. The emergence of Tong Tong and the introduction of the Tong Test mark a significant leap forward in the relentless pursuit of AI seamlessly assimilating into human environments, forging a future where man and machine coexist harmoniously.