B5 - Relational Database Theory

Relational database theory is a new concept that has the ability to revolutionize the computing industry, making computers more powerful, have higher storage, and run faster than currently available models.  This theory uses tables (called relation or base relvar) to store data in rows (called records or tuples) and columns (called attribute or field).  The system works by storing different types of data in different tables, and for each table to have a column for a relationship value to a different table.  For example, if there are two tables, and table 1 identifies each of its rows as “P-1”, “P-2”, P-3”, etc., then table 2 can have a column that has those same identifiers to relate the two tables together.  This way, data can be organized into a single, massive array where everything can be referenced quickly.  This is much faster than the existing systems in solid state drives and hard drives where there are layers to their memories, which have to be sifted through before collecting the requested data.

Relational database theory was developed based off of the relational model of data, which was developed by E. F. Codd in 1970 [1].  Since that time, the related technology has been developed to be able to handle and apply this memory storage and processing system.  Hewlett-Packard spoke in 2014 about developing this technology and integrating it into commercially available computers that “…could offer six times the performance requiring 80 times less power.  [They] expect that the first prototype that HP is working on will have 150 compute nodes with 157 petabytes of addressable memory.” [2]. This was estimated to be complete by approximately 2016.  Compared to commercially available computers today, which typically can only handle 1 terabyte of storage memory, HP’s prototype can handle 157,000 times more data, and should still be able to run faster than current computers.  As stated, this technology has the ability to revolutionize the computing industry, as well as many other industries like construction who are moving towards larger file sizes, more complex softwares, and requiring high processing speeds to handle these new advancements in construction.

Citation:

[1] “Relational Database.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Dec. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relational_database.

[2] Jackson, Joab. “HP's Radical New Machine Could Start Computing by 2016.” PCWorld, PCWorld, 31 Oct. 2014, www.pcworld.com/article/2842252/hps-radical-new-machine-could-start-computing-by-2016.html.

Comment 1 Julie Handsted Anderson:

Julie, you’re explanation of relational database theory is much more condensed than mine, and I think you did a much better job of explaining it haha.  The image that you inserted in your blog post helps to understand the theory significantly, and I appreciate it.  I think the effects that this will have on the computing industry will significantly help the construction industry as computers become more powerful.  15 Years ago, we used floppy disks with about 200 megabytes of memory, and that was all that was needed.  Today, we are looking at files that are 5 gigabytes.  15 Years from now, we will probably be looking at 250 gigabyte files, which is the size of a single hard drive in computers today.  These developments in computing power are important and necessary to continue growing society.

Comment 2 Richard Kimball:

Richard, learning about normalization of tables in the relational database theory was a great learning experience that I did not come across in my research.  Getting that in depth into this research has clearly provided you an extra level of understanding on the subject matter.  If most databases aim to reach 3NF, you mentioned that some databases require a higher level of normalization.  Are there any that require to reach 6NF, as the maximum level?  I would be interested to learn which databases require this, and what their primary uses are.  Also, I am curious about the same topic, but for 1NF.  Why would a database strive for the most basic level, when the norm is 3NF?

Comment 3 Albert Hanan:

Albert, you gave a very nice synopsis of what relational database theory is, and its history.  I was unaware that Amazon Aurora uses this theory, and that there were also added security benefits to using this system as opposed to a NOSQL system.  Being 5 times faster is a huge benefit to a corporation as large as Amazon, as I would believe a processing speed that fast would be a necessity, as opposed to just being something nice to have for them.  I believe that as the world moves more towards larger databases and more storage requirements, this type of technology will become more and more necessary to continue the development of the world at the speed it is currently moving, and for each individual industry, including construction.

Blog 1 - AI, Computer, Software, Future_Kunlun Ren

In recent years, interest in artificial intelligence (AI) has surged. Since 2011, more and more technology companies, such as IBM, Facebook, Google, Tencent, Alibaba, etc., have made many efforts to ensure their competitive position in the field of AI. Back to 1956, when the term "artificial intelligence" was first coined at a conference at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, it was hard for people to imagine how AI has changed the present lives of people, just as it is hard for us to imagine the future. Nowadays, people are using the self-service check-in system since face recognition technology was rolled out in Chinese railway system. More people are driving autonomous vehicles in some big cities in China. There is no doubt that the lives in future will be changed dramatically by AI.

Some of the important concerns about the future of AI is on computer technology and software development. Many of the tech companies already begun to develop the computer to the next generation to make it more like a human's brain, which means that the computer should collect surrounding information from the world and make choices to react on the information. The scientists and engineers are rethinking "the very nature of computers and are building machines that look more like the human brain, where a central brain stem oversees the nervous system and offloads particular tasks — like hearing and seeing — to the surrounding cortex[2]."

Just as how the AI will change the computers, AI will also become a primary factor of software development. "AI is already starting to impact all aspects of the software development lifecycle, from the upfront conceptualization of the software to development, testing, deployment and ongoing maintenance[3]."  AI will help the software engineers and testers to work more efficiently and more accurately. Meanwhile, engineers and testers can make better-functioned software with AI. There is a predictable future where software can even write new software by itself with the help of AI.

References:
[1] Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer, A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence, Dec 4, 2014,
https://www.livescience.com/49007-history-of-artificial-intelligence.html
[2] Cade Metz, Chips Off the Old Block: Computers Are Taking Design Cues From Human Brains, Sept. 16, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/16/technology/chips-off-the-old-block-computers-are-taking-design-cues-from-human-brains.html
[3] Alex Robbio, How Will AI Impact Software Development? Aug 31, 2017,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2017/08/31/how-will-ai-impact-software-development/#4423c746264d

Comments:

To Richard Kimball
I agree that the security problems and privacy issues will be big challenge in the AI development. As you mentioned, AI relies on analysing collected data and both the collecting and analysing process can easily be weak points for hackers. Some people would argue that is it possible that people can also develop security AI which is specially designed to deal with hackers. I have to admit that this will be very hard to achieve. Imagine the AI can even be finally developed as smart as a human brain, but how many times we are fooled and cheated with our smart brains?

To Blas Andres Rodriguez Vieira
It is quite exciting to see how much the technologies have changed the building activities. And it is exciting to imagine the benefits will be brought with BIM technology along with AI and robots. Just as the BIM helped each process in a building lifecycle, in the future, the AI maybe can also be applied in each process to ensure the quality of human's work and the quality of the building.

To Harvin Bhandal
It is an important concern that the AI will not only bring people benefits but also challenges. Nowadays, more and more people are starting to worry about themselves being replaced by AI and robots. I still remembered that when Alibaba, a technology company in China, opened the first AI operated self-service store, there are much more people complained and criticized than those who supported and felt excited. Most people worried about the safety and pravicy problems and worried about with more this kind of store opened, they would lose their jobs. I totally agree that the governments all over the world should do something to ensure the technology will be developed appropriately.

Blog 1, Week 2: AI,Computer,Software, Future: Harvin Bhandal

As discussed in class, we are currently in the midst of a technological revolution. Previous industrial revolutions saw the emergence of steam engines, electricity and computers and now, the use of artificial intelligence in everyday life is imminent. Most technology now uses some form of AI and its use in the future is extremely promising, as the software is able to adapt and deeply learn in specific domains. Most of its applications boasts an increase in efficiency and cost. For example, an autonomous car, when working perfectly can improve traffic safety and costs.

One concern about application of AI technology in society is the risk of decreasing jobs, as it is believed that autonomous machines can perform better than humans in virtually every facet.. However, the TIME article by Kai-Fu Lee suggests otherwise. Lee states that at least 4 job types are completely safe from the AI revolution: creative jobs (inventor, scientist), strategic jobs (executives), jobs that will be created by AI, and jobs of compassion (nursery, doctors, etc). While job security in these sectors will be safe, there are still other risks that AI poses such as privacy. As we have already seen with Facebook and other companies, AI can be used and manipulated to leak information about users such as personal details and logistics to unwanted parties [1]. These are real concerns, and I believe that they will keep happening until governments all over the world can agree on best practices to use AI on and enforce them.

In “What Tech WIll Look like in 2039”, most interviewees predict that use of AI and Augmented Reality will exponentially increase in 20 years time. One interesting take by Freeman Dyson expressed his idea of “hacking biology”. Dyson equates everything on Earth, even life itself to code, and something people will be able to change and manipulate using technology. Advancement in gene modification and synthetic biology are all just different forms of programming [3]

Software that utilizes AI technology definitely holds a promising position in the future. I believe that use of this technology should be regulated to ensure that it benefits society and is not used maliciously. Rajen Sheth, director of Google’s machine learning team, agrees with this idea as well, and google recently published “AI Principles” which essentially serve as a “constitution” for implementing AI [3]. The principles themselves state that they will be updated as technology advances and holds its number one value to be socially beneficial. [2]

[1]Lee, Kai-Fu. “Artificial Intelligence Is Powerful. How To Protect Workers.” Time, Time, 11 Jan. 2019, time.com/5501056/artificial-intelligence-protect-workers/.

[2] Pichai, Sundar. “AI at Google: our principles.” 7 Jun. 2018.
https://www.blog.google/technology/ai/ai-principles/


[3] “What Tech Will Look Like in 2019.” PCMag, 3 Jan. 2019. https://www.evernote.com/pub/aengineer/ae-510#st=p&x=software&n=e1854797-c0a4-495f-aa29-0972989fb917

Comments:

To Nick Maloney

Nick, I agree that the construction sector is in no means neglected by the advancements in AI technology and additive manufacturing. On paper, they do seem like a match made in heaven. It is apparent, however that automating many of these processes which previously required skilled individuals would cause a reduction in jobs, which you have addressed. An article from TIME that I read stated that there would be a great number of new jobs that would be generated by the AI revolution so I wonder what types of new jobs would fall in the construction industry. I think it would be hard to determine until the technology has been implemented and is effects have been documented. Overall, I think you brought up really valid points and it is very true that labor unions may dictate the progress that these advancements are made.

To Nana Lin Rasmussen

Nana, I learned a whole lot about the direction the 3d printing industry is going from reading your post. I initially thought the developments for 3d printing other objects other than plastic was quite far away, but it was interesting to learn that concrete and metal 3d printing have been worked on for years already, and are in the process of being implemented. The idea of using 3d printing to build affordable housing is such a great humanitarian deed and it’s always nice to see developers using their technology to benefit society. I also think that the increase in this technology could open up more jobs and influence people to learn 3d modeling programs.

To Alec Silverstone

Alec, this was a great read and you presented very interesting takes. It made me wonder exactly if there were any studies done to show how many people in fact were connected to the internet. According to Wikipedia, approximately 55% of the world’s population is connected to the internet. That is a substantial amount of people and that number is sure to grow. In terms of data collection and privacy infringement, I agree with what you said that it is simply something we have to accept with the coming technology. In fact, certain companies collecting data could make for a more user-friendly experience when using their platforms. For example, how Amazon or YouTube can tailor their home pages based on the things you like. However, this definitely could become an issue if certain private info, such as bank accounts are easily-retrieved.

B1 - Facebook, Fear, and the "Black Box" of AI

In the age of smartphones, automated vehicles, and even microwaves that connect to the internet, it is almost natural to get caught up in buzzwords and popular terminology such as AI, Internet of Things, Machine Learning, etc. While these terms likely mean little to many Americans, it is becoming rare to meet someone who does not own a smartphone which inherently utilizes software that incorporates the buzzwords that mean so little to those people and simultaneously allow smartphones to perform to their full potential such as mapping services like Google Maps or voice-assist capabilities like Siri, Cortana, and Google Assistant.

With such advanced capabilities in a constantly expanding and ever accelerating field, it is fair to question or even be concerned by what is actually taking place. Of course, major leaks in information such as Facebook’s data leak to political consultant Cambridge Analytica, which resulted in the improper data leakage of approximately 87 million users to a company employed by a 2016 United States presidential candidate, only add fuel to the fire of paranoia and fear among the public regarding privacy, data, and shared information. In episode #109 (entitled: Is Facebook Spying on You? [1] ) of the Gimlet Media podcast about the internet, Reply All, hosts Alex Goldman and PJ Vogt discuss the daunting reality of how much information websites like Facebook actually have on their users. The basic thesis of the episode is that, while to many users of Facebook it may seem like the social media platform listens to users through their smartphone microphones, in turn allowing them to place timely and well-targeted ads based on user’s recent interests, discussions, or purchases, it simply doesn’t need to based on all the information they already gather through other means. One basic example of this is a feature called Facebook Pixel, which is basically a way that Facebook can track what its users are doing all over the internet, even when not on Facebook. In the words of host Alex Goldman:

[Facebook Pixel is] installed on millions of websites. So when you go to one of these sites with Facebook Pixel on it, it watches what you do and reports that information back to Facebook. It can see how long you linger on a certain webpage, it can see if you purchase something, it can see if you put something in your cart on a website and decide not to buy it. It’s kind of like an internet surveillance camera. [1]

So, just with Pixel, Facebook can target ads to users based on the data it collects about what websites they’ve been on recently, what purchases they plan on making, what travel they plan on making, etc. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Facebook, among many companies that employ artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc. likely has such intensely layered, complex algorithms at play on the back end of their software, that it’s very possible that the vast majority of employees at Facebook don’t necessarily know how it all exactly works. So while companies like Facebook are notoriously private about how their algorithms and machine learning actually work, it’s very possible that they likely just don’t know, in an entirely comprehensive way, how things work.

So along with privacy issues, the idea of artificial intelligence being a “Black Box,” namely, the idea that data goes in one end and some desired output comes out another end without being entirely sure how it all happened, has certainly seeped into the public sentiment and general fear regarding AI. Already we see this fear of the unknown having tangible effects on the public; a report by AI Now Institute “recommended that public agencies responsible for criminal justice, health care, welfare, and education shouldn’t use such technology.” [2]  While varied in form, I believe the general “Black Box” fear boils down to the idea that computers, and in particular AI, are so advanced and integrated into our everyday lives and we have such a limited understanding as to how any of it actually produces the outputs that it does, that the consequences that can evolve from our lack of understanding as humans could one day have devastating effects, especially as AI continues to progress and software continues to accelerate its rate of learning.

So is this fear, namely, that AI’s seemingly magical and incredibly convoluted methods of producing wide-ranging results could potentially be dangerous or even devastating to society as a whole, valid? Should we run from the “black box” of artificial intelligence and the software that it produces? In my opinion, and the opinion of New York Times journalist, Vijay Pande, no. While in the world of science-fiction, computer learning naturally leads to the enslaving of humans, the lack of knowledge regarding AI and machine-learning processes, should really be seen as something more human than a computer. Just take a moment to think about how many decisions you make every day that you don’t fully understand. As Pande explains:

But we make decisions in areas that we don’t fully understand every day — often very successfully — from the predicted economic impacts of policies to weather forecasts to the ways in which we approach much of science in the first place. We either oversimplify things or accept that they’re too complex for us to break down linearly, let alone explain fully. It’s just like the black box of A.I.: Human intelligence can reason and make arguments for a given conclusion, but it can’t explain the complex, underlying basis for how we arrived at a particular conclusion. [3]

Thinking about human intelligence as a “black box” it actually could be reasoned that AI is actually more transparent than much of human knowledge. In contrast to the human mind, decisions and biases can be outright analyzed and scrutinized within the world of artificial intelligence, and as bugs and gaps are found and refined, more insight into the reasoning of AI can be uncovered. So while the unknown may seem daunting, I personally don’t see the growth of Artificial Intelligence as anything to fear.


Comments on other posts:

Christian, I found your post very intriguing. The prospect of being able to 3D print structures would not only be a breakthrough from a structural/materials point of view, but also from a "constructability" point of view. Construction costs and times would be slashed which would drive productivity immensely. Obviously, as the tech progresses, interesting new issues would have to be addressed such as what will happen to the construction management industry and a host of additions and potential amendments to standardized codes. While highly impractical, I think it would be interesting to create a small city of entirely 3D printed residential homes as a sort of "experiment" to see how the life cycle of the structures would hold up. All in all, a very interesting topic. 

Gabe, I found your point on the last article it really interesting, as it touches on an interesting subject regarding the future, and how our society will adapt with technology. One example of how we might not properly adapt is what is called the "Automation Paradox" which is basically the idea that while tasks like driving, calculating, etc. become more and more automated, we lose the need to perform any of those tasks on our own and eventually ignore them entirely. This becomes a serious problem when technology may fail or malfunction, especially in times where quick decision making is the difference between life and death. Take automated cars for example. If we forget to drive all together imagine if the car began to malfunction while inside and the difference between life and death was simply knowing the basics of driving. That's not to say that we should avoid or fear automation/technology, but rather, we should use it as a means of progression, not as a crutch.

Nick, this is really fascinating stuff. The prospect of 3D printing structures on other planets is mind-boggling and incredibly ambitious, yet I feel as though it is also a really practical implementation of the technology. Similar to what you said, while new technologies always bring upon disruption of the current labor force, they also bring upon new jobs that don't exist yet, careers that we can't even think about because they don't exist yet.

Sources:
[1] Goldman, Alex, host. "Is Facebook Spying on You?" Reply All, Glimet Media, 2 Nov. 2017. https://www.gimletmedia.com/reply-all/109-facebook-spying.

[2] Knight, Will. "There’s A Big Problem With AI: Even Its Creators Can’t Explain How It Works." MIT Technology Review. N. p., 2019. Web. 11 Jan. 2019.

[3] Pande, Vijay. "Opinion | Artificial Intelligence’s ‘Black Box’ Is Nothing To Fear." Nytimes.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 11 Jan. 2019.

Blog 1: Discussion of Articles: Gabriel Grajewski

Cade Metz, Big Bets on A.I. Open a New Frontier for Chip Start-Ups, NY Times, January 14, 2018; Tags: 2018, AI, business, computer, neural network; The technology could lead to automated building management optimization, among many other tasks that AI could aid. The article was published in early 2018 and predicted the first chips designed for AI would hit in a year, so we will soon see how big of an impact they have and how quickly they will be adopted. Regardless of initial impact, it seems clear from the amount of big name companies investing large amounts of money in AI that it will soon be key to modern technology.

Steve Alexander, U, Google pioneer 3-D smartphone mapping software, Star Tribune, March 15, 2014; Tags: software, mapping; The technology could easily be used to map existing conditions of a building to be renovated/removed. Update: A video shown in class depicted a robot that surveyed a building during construction, (The B1M, The Construction Robots are Coming, YouTube, May 30, 2018). This shows how far the technology has advanced in 4 years. As someone who has helped survey buildings, I believe that robots will quickly replace humans in this task since they are not limited by the same physical constraints as people (maneuverability, high temperatures in mechanical spaces, less prone to error).

Harry Ridgewell, What will the future of work look like?, WikiTribune, July 9, 2018; Tags: 2018, future, AI, sociology, job;  The expected downsides of automation include job loss in the lower and middle classes, particularly developing countries, increased income inequality, those who lose their jobs will need education to move up to possible new jobs, and it seems unlikely that an equal number of these new jobs will be created. Furthermore, “change is happening ten times faster than in the first [industrial revolution]”. I find this article very concerning because I agree that automation will create job losses but do not believe that most of society will take the necessary steps to lessen the negative impact that comes with automation.

Summary:
Most articles with a “future” tag also have an “AI” tag. It seems to indicate that people see AI as an important variable in determining the future. Naturally, AI, software, and computers are all related, but it seems that the big change in the future will be built around AI. These advances in technology are certain to revolutionize the building industry, but there will be negative outcomes of that revolution in the form of jobs replaced by AI.

                                                                                                                                                                   

Nicholas Maloney:

Your blog taught me more about the current state and expected future of 3D printing in construction. I was surprised by how capable this technology has become. But it also made me wonder what current limitations exist for this technology. While it is possible to 3D print a building, how much can the mix for the concrete change before it would no longer work? If the cement or aggregate is unique to the company that creates the printer or even uncommon, the raw material would have to be shipped on site at a high cost. A unique kind of cement could also limit the weather conditions the printer can work in or release more greenhouse gases while curing than ordinary concrete. the geometry of the site could also make it difficult to bring a 3D printer on site and operate it (ie sloped sites, size of the equipment).

Alec Silverstone:

I agree that there are tremendous opportunities with big data, but I believe that it creates a vulnerability that everyday people try to ignore for one reason or another. We have seen various databases be hacked and even more worryingly, negligence has allowed big data to be misused by those who own it. While I doubt that data will ever be unhackable, I think that the cost of a data breach has not been fully considered when organizations invest in cybersecurity. Likewise, organizations’ use of data should be closely monitored.

About This Blog

AE-410/510 is a course primarily for Seniors and Graduate Students in Architectural Engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia, USA.  We consider the uses of Information Technology on the Design, Construction and Operation of buildings, hence the course title: Intelligent Buildings.

This blog is created by students in the course responding to assignments and class exercises.  Use the "Labels" on the right to see the work of individual students OR the topics on which they've written.

The syllabus for the course is available from the "Pages" link.