AI Learns 24/7/365

The Truth Behind “AI Never Sleeps”

Have you heard the phrase “AI never sleeps”? In 2025, this expression contains a measure of truth. AI systems can operate continuously as long as computing resources are available, without experiencing physical fatigue. However, to properly understand this characteristic, we need to delve deeper into what “learning” means for AI and the reality behind it.

What is AI “Learning”? The Decisive Difference from Humans

Children: 2 Images, AI: Thousands

AI “learning” is actually a metaphorical expression. As Yann LeCun, Director of Meta’s (formerly Facebook) AI Research lab, points out, AI’s learning process is fundamentally different from that of humans.

Let’s consider a concrete example. A child can learn to identify elephants after seeing just two photographs. AI, however, requires thousands or even tens of thousands of images. This is not merely a difference in efficiency—the learning mechanisms themselves are fundamentally different.

Luc Julia, one of Siri’s co-developers, points out that “AI is not true intelligence, but a mathematical tool.” While human learning is flexible and intuitive, AI learning is merely statistical pattern recognition.

What’s the difference?

Aspect	Human Learning	AI Learning
Data Requirements	Can learn much from little data	Requires massive amounts of data
Adaptability	Can apply experience to other situations	Specialized in learned content
Understanding	Can understand “why”	Can find patterns but cannot understand “why”

However, AI possesses a powerful characteristic that humans lack: the ability to “learn continuously, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without rest.”

Why AI Surpassed Humans in Chess, Shogi, and Go

AI Systems Play Against Each Other 24/7/365

Do you remember the news of AI defeating human champions one after another?

Historic Milestones:

• 1997: IBM Deep Blue defeated chess champion Garry Kasparov
• 2016: Google AlphaGo defeated Go champion Lee Sedol
• 2017: Ponanza defeated Shogi Meijin (Master) Amahiko Sato

Traditionally, AI learned from the game records of human masters. However, modern AI takes a different approach.

The AlphaGo Zero Revolution: AI Learning Without a Teacher

In 2017, Google DeepMind announced a remarkable AI system called AlphaGo Zero.

Comparison:

Traditional AlphaGo:

• Learned from tens of thousands of professional player game records
• Then further strengthened through self-play

AlphaGo Zero:

• Used no human game records at all
• Only taught the rules, then learned entirely through self-play
• Surpassed the traditional AlphaGo in just 3 days
• Became the strongest AI in history after 40 days

Why was this possible?

Metric	Professional Human Players	AlphaGo Zero
Games per day	At most a few games	Hundreds of thousands of games
Annual games	Dozens to hundreds	N/A (continuous learning)
3-day total	N/A	Approximately 4.9 million games
40-day total	N/A	Approximately 29 million games
Lifetime games	Thousands to tens of thousands	N/A
Rest required	Sleep, meals, recovery	None (24/7/365 operation)

In other words, AlphaGo Zero experienced in 40 days more games than a human could experience in a lifetime.

Shogi AI: The Same Pattern of Continuous Learning

Japanese Shogi AI has undergone similar evolution. Shogi AI programs like Ponanza, elmo, and YaneuraOu:

• Continue self-play 24 hours a day without rest
• Can play tens of thousands of games per day
• Acquire in a few months experience values that professional Shogi players could not reach in a lifetime

By 2023, the Shogi AI “Suisho”:

• Experienced hundreds of millions of self-play games
• Discovered new tactics that humans had never conceived
• Ushered in an era where professional players “learn from AI moves”

The Overwhelming Advantage of 24/7 Learning

The reason AI surpassed humans is straightforward:

Volume of Experience is Orders of Magnitude Greater

• Humans: Tens of thousands of games in a lifetime
• AI: Tens of millions of games in a few months

No Fatigue

• Humans: Concentration limit is a few hours
• AI: Full operation 24 hours

Perfect Memory

• Humans: Sometimes forget
• AI: Perfectly remembers all games

Speed of Trial and Error

• Humans: Trying new tactics takes time
• AI: Can try thousands of variations instantly

This is the true power of “learning continuously 24/7/365.”

Technical Feasibility of 24/7 Operation

Physically Possible, But With Challenges

AI systems certainly do not require physical rest and can operate continuously. AI models running in data centers can continue processing 24/7/365 as long as power and computing resources are supplied.

Interesting Discovery: “Rest” is Also Effective for AI

However, recent research has revealed something interesting. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory discovered that “sleep-like rest periods are effective for AI as well.”

Research Overview:

Study conducted by Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers on spiking neural networks:

• Alternately implemented training and rest periods for AI models
• Result: Performance significantly improved with rest periods included
• The networks became unstable after continuous periods of unsupervised learning, but stability was restored when exposed to states analogous to brain waves during sleep

Why is rest effective?

• Similar to the brain’s memory consolidation process during sleep
• Achieves a balance between new learning and old knowledge
• “Learning consolidation” occurs

In other words, while AI can physically operate 24 hours, strategically incorporating rest periods enables more effective learning.

The Greatest Challenge of Continuous Learning: The “Forgetting” Problem

Learning New Things Makes You Forget Old Things

In AI research, there exists an important problem called “Catastrophic Forgetting.”

Simply put: When AI systems learn something new, they rapidly forget previously learned content.

Understanding Through a Concrete Example:

Smart Translation App Case:

Initial Learning: Learn Japanese-English translation → Result: Can accurately translate Japanese-English

New Learning: Learn Japanese-Chinese translation → Result: Can translate Japanese-Chinese, but… → Problem: Japanese-English translation accuracy significantly declines!

This is catastrophic forgetting.

Why is this a problem?

Humans can learn new things while retaining old knowledge. For example:

• After learning English, learning Chinese doesn’t make you forget English
• After learning to ride a bicycle, learning to drive a car doesn’t make you forget how to ride a bicycle

However, this is extremely difficult for AI. This becomes a major constraint on learning continuously 24/7/365.

Researchers’ Challenge

Researchers worldwide are tackling this problem.

Google Nested Learning (Announced November 2025)

Presented at the NeurIPS 2025 conference, this new machine learning paradigm:

• Mimics how the human brain manages memory at different timescales
• Manages short-term and long-term memory separately
• Enables new learning while protecting old knowledge

However, these methods are still under development. Complete solutions will take more time.

Where is 24/7 AI Actually Used?

1. E-commerce Recommendation Features

The most familiar example: Recommended products on sites like Amazon

How it works:

• You browse products
• The system captures that information in real-time
• Continues analysis 24 hours
• Next time you visit, products matched to your interests are displayed

Key Points:

• AI continuously learns your behavior patterns without rest
• Simultaneously analyzes millions of users
• Provides optimal recommendations regardless of time of day

2. Financial Fraud Detection

AI that prevents fraudulent credit card use

Statistics:

According to recent data:

• Total fraud losses exceeded $12.5 billion in 2024 in the United States (25% increase from 2023)
• Credit card fraud increased during the holiday season
• Card-not-present (CNP) fraud accounts for approximately 71% of all card fraud losses

AI System’s Role:

• Monitors all transactions 24/7/365
• Instantly detects patterns that differ from normal
• Automatically blocks potentially fraudulent transactions

Impossible for Humans Alone:

• Hundreds of thousands of transactions occur every second worldwide
• It’s physically impossible for humans to check everything
• AI can monitor all transactions without rest

However, new challenges in 2025:

• The fraudulent side also uses AI
• AI vs. AI battles intensify
• Defensive AI also needs to constantly evolve

3. Factory Quality Control

24-Hour Monitoring in Manufacturing

• AI performs product appearance inspections 24 hours
• Detects minute defects that human eyes might miss
• Maintains quality even during night shifts

4. Weather Forecast Systems

Improving Forecast Accuracy

• Collects and analyzes weather data from around the world 24 hours
• Updates models in real-time
• Provides more accurate weather forecasts

AI and Human Collaboration: Proper Understanding

AI is a “Tool”

Important Recognition:

AI is a powerful tool, but not a replacement for humans. Even if it can operate 24 hours, it lacks human judgment, creativity, and ethical thinking.

Why Humans Are Necessary

1. Final Judgment

Example: Using AI in recruitment interviews

• AI: Analyzes resumes and scores aptitude
• Humans: Final hiring decision (personal appeal, team fit, etc.)

2. Ethical Judgment

Example: Medical Diagnosis Support AI

• AI: Points out possibility of lesions from images
• Humans: Comprehensive judgment including patient condition, treatment policy, and ethical considerations

3. Response to Unexpected Situations

Example: Autonomous vehicles

• AI: Can perform normal driving 24 hours
• Humans: Judgment in emergencies and unexpected situations

Success Stories: AI and Human Collaboration

In the World of Shogi:

• Professional players study AI moves
• Humans use new tactics discovered by AI in actual games
• Human intuition and AI computing power merge
• Result: Shogi tactics have greatly evolved

In the Medical World:

• AI analyzes large volumes of medical images
• Doctors make final diagnosis and treatment decisions
• AI monitors for abnormalities 24 hours
• Result: Early detection rates improved

Summary: The Meaning of Learning 24/7/365

AI’s Strengths

Overwhelming Volume of Experience

• Chess and Shogi AI experience tens of millions of games in a few months
• Experience values that humans could not reach in a lifetime

No Fatigue

• Can operate at full capacity 24 hours
• Concentration doesn’t decline

Simultaneous Processing of Large Amounts of Data

• Simultaneously analyzes millions of users on e-commerce sites
• Monitors financial transactions every second

AI’s Weaknesses

Difficulty Learning New Things While Retaining Old Knowledge

• The problem of Catastrophic Forgetting
• Research is ongoing

Cannot Understand “Why”

• Can find patterns
• However, cannot understand their meaning or background

Human Judgment Necessary

• Ethical judgment
• Response to unexpected situations
• Ultimate responsibility

The Era Ahead

Division of Roles Between AI and Humans is Important:

Responsibility	AI’s Role	Human’s Role
Monitoring & Analysis	24/7/365 monitoring, large data analysis, pattern discovery	–
Decision Making	–	Final judgment, ethical consideration, creative problem solving
Continuous Improvement	Pattern recognition and adaptation	Strategic oversight and ethical framework

Keys to Success:

• Understand and utilize AI’s strengths
• Recognize and complement AI’s weaknesses
• Create mechanisms for humans and AI to cooperate

“AI learns continuously 24/7/365” — Properly understanding and appropriately utilizing this characteristic will become increasingly important in business and life from 2025 onward.

For Those Who Want to Know More

Chess, Shogi, and Go AI:

• Google DeepMind “AlphaGo” official site
• Japan Shogi Association “Computer Shogi” special page

Catastrophic Forgetting:

• McCloskey & Cohen (1989) original paper (specialized)
• Google “Nested Learning” explanatory article

Familiar AI Applications:

• Various e-commerce site AI application examples
• Financial institution fraud detection system introductions