In every prediction about the future of work, artificial intelligence appears pretty close to the top of technology trends for businesses to prepare for. Google and other technology giants are developing algorithms which can learn from human inputs, meaning that they can accelerate their learning in a particular area at an incredibly rapid rate. However, before diving into a new artificial intelligence strategy for business, it's worth taking a look at what the capabilities of AI actually are right now, because the media presents a confusing picture. The first type of AI is highly achievable, and probably shouldn't be called AI at all – it's just a good algorithm. More successful types of this AI are the'recommendation engines' – characterised by you-watched-this-movie so you-may-like-this-TV-show. These are extremely helpful for customer engagement, and bringing people personalised recommendations to make them come back to your product.

It might not happen anytime soon, but then again, it might. In Japan, a short novel co-written by an artificial intelligence program (its co-author is human) made it past the first stage of a literary contest, the Japan News reports. The Nikkei Hoshi Shinichi Literary Award is named after Hoshi Shinichi, a Japanese science fiction author whose books include "The Whimsical Robot" and "Greetings from Outer Space." Judges for the prize weren't told which novels were written by humans and which were penned by human-computer teams. The award is unique in that it accepts entries from "applicants who are not human beings (AI programs and others)."

Image Comics have a big June coming up. They are launching Midnight Of The Soul from Howard Chaykin, She Wolf from Rich Tommaso, an artist's roof edition of Injection, and the return of Frank Quitely to Mark Millar's Jupiter's Legacy for the second book…. The sequel to industry sales-beast JUPITER'S LEGACY is back and it boasts monthly FRANK QUITELY! Superhero offspring Hutch and Chloe have come out of hiding with son Jason to assemble a team of super-crooks from around the globe. It's 1950, and Joel Breakstone, former GI and liberator of Auschwitz, is seriously damaged goods.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Daisy Ridley has confirmed talks to take on the role of Lara Croft in a forthcoming Tomb Raider reboot. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter at the Empire awards in London, the British actor said there had "been conversations" about her taking on the part of the English archaeological explorer made famous by Angelina Jolie in two early noughties films. "I'm waiting for someone to say'I want you, let's do it'," she said. It is understood no script yet exists for the project, which is in its early stages. Related: Star Wars' Daisy Ridley says: 'I will not apologise for how I look' Ridley, 23, who is set to return as Rey in Star Wars: Episode VIII suggested she would have enough time to shoot different projects.

San Francisco-based startup Fove has developed eye-tracking for virtual reality -- that kernel of technology many feel is key for the illusion of becoming immersed in a setting. Or use a death stare to shoot down virtual spaceships. Watch a movie of a forest or a room and be able to look around wherever you want. "It allows you to go inside the world that's behind the display," said Yuka Kojima, Fove's co-founder and a rare female chief executive in male-dominated Japan Inc. Fove, which comes from "fovea," the part of the eye with the sharpest vision, from "field of view," and the word's similarity with "love," has devised a way to use tiny infrared sensors inside headset goggles to monitor the movements of a wearer's pupils. It's a small company, founded in 2014, with offices in Tokyo, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and employing just 17 people.

See machine learning in action during "A Glimpse into the Future of Email Marketing – Reaping the Benefits of Machine Learning," featuring Kath Pay, Dela Quist, Skip Fidura and Jeremy Swift, May 19 at the Email Innovations Summit in Las Vegas. "Machine learning" has moved out of science fiction and into real-life applications, like powering Tesla cars that run on autopilot and robots that can beat humans at the Japanese game of Go. For marketers, it gets them closer to their email nirvana: true 1:1 personalization on a mass scale. Machine learning, at its simplest, is a method of data analysis that allows computers to learn – to analyze, predict and act – without explicit instructions or programming. That last phrase – "without explicit instructions or programming" – highlights the difference between today's rule-based marketing automation and systems that use machine learning.

Robotics is finally reaching the mainstream and androids - humanlike robots - are everywhere at SXSW Experts believe humanlike robots are the key to smoothing communication between humans and computers, and realizing a dream of compassionate robots that help invent the future of life. About CNBC: From'Wall Street' to'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more. Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: http://www.cnbc.com/ Find CNBC News on Facebook: http://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC

"I wish I could touch you," Theodore says, laying in bed. Until she speaks up, tentatively. "How would you touch me?" It's a famously poignant scene from the movie Her, as the character Theodore is about to make vocal love to an artificial intelligence living in his ear. But according to half a dozen experts I interviewed, ranging from industrial designer Gadi Amit to the usability guru Don Norman, in-ear assistants aren't science fiction. In fact, a notable pile of discreet, wireless earbuds enabling just this idea are coming to market now. Sony recently released its first in-ear assistant, the Xperia Ear. Intel showed off a similar proof-of-concept last year. The talking, bio-monitoring Bragi Dash will be reaching early Kickstarters soon, while fellow startup Here has raised 17 million to compete in the smart earbud space.

A new material being researched could make shape-shifting robots real, but let's hope they aren't as violent as the Transformers from the movies. Researchers have developed a flexible material that can stretch when heated and will allow robots to change shapes. The material, which can also be rigid, is a mix of elastomer foam with a soft metal alloy. With the material, robots could become more versatile. Most robots are rigid, much like human skeletons, but by morphing into new shapes, they could be used for new tasks.

Apple product events typically spark anticipation among tech bloggers and the company's hard-core fans. Monday's event, though, is drawing less excitement than some previous product launches. Apple is expected to announce a smaller, 4-inch iPhone and a smaller version of the iPad Pro tablet. But there's been no hint of any blockbuster developments, such as last year's highly anticipated Apple Watch debut. Despite speculation that Apple is working on a self-driving car or some new virtual-reality device, those are likely years away.