Before you get back to constructing your underground chamber to protect humanity from the hordes of death-dealing AI robots, we have a more optimistic view of the future for you. Artificial intelligence won't lead to the demise of the human race but may in fact help us deal with the massive scaling up of communication that the internet has made possible and – gasp – actually help humans understand one another a little better. Speaking at the Intel Capital conference in Palm Desert last week, three AI experts took an altogether more pragmatic and positive view of where we are going. "An artificial intelligence machine won't want to become a person," argued Reza Zadeh, the CEO of Matroid. "It will be content to serve customers."

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is in the middle of a massive transition right now, but you may not have noticed. That's because the company is moving effortlessly into the burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) market -- and it's bringing its legacy products and services along with it. Over the past few years, Microsoft has successfully been building new features into its Office products and launching new AI-powered tools through its Azure cloud-computing service as the company looks beyond its Windows products to the fast-growing AI market. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said recently that AI is the "defining technology of our times," and he's probably right. AI has the capability to alter how we drive our cars, it will help automate our factories, it will both create and kill jobs, it can be used in warfare, and it's already being used to help improve our healthcare.

This Amazon Echo doesn't seem to understand that all I want is a whiskey. I'm seated in the Tribeca offices of marketing firm 360i and the haunting voice coming out of its little speaker just says, "Never heard of it." The problem is that me and 360i's creative director Andrew Hunter both gave the order at the same time and "Rose," our guide at the Mariposa Saloon in this audio play, couldn't make it out. Instead, we opt to take a walk through Sweetwater, the fictional town where Westworld takes place, and eventually wind up at a narrative dead end when we don't know the location of someone that one of the townspeople is looking for. It's over, and soon we'll be, theoretically, sent back to the the Mesa Hub to have our memories wiped and be shoved back out into the Mariposa to run through our loops again. This is what it's like to go to Westworld thanks to a (fairly) smart cylindrical speaker.

Now owned by barbeque maker Weber, the iGrill family of Bluetooth meat thermometers let you see the temperature inside your meat, via an app or small console. Summer officially starts June 21, and with the warmer weather upon us, many will be spending more time on a deck, patio, or in the backyard. But that doesn't mean you need to be without your tech. Oh sure, many will argue this is the time of year we should break free from the gadgets that bind us. But I'd argue choosing the right technology can, in fact, help you get more out of the Great Outdoors.

Starting this fall, some students at Northeastern University in Boston will be given the option of getting an Echo Dot smart speaker linked to their university accounts. They'll be able to ask Amazon's Alexa what time their classes are, how much money's left on their food card and even how much they owe the bursar's office. The program gives students instant access to information they would have to call or go online for, as well as taking pressure off the school's offices. It also makes Amazon's digital assistant a go-to source for a generation who will inhabit a world in which talking to computers is commonplace and who will soon have paychecks to spend. At the same time, it raises questions about security and privacy for young adults living in close quarters, often on their own for the first time.

Google has launched a dedicated podcast app for Android smartphones -- to rival a similar application bundled with Apple's iOS operating system since 2012. The Google Podcast app is now available to download free for users worldwide and supports 47 different languages. The new app syncs playback across devices, allowing Android users to pause on their smartphone, and immediately pick-up the episode from the same point on their Google Home smart speaker. Google has pledged to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve the app over time, promising the version of Podcasts available today is'just the beginning'. Google Podcasts is available as a free download on Android smartphones and tablets.

With a report by Tractica forecasting that native speech recognition will grow from 45% of all mobile devices to 82% by 2020, there seems to be nothing stopping the technology from reaching virtually everyone. How can a technology that individuals have grown to rely on for instant information move into other industries with ease? The use of voice activation technology has its place at the helm of business, providing the assistance that workers need to manage the customer experience and boost productivity all around. Its use is growing, and soon it will be a part of the daily workplace, offering a plethora of support and resources that were previously unavailable. To give you an idea of what to expect from the technology, 12 members of Forbes Technology Council weigh in on the way they are using (or are excited about the prospect of using) voice-activated technology in the workplace.

Over the years, TouchPal has remained one of the most popular Android keyboards with its generous bundle of features, including gesture typing, neural network-powered prediction, multilingual support, GIF search, themes and more; though some of these have also become standard on other keyboards, such as Google's very own Gboard. As an attempt to stay on top of the game, the company has finally pushed its new TouchPal Keyboard Pro out of beta to debut "Talia," its AI personal assistant. Talia is designed in such a way that it delivers quick suggestions in a bubble as you type, but also in a way that doesn't overburden you. These include simple offerings like one-tap paste aka "Swift Paste," very basic calculations (with no more than two numbers for convenience's sake) and currency conversion, as well as something a little more advanced like smart replies, GIF predictions, weather forecast and dining recommendations -- part of this relies on Yelp, so availability depends on your region. I've been using TouchPal Keyboard Pro over the last few days, and overall, these features do make my life easier by saving me a few taps.

Google has released its standalone Podcasts app for Android and is available worldwide in the Play Store. The Google Podcasts app will have Assistant integrated so that the app will be able to provide personalized recommendations. "Integrated with the Google Assistant across your devices and packed with personalized recommendations, Google Podcasts is designed to make it easier than ever for Android users to discover and listen to podcasts," Google said in its blog post. "We're also announcing a partnership with industry experts to improve diversity in podcast creation, and sharing a peek at how AI can help transform podcasting for the better." The Google Podcasts app for Android features a home screen that will display a carousel of shows that the user is already subscribed to.

In case you needed another sign that we're at the height of this console cycle, Sony is rolling out a greatest hits lineup for the PS4. At the same time, GameStop is looking over its options, and Google finally has a podcast app for Android. We'll give them $4.50 cash and five dollars in store credit.GameStop confirms buyout talks as downloads take their toll In the wake of a Reuters leak, GameStop has confirmed it's in talks about a "potential transaction." While the retail chain is shy about what those discussions involve and isn't promising a deal, the sources claimed the chats were in response to "buyout interest" from private equity companies like Sycamore Partners. Just recently, luxury automaker Porsche teased its electric Mission E sports car, showing its shadowy silhouette that's not unlike its other non-EV cars.