From The Terminator to Blade Runner, pop culture has always leaned towards a chilling depiction of artificial intelligence (AI) and our future with AI at the helm. Recent headlines about Facebook panicking because their AI bots developed a language of their own have us hitting the alarm button once again. Should we really feel unsettled with an AI future? News flash: that future is here. If you ask Siri, the helpful assistant who magically lives inside your phone, to read text messages and emails to you, find the nearest pizza place or call your mother for you, then you've made AI a part of your everyday life.

As technology continues to grow, here are some ways you should start thinking about how automation and artificial intelligence will impact local businesses. Automation has already shaken up many blue collar industries, but it's set to change white collar industries as well. Revenue from artificial Intelligence software will grow from a $644 million in 2016 to nearly $39 billion in 2025, according to IBM. As this technology grows, there are many chances for technologists to implement AI into many facets of our lives and careers. We're already used to virtual assistance like Siri and Alexa, and with more sophisticated forms of artificial intelligence these virtual assistants will be able to give us direction on how to get to the store, while also telling us to get better exercise and other life tips.

Microsoft has acquired Semantic Machines, an artificial intelligence startup which could help Cortana hold more natural dialog with users. The California company has focused its efforts on so-called "conversational AI," moving beyond the more basic back-and-forth currently supported by the Google Assistant, Apple's Siri, and Amazon's Alexa. Right now, talking with one of those virtual helpers could leave you doubting the "intelligence" part of AI. A big part of that is their difficulty identifying meaning: effectively picking up on the thread of a conversation, and using that to understand different requests and commands. Semantic Machines is taking a different approach.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a fictional topic pitched around sci-fi fanatics. Our world is becoming more and more cohesive with AI. When you call customer service for your mobile related issues and interact with the automated voice, you're being served by AI. When you tell your Google Home, Amazon Echo, or even Siri to play your favorite playlist, you're interacting with AI. This smart technology is more concrete today than it ever was in the past, and the future of AI seems as bright as ever.

Korean technology giant Samsung has announced the opening of a huge new AI research in Cambridge, UK to capitalise on local talent. Cambridge has gained international recognition as a hub of AI talent. Google's acquisition of DeepMind, whose headquarters is based in the city, only helped to further boost this reputation. "Today's announcement by Samsung will create high-paying, high-skilled jobs and our modern Industrial Strategy will encourage further investment like this all around the country," says Prime Minister Theresa May. "It is a vote of confidence in the UK as a world leader in artificial intelligence, and the new AI research centre will benefit from the world-renowned talent and academic prowess of Cambridge."

Microsoft has acquired an artificial intelligence startup, Semantic Machines, to bolster its efforts in "conversational AI" and potentially make its Cortana virtual assistant better at understanding natural language enquiries. Microsoft didn't disclose how much it paid for Semantic Machines, but said it would open a new AI research centre in Semantic Machines' hometown of Berkeley. Semantic Machines is made up of a number if AI veterans, and gives Microsoft access to some formidable talent. Larry Gillick is Semantic's chief technology officer and a former chief speech scientist for Apple's Siri. Several Semantic staffers also worked at Nuance, the voice recognition company once powered Siri.

Deep-pocketed Korean conglomerate Samsung today announced it will open a massive AI research center, based in leafy (and deeply tech-centric) Cambridge. The Samsung AI Center, Cambridge (SAIC-Cambridge) will be lead by Professor Andrew Blake, who is one of Britain's leading academics in the AI space. Are you doing business in Amsterdam in May? Blake previously headed up Microsoft Research's Cambridge laboratory, and is a former director of the Alan Turing Institute. The new facility is the fifth owned by Samsung outside of Korea and the US, and is a major coup for the British tech scene, particularly as it tries to position itself as a world leader in artificial intelligence. The UK already has a solid pedigree in AI.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to have a game changing effect on Consumer Products, Business Services, Advertising, Finance & Investment, Media & Entertainment and Defense Applications around the world. According to a research report by Markets and Markets, the global artificial intelligence landscape could reach a value north of $190 billion within the next seven years. AI is asserting itself as a transformative technology that can heavily influence the global economy with trillions in contributions in various subsets of the economy. The most significant factor influencing the explosive growth of this market is the investment by businesses, as leaders across numerous industries are spending billions to develop advanced AI platforms. Active companies in the markets this week include Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTC: GOPH), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), ON Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: ON), Aptiv PLC (NYSE: APTV).

We're going to talk to our technology, and everyone else's too. Google proved that earlier this month with a demonstration of artificial intelligence that can hop on the phone to book a restaurant reservation or appointment at the hair salon. Now it's just a matter of who can build that technology fastest. To reach that goal, Microsoft has acquired conversational AI startup Semantic Machines for an undisclosed amount. Founded in 2014, the startup's goal was to build AI that can converse with humans through speech or text, with the ability to be trained to converse on any language or subject.

Court records say 20-year-old Jordan Kellogg was sentenced Monday in Douglas County District Court. He'd pleaded no contest to four counts of robbery. Prosecutors dropped three more counts and one of attempted robbery in exchange for Kellogg's pleas.