People are increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence (AI) -- that is, the machines, systems or applications that are capable of performing tasks that, until recently, could only be performed by a human. Think of your morning routine: maybe a Google Assistant checks your calendar and reminds you of your meetings. Then you survey Twitter, which uses algorithms to curate what you see -- the latest about Trump, trade and technology rise to the top. And at the end of it all, when you settle in for some Netflix, your profile suggests a few thrillers you're likely to binge-watch. Marketing statistics reveal that some 57 percent of consumers expect voice-activated smart assistants to have a major or moderate impact on their daily lives by 2020.

New technology is ready to make the internet as seamless as possible and transform the way we work, live and play. The next phase of digital disruption is'invisible technology', making the way that consumers get information and buy products as integrated into our daily lives as possible. Voice assistants like Alexa, Siri and Cortana can help consumers function in hands-free and even eyes-free situations. A good example of this is in an application like cooking. As these devices become part of everyone's kitchen, they have the potential to be an'extra hand', telling consumers recipes, reminding consumers when to stir the dish and even suggesting a wine pairing for the meal.

The pace of technological change can seem exciting and daunting in equal measure. From Amazon to Uber, tech giants saw their practices and business models scrutinised more deeply than ever before, while regulators sought to get their arms around a rapidly evolving "new economy", driven by disruptive technology. While we can only guess at what's around the corner, here are five things to watch out for this year. Machine learning comprises a key component of artificial intelligence whose use is set to grow. Many businesses, especially consumer-facing ones that analyse data (think Google Translate), will start to deploy it, with high-end smartphones being a good example of where we can expect continued early adoption. Machine learning is likely to make data analysis easier and improve efficiencies, thus empowering rather than replacing humans – at least for now.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is suddenly everywhere. From phones and TVs to air conditioners and even a toilet, the flashy new products at the year's CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas - the world's largest tech show - are showing the 180,000 attendees that if a device doesn't have AI inside, it's not worth having. At least, that's what they're being led to believe. Have you ever decided to buy a smartphone because it had AI inside? Probably not, but next time you buy a handset it's likely to be a major factor. Huawei kicked it off a few months ago with its Mate 10, claiming the phone's NPU (neural processing unit) would enable smart photography and machine translation.

There's no doubt that smart speakers are selling like hotcakes, but how many people own them, exactly? They've published findings of a study which estimates that one in six Americans (16 percent) owns a smart speaker of some kind -- a huge amount if the study is precise, and a whopping 128 percent higher than a year earlier. About 7 percent of Americans reportedly bought at least one speaker between Black Friday (November 24th) and then end of 2017, with 4 percent of Americans having bought their very first speaker. Not surprisingly, Amazon still rules this fledgling market. The study indicates that 11 percent of Americans have one of Amazon's Echo speakers, while 4 percent have a Google Home of some kind thanks to its relatively late arrival.

Amazon Alexa is an in-home digital assistant. Named after the Library of Alexandria, Alexa is just cloud-based software that reacts to your voice. You can ask it questions or give it commands. It could be described as a robot without a body. Of course Alexa operates out of a physical machine.

Police say a 21-year-old Taborice Lee Foster lured his target using Grindr, a dating app for gay men. When the victim arrived to his home in Panama City, Foster and another man attacked him, pointing a gun from behind while searching the date's pockets and stealing his wallet.

"The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race, " Stephen Hawking has warned. "We are now solving problems with machine learning and artificial intelligence that were … in the realm of science fiction for the last several decades," retorted Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos. What is for sure is that AI (Artificial Intelligence) is living a resurgence and a renaissance. Its impact is already transforming the business, technology and research landscapes. The jury is still out there on the long term consequences, whether they will be beneficial, harmful, or even catastrophic.

Related: Want to Be More Like Amazon? Intelligent virtual assistants have gained a lot of prominence in the business world since they were reintroduced by major platforms like Slack, Facebook, and Twitter. Despite the fact we have only grazed the potential of chatbots, they've already changed the way companies communicate with their audiences. Moreover, efficient corporations have found alternative uses for bots. For example, chatbots are now utilized as internal-facing assistants that can increase productivity and employee satisfaction throughout a company.

Global consulting firm Accenture notes that stand-alone, AI-powered digital voice assistant devices are being used "for a range of consumer services such as playing music, turning the heat and lights on and off, and providing news, weather and sports scores." That's to be expected, of course - that's what they're for - but in an online survey of 21,000 consumers in 19 countries, Accenture discovered that digital virtual assistants are becoming "the central hub for home activities in Australia." Again, that's the whole point of digital assistants - they're meant to be the hub of your digital home, not just answering questions but helping you control your other connected devices, but naturally, it's always good to see this being confirmed by actual users. In addition, "three quarters (75%) of these owners said they use their smartphones less for entertainment, more than two thirds use them less for online purchasing and more than half for general information searches (71% and 55%, respectively)." David Sovie, global MD of Accenture's High Tech business said: "Digital voice assistant devices are challenging smartphones as the central hub for all activities in the home. "These low-cost devices deliver valuable and practical benefits and are relatively easy to use, and their rapidly growing popularity is one of the most striking trends in the high-tech industry." Accenture tells us its survey shows that "ownership levels of digital voice assistant devices in Australia are projected to increase more than five times this year, reaching 23% by the end of 2018 from 4% in 2017.