How conversation (with context) will usher in the AI future

In the past few years, advances in artificial intelligence have captured the public imagination and led to widespread acceptance of AI-infused assistants. But this accelerating pace of innovation comes with increased uncertainty about where the technology is headed and how it will impact society. One of the clearest areas of agreement, however, is that advancing the ability of computers to interact with us in a more natural way is critical for the AI-human relationship to reach its fullest potential. We spoke to 30 of AI's most knowledgeable scientists and thought leaders about the future of the technology, and most agreed that advances in human-computer interaction (HCI) will be both dependent on AI--and essential to progressing its applications. The consensus is that within three to five years, advances in AI will make the conversational capabilities of computers vastly more sophisticated, paving the way for a sea change in computing.