No Match for Machine Learning: How the Future of Computing is Solving Difficult Problems from Terrorism to Cancer to Climate Change

Machine learning and the artificial intelligence that it promises to deliver are clearly here to stay. The only remaining question is what will these technologies conquer next? The algorithms and techniques that have been exciting researchers and practitioners over the last few years are being dramatically improved, tuned for perfection, and in some cases completely replaced by a new generation of increasingly powerful algorithms. The investments in areas such as deep learning and the promise of building multi-layer perceptron (or artificial neurons) to solve a host of challenging problems has started to move out of dusty offices and laboratories toward the center of our economy in areas such as healthcare, marketing, communications, finance, energy, education, and even public safety. The number of useful applications is growing rapidly and the benefits of early investments by technology giants and influential research institutions are paying off nicely.