Is AI 'the most important technology that anybody on the planet is working on today'?

How the world deals with the power and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic of discussion in tech conferences in recent years. While some tout the benefits of AI to make life more convenient and change the future of technology, others worry about the unintended consequences and threat AI may bring to humanity. "AI is the most important technology that anybody on the planet is working on today," Dave Coplin, chief envisioning officer at Microsoft UK, said at a conference in London on 5 May, arguing that AI will change how humans relate to technology and each other. "I would argue that it will even change how we perceive what it means to be human," Coplin said, according to Business Insider. Given the numerous companies working to tap into machine intelligence, Coplin says people need to start paying attention to who is researching and developing the new technology.