The impact of machine learning on the customer experience

A true genius, Alan Turing was played brilliantly by Benedict Cumberbatch inThe Imitation Game -- the movie about his life and role in ending WWII -- which introduced him to a whole new generation of admirers. It was Turing who predicted machine learning would play a big role in modern computing in his article the "Turing Test," way back in 1950. Indeed, Turing was way ahead of his time, which was a major theme in the movie, but now the world has caught up. The major advancements in readily accessible computing power, the quantity of data available, and algorithms that truly make machine learning possible are driving our ability to process data, analyze it, and act on it in ways that would make Mr. Turing proud. These advances have completely changed the machine learning game: The fundamental concept remains the same, but now it's far more sophisticated, efficient, and easily deployable. Beyond the big headline-grabbing examples of how machine learning will impact our lives -- such as through driverless cars -- it has exciting potential to put an end to the bland and sometimes ineffective customer experiences that many retailers are delivering to their customers.