How AI is Changing Software Development

Part of the promise of artificial intelligence is that it will impact how software is developed. Disruptive technologies have become commonplace in the software industry, and lately, artificial intelligence (AI) is on many companies' radars. The month of November 2016 alone saw much activity in the AI space, including Amazon launching an AI platform; General Electric acquiring two AI startups to help it try and compete with IBM's Watson; Google launching an AI group for its cloud, and an AI startup backed by entrepreneur Elon Musk signing a cloud agreement with Microsoft. All of this comes on the heels of a report released earlier last fall by the Obama administration's National Science and Technology Council's Committee on Technology examining potential use cases of AI. The study, "Preparing For the Future of Artificial Intelligence," observes that AI-related technologies already "have opened up new markets and new opportunities for progress in critical areas such as health, education, energy, and the environment."