The kinder, gentler web--AI's potential to usher in civility

In an era of purpose-driven consumption, values--such as transparency, trust and humanness--are key drivers that unlock value in AI, new research from WP Engine finds. The firm's latest study, conducted by researchers at The University of London and Vanson Bourne, explores the present and near future of AI-driven human digital experiences on the web, and the often tenuous but also potentially rewarding relationship between consumers, brands and AI. According to IDC, worldwide spending on AI systems is forecast to reach $35.8 billion in 2019, an increase of 44 percent over the amount spent in 2018. Much of that growth will come from the application of AI online because there is a natural, evolutionary symbiosis between AI and the internet. However, it was a sudden burst of activity starting in 2013 that marks the beginning of what we might term the modern AI period, especially for digital and digital experiences, characterized predominantly by automated content creation, programmatic ad buying in 2014, and intelligent search.