Silicon Valley Looks to Artificial Intelligence for the Next Big Thing - NYTimes.com

As the oracles of Silicon Valley debate whether the latest tech boom is sliding toward bust, there is already talk about what will drive the industry's next growth spurt. The way we use computing is changing, toward a boom (and, if history is any guide, a bubble) in collecting oceans of data in so-called cloud computing centers, then analyzing the information to build new businesses. The terms most often associated with this are "machine learning" and "artificial intelligence," or "A.I." And the creations spawned by this market could affect things ranging from globe-spanning computer systems to how you pay at the cafeteria. "There is going to be a boom for design companies, because there's going to be so much information people have to work through quickly," said Diane B. Greene, the head of Google Compute Engine, one of the companies hoping to steer an A.I. boom.