The Real Power of AI

With every place we go and every action we take, it feels like we're constantly being asked to submit personal data. Download a free app, and you're asked for your email address. To redeem that discount offer at the pet store, you must supply your phone number. Play a video game, and it wants to connect to your social media. AI, the artificial intelligence displayed by machines, can be misunderstood if we define it only by what's seen in media and entertainment – the cute droid sidekicks from a blockbuster movie or the facial-recognition software used by television detectives.