AI Wars: relax, it's not the end of the world

Is artificial intelligence (AI) a panacea to make work and life nearly effortless – or the first step to a nightmare scenario of self-aware machines? There's been both ballyhoo and angst over the prospects of AI, including some that think AI poses a risk to the "existence of human civilization." On the other hand, senior military and national security leaders have asserted that to not pursue AI is the real existential threat, as it can put the country at risk from other nations that don't share the need for caution. With apologies to those who fear the worst, federal and SLED governments have come down squarely on the side of vigorously pursuing artificial intelligence. Companies that sell storage solutions, automation, big data, security and data mining tools should be encouraged by all the buzz going on in government about AI.