The Real Truth About Artificial Intelligence: What It Can and Can't Do

The goal of artificial intelligence (AI) is to imitate or outperform tasks that typically require human intelligence. Exciting as that might sound, there are several misconceptions about AI--especially when it comes to translating theory into practice. Unfortunately, these misconceptions are the result of years of misinformation, propaganda, and the influence of science fiction. Perhaps the most pervasive piece of misinformation--and one not without basis--is that AI is able to do anything a human can do. This comes with unrealistic expectations on what it can do as well as the accompanying fear that AI will lead to mass unemployment as low-skilled jobs are displaced by machines.