Nine outrageous things AI can already do -- including compose music and make you dance

Back in the '70s, renowned mathematician James Lighthill predicted that machines would never be capable of reasoning or even simple tasks, like being able to checkmate a chess pro. Fifty years later, artificial intelligence programs have not only defeated the world's top chess players, but they can match -- and in some cases, outperform -- humans when it comes to art, science and even companionship. Here's a look at nine outrageous things AI can do. Vincent van Gogh's painting technique was considered to be so revolutionary that art critics thought it was inimitable, but scientists from Germany's Bethge Lab invented a program that can replicate his iconic brush strokes. The AI system analysed the colours, shadows and highlights of "Starry Night," then used the same techniques to create an original painting of the Neckar river in Tuebingen, Germany.