Artificial intelligence blends algorithms and applications

Artificial intelligence is already a part of everyday life. It helps us answer questions like "Is this email spam?" It identifies friends in online photographs, selects news stories based on our politics and helps us deposit checks via our phones--if all somewhat imperfectly. But these applications are just the beginning. Through advances in computer science, researchers are creating new capabilities that have the potential to improve our lives in ways we have yet to imagine.