2017 in artificial intelligence

The "deep learning" boom continued in 2017, with another year of rapid advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Beyond the technical wonderment, the conversation also deepened around the role of such technologies in our society. Below are a few of our most significant stories and commentary on the subject this year. Google's AlphaGo game-playing software grew in ability by leaps and bounds, leaving not only the greatest human masters in the dust but also its own precursors. Experts called for governments to face the imminent threat of autonomous killer robots.