What shoes go with that dress? Artificial intelligence is now answering those questions automatically for online shoppers in China, thanks to an algorithm developed by web giant Alibaba. The system recommends entire personalised outfits to users as they browse, mixing ensembles from recently viewed items and other items judged to coordinate well with them. A live trial of the tool has already recommended outfits to more than 5 million users.

So, when I need artificial intelligence to automate my business, why can't I get recommendations for which machine learning algorithm best suits my individual needs? Every business is unique, and there are hundreds of algorithms available, each one with individual strengths and weaknesses. Just like I don't look at every individual book when choosing which one to read, I don't have the time, resources, or knowledge to try out each and every algorithm. I want artificial intelligence to recommend a short list of algorithms for me to try on my data.

A central task force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) has suggested creating a National Artificial Intelligence Mission (N-AIM) that will serve as a nodal agency for coordinating AI related activities in the country. The report of the task force, set up by the Union Commerce Ministry in August last, has also said "AI should be seen as a scalable problem solver in India rather than only as a booster of economic growth." Professor V Kamakoti, Chairman of the task force and a Professor of IIT, Madras, said the report was a "practical" one and that "all our recommendations have been very pointed and it has been seen to it that they are very much implementable in a short time." According to the report, Artificial Intelligence "is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programmes." The task force, whose members include those from government and the private sector, besides the academia, has identified 10 domains in India, including Manufacturing, FinTech, Agriculture/Food Processing and Education for implementation of AI.