The New York Times reported that an AI system known as Aristo had become the first to successfully pass a standardized eighth-grade science test. The achievement arrived four years after a competition in which 700-plus scientists all failed to build a system capable of accomplishing the same task despite the incentive of the contest's $80,000 prize. Aristo has been viewed as a significant breakthrough in the evolution of AI technology, with far-reaching implications for natural language processing, business intelligence and more. The system provides a vivid illustration of the differences between human and artificial intelligence. It shows why the most effective AI systems still incorporate help from human experts -- a fact that has big implications for AI in business and other applications. The Aristo system represents a major step toward imbuing AI with what one Wired article refers to as "common sense," the expansive and unconscious background knowledge that we apply when navigating new situations or engaging in conversation.

Artificial intelligence is the embodiment of humanity's efforts to recreate the vast capabilities of the human mind.