Artificial intelligence, for all the scary science fiction dystopian futures imagined, is an integral piece of future technology. As technologists, we tend to write both of a frightening takeover by the robots and conversely how it will further our interactions in this world. The next steps in smart technology are just one small part of how we will connect, create, shop, work and live in a technologically advanced society. Since the future is both mired in technology and consumerism, we tend to wonder how the consumer of the future will adapt. Thankfully companies like Lippincott conduct that research for us, leaving us to the interpretation of the data and how it affects not only how we consume, but how we communicate with our own consumers.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, will convene a hearing on Wednesday, November 30, 2016, at 2:30 p.m. on "The Dawn of Artificial Intelligence." The hearing will conduct a broad overview of the state of artificial intelligence, including policy implications and effects on commerce. On October 12, 2016, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released a report entitled, Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence. The report outlined opportunities for artificial intelligence, including recommendations on how the technology can be used to advance social good and improve government operations. The report also proposed 23 policy recommendations and a companion strategic plan that identified priorities for federally-funded research and development in artificial intelligence.

What distinguishes Elon Musk's reputation as an entrepreneur is that any venture he takes on comes from a bold and inspiring vision for the future of our species. Not long ago, Musk announced a new company, Neuralink, with the goal of merging the human mind with AI. Given Musk's track record of accomplishing the seemingly impossible, the world is bound to pay extra attention when he says he wants to connect our brains to computers. Neuralink is registered as a medical company in California. With further details yet to be announced, it will attempt to create a "neural lace," which is a brain-machine interface that can be implanted directly into our brains to monitor and enhance them.