Visionary open-source advocate Usama Fayyad says there's so much low-hanging fruit for machine learning, that the value of practically any initiative would likely be "plus or minus a million" dollars. His point is that machine learning offers a wealth of opportunities for companies to harness big data. The key is always application: getting the job done, and ensuring it's aligned with important business initiatives. Find out how to do that by listening to this episode of DM Radio! Eric has more than 20 years of experience as a career journalist with a keen focus on enterprise technologies.

Hollywood storylines notwithstanding, machine learning and artificial intelligence dominate discussions in the world of enterprise technology these days. Nary a data-focused vendor doesn't have some story to tell, either of AI and ML already baked into their solutions, or at least some ambitious roadmap. The potential benefits are vast, and cover the spectrum of data-oriented needs: quality, access, relevance, context, richness. But these algorithms are not for the weak willed, and they must be applied with tremendous attention to details. How can your organization make the most of these new tools?

William McKnight is President of McKnight Consulting Group. He is an internationally recognized authority in information management. His teams have won several best practice competitions for their implementations, and many of his clients have gone public with their success stories. His strategies form the information management plan for leading companies in various industries. William is author of several books including "Integrating Hadoop" and "Information Management: Strategies for Gaining a Competitive Advantage with Data."