"A.I. is happening rapidly, and we didn't help people cope with globalization and technological change very well over a 30- and 40-year period," Mr. Hubbard explained. "We're probably not going to do it again." Policymakers across Washington generally agree that A.I. portends generational change, with vast implications for everything from medical research to warfare. That has helped spark an investment boom in computing, and a burst of new growth for the broader economy, which Mr. Trump has tried to maximize. Through a series of executive orders, signed over the last 11 months, Mr. Trump has moved to eliminate regulatory guardrails and make it easier for tech companies to build data centers, power their operations, sell computer chips and source critical materials.

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.

From Amazon's Alexa learning which restaurants its users like, to Apple's iPhone predicting the next word in a text message, artificial intelligence (AI) is already having a significant influence on everyday life. But Northwestern economist Benjamin Jones and his colleagues are now asking what happens to economic growth if artificial intelligence starts generating original thought. They are among the researchers looking at how much more human work AI can automate, including the generation of new ideas. "If machine learning can really take over all human tasks and take over ideas of innovation, then it would be possible to get a radical change in the growth rate" of the economy, Jones told CNBC in an interview. "But the real question is going to be: can AI take over all of the essential tasks?"

Enterprises around the world are increasingly investing in technologies for data innovation, including machine learning and even artificial intelligence (AI) as they look to close the gap with digital native companies such as Uber and Waze. But will these technologies really make a significant impact beyond these newer companies? New research from consulting firm Accenture says it will. A report from the company shows that these technologies are poised to exert an enormous impact on economic growth rates and workforce productivity. As IT organizations help their enterprises implement such technologies, they will also help those enterprises compete in this new era.