"AI" may be a hot buzzword – and a global market expected to grow to nearly $310 billion by 2026 – but what exactly does artificial intelligence mean? The definition of AI can be a willowy one to pin down because its application is so broad and ranging in degree of complexity, scope, algorithmic underpinnings and methodologies used. For these reasons, there is an increased call for a more advanced, specific definition of AI beyond "the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines." Some consider the AI next step – and ultimate evolution – to be cognitive computing. "It's such a vast amorphic term that AI has come to mean right now," said Stephen DeAngelis, founder and CEO of Enterra Solutions.

The simplest way to eliminate the spread of fake news would be to limit ourselves to a small group of mainstream publishers who do all their own reporting and fact-checking. The counterargument, of course, is that an open and democratic society allows for a wide range of voices, not just the ones a small cabal of editors deem acceptable. Fake news promises to destroy this system and undermine trust and democracy, which is why addressing fake news has become one of the tech industry's most significant and important challenges. His initial focus, post-9/11, was on national security, which is how he first become intrigued by the advantages AI offers in analyzing complex data sets. As 2017's fake news scandals grew, DeAngelis was approached by leading media industry veteran Greg D'Alba, CEO of VIDL News, to apply the same type of analysis Enterra was using to control the complex value chains of Fortune 500 companies to the media industry, where D'Alba saw a growing need to verify and validate news stories.