Of all the subdisciplines of AI, some of the most exciting advances have been made within machine learning. In short, machine learning is the ability for a program to absorb huge amounts of data and create predictive algorithms. If you've ever heard that AI allows computers to learn over time, you were likely learning about machine learning. Programs with machine learning discover patterns in data sets that help them achieve a goal. As they analyze more data, they adjust their behavior to reach their goal more efficiently.

Thank goodness for live chat. If you're anything like me, you look back at the days of corded phones and 1-800 numbers with anything but fondness. But as you're chatting with a customer service agent on Facebook Messenger to see if you can change the shipping address on your recent order, sometimes it's tempting to ask, am I really talking to a human? Or is this kind, speedy agent really just a robot in disguise? Believe it or not, this question is older than you might think.