Arka Dhar is the CEO at Zinier, an intelligent field service automation platform. Driving north on the 101 from Silicon Valley to San Francisco, there are dozens of billboards promoting new artificial intelligence (AI) ventures. According to PricewaterhouseCooper and CB Insights (via Bloomberg), venture capitalists poured a record $9.3 billion into AI startups last year, and this is just the beginning. For many business leaders, AI is still a buzzword. This largely stems from an obsessive marketing regime that hypes up technologies like AI, machine learning (ML) and the internet of things (IoT). But behind the billboards and eye-watering funding rounds are industry-disrupting technologies, and understanding their potential impact as well as how to get executive buy-in are pivotal to the future of work.

Driving north on the 101 from Silicon Valley to San Francisco, there are dozens of billboards promoting new artificial intelligence (AI) ventures. According to PricewaterhouseCooper and CB Insights (via Bloomberg), venture capitalists poured a record $9.3 billion into AI startups last year, and this is just the beginning. For many business leaders, AI is still a buzzword. This largely stems from an obsessive marketing regime that hypes up technologies like AI, machine learning (ML) and the internet of things (IoT). But behind the billboards and eye-watering funding rounds are industry-disrupting technologies, and understanding their potential impact as well as how to get executive buy-in are pivotal to the future of work. During initial meetings I've had with decision makers, it's been tremendously helpful to demystify AI from the start and translate it into language that aligns with business goals.