When it comes to technology, the World Economic Forum is all about staying ahead of the curve. So it's no surprise that the organization is closely monitoring the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). In a recent report, the Forum's Council on the Future of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics examines the implications of AI for business and society. The report includes a number of key findings, including the need for businesses to embrace AI and the potential for AI to create new jobs. The report also highlights the importance of ethical considerations when it comes to AI. As the Forum notes, "AI technology is only as good as the values it reflects and the choices it makes." Overall, the report paints a positive picture of the future of AI. As the Forum notes, "AI has the potential to unlock new frontiers of human potential and economic growth."

REUTERS/Joshua RobertsAn engineer makes an adjustment to the robot "The Incredible Bionic Man" at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington October 17, 2013. It's the latest in a series of figures economists have released projecting the impact that AI systems and machines will have on the human workforce, and this one, from the World Economic Forum, predicts a "Fourth Industrial Revolution," characterized by unprecedented "developments in genetics, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing, and biotechnology." And while previous industrial revolutions have catapulted the human workforce forward, this one may set us back -- at least in the short term. According to the researchers at the WEF, "current trends could lead to a net employment impact of more than 5.1 million jobs lost to disruptive labor market changes over the period 2015–2020." The Forum estimates that a grand total of 7.1 million jobs will be lost as a direct result of many of our proudest innovations, and that two-thirds of these jobs will be "concentrated in the Office and Administrative job family."