Could AI become smart enough to pretend to be dimwitted, doing so to lull hapless humans into complacency while meanwhile, the AI is plotting to overtake humanity? Sounds like a farfetched science fiction movie. To be clear, AI is not yet akin to human intelligence and the odds are that we are a long way distant from the promise of such vaunted capabilities. Those touting the use of Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) are hoping that the advent of ML/DL might be a path toward full AI, though right now ML/DL is mainly a stew of computationally impressive pattern matching and we don't know if it will scale-up to anything approaching an equivalent of the human brain. The struggle and earnestness toward achieving full AI is nonetheless still a constant drumbeat of those steeped in AI and the belief is that we will eventually craft or invent a machine-based artificial intelligence made entirely out of software and hardware.

Will full AI try to evade being revealed for what it is. AI is not yet akin to human intelligence and the odds are that we are a long way distant from the promise of such vaunted capabilities. Those touting the use of Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) are hoping that the advent of ML/DL might be a path toward full AI, though right now ML/DL is mainly a stew of computationally impressive pattern matching and we don't know if it will scale-up to anything approaching an equivalent of the human brain. The struggle and earnestness toward achieving full AI is nonetheless still a constant drumbeat of those steeped in AI and the belief is that we will eventually craft or invent a machine-based artificial intelligence made entirely out of software and hardware. One question often posed about reaching full AI is whether or not there will be a need to attain sentience.

Intelligence is man's most potent weapon. If not for it, we would have remained just another species. The unique kind of intelligence we possess gives us dominion over everything else. Granted, when Mother Nature shrugs or sighs with an earthquake or a hurricane, man's vulnerability is starkly exposed, but humans negotiate the reality of existence better than other species by learning from experience, solving complex problems, and uncovering patterns that lie deep in nature's womb. From the discovery of fire to the invention of the microprocessor, the spark of human ingenuity has always served to make life safe, productive and convenient.

Elon Musk famously equated Artifical Intelligence with "summoning the demon" and sounds the alarm that AI is advancing faster than anyone realizes, posing an existential threat to humanity. Stephen Hawking has warned that AI could take off and leave the human race, limited by evolution's slow pace, in the dust. Bill Gates counts himself in the camp concerned about super intelligence. And, although Mark Zuckerburg is dismissive about AI's potential threat, Facebook recently shut down an AI engine after reportedly discovering that it had created a new language humans can't understand. Concerns about AI are entirely logical if all that exists is physical matter.

Elon Musk famously equated Artifical Intelligence with "summoning the demon" and sounds the alarm that AI is advancing faster than anyone realizes, posing an existential threat to humanity. Stephen Hawking has warned that AI could take off and leave the human race, limited by evolution's slow pace, in the dust. Bill Gates counts himself in the camp concerned about super intelligence. And, although Mark Zuckerburg is dismissive about AI's potential threat, Facebook recently shut down an AI engine after reportedly discovering that it had created a new language humans can't understand. Concerns about AI are entirely logical if all that exists is physical matter.

According to Gartner, over 85% of customer interactions will be managed without a human by 2020. We have seen a machine master the complex game of Go, previously thought to be the most difficult challenge of artificial processing. We have witnessed vehicles operating autonomously, including a caravan of trucks crossing Europe with only a single operator to monitor systems. We have seen a proliferation of robotic counterparts and automated means for accomplishing a variety of tasks and all of this has given rise to a flurry of people claiming that the Artificial Intelligence revolution is already upon us. However, while there is no doubt that there have been significant advancements in the field of AI, what we have seen is only a start on the path to what could be considered full AI.

According to Gartner, over 85% of customer interactions will be managed without a human by 2020. We have seen a machine master the complex game of Go, previously thought to be the most difficult challenge of artificial processing. We have witnessed vehicles operating autonomously, including a caravan of trucks crossing Europe with only a single operator to monitor systems. We have seen a proliferation of robotic counterparts and automated means for accomplishing a variety of tasks and all of this has given rise to a flurry of people claiming that the Artificial Intelligence revolution is already upon us. However, while there is no doubt that there have been significant advancements in the field of AI, what we have seen is only a start on the path to what could be considered full AI.

We have seen a machine master the complex game of Go, previously thought to be one of the most difficult challenge of artificial processing. We have witnessed vehicles operating autonomously, including a caravan of trucks crossing Europe with only a single operator to monitor systems. We have seen a proliferation of robotic counterparts and automated means for accomplishing a variety of tasks. All of this has given rise to a flurry of people claiming that the AI revolution is already upon us. Understanding the growth in the functional and technological capability of AI is crucial for understanding the real world advances we have seen.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most evocative and confusing terms in technology. According to Accenture, artificial intelligence (AI) could add an additional US$814 billion in 2035 to the UK's economy--with growth rates increasing from 2.5 percent to 3.9 percent in 2035. We have seen a machine master the complex game of Go, previously thought to be the most difficult challenge of artificial processing. We have witnessed vehicles operating autonomously, including a caravan of trucks crossing Europe with only a single operator to monitor systems. We have seen a proliferation of robotic counterparts and automated means for accomplishing a variety of tasks.

Clara Lu is the marketing manager at ViSenze, an artificial intelligence company that makes search by images possible without keywords. With so many articles proliferating the media space on how humans are at the cusp of full AI (artificial intelligence), it's no wonder that we believe that the future -- which is full of robots and drones and self-driven vehicles, as well as diminishing human control over these machines -- is right on our doorstep. But are we really approaching the singularity as fast as we think we are? It's not hard to have that impression with the likes of Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, leading university departments and research centers around the world and more being highly concerned with the potential risks brought about by AI and taking action now to avoid a doomsday scenario in the near future. They predict that by the year 2030 machines will develop consciousness through the application of human intelligence. In fact, Dr. Hawking told the BBC, "The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race."