Think about your last online order. If you're a frequent online shopper and have created profiles for sites you visit often (*raises hand*), then you're probably familiar with customized recommendations. Based on your purchase history, location, and other factors, the website may suggest other items you might be interested in buying. And if you're on the site long enough, chatbots may appear asking if you have questions or need assistance locating something. These are just two examples of how artificial intelligence (AI) and automation have made the consumer experience easier and created ways to help businesses understand their buying patterns and what they need.

Everyone take a deep breath and calm down. The likeliness of a robot taking over your job any time soon is very low. Yes, artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing trend, and machine learning has improved by leaps and bounds. However, the information technology career field is fairly safe, and if anything, AI/machine learning will only make things better for us in the future. However, a few IT jobs already have experienced the impact of AI, and I want to cover those here.

For some, artificial intelligence (AI) can be a scary technology. There are so many articles on the web about how AI will end up replacing X% of IT jobs by Y year. There's no reason to be afraid of AI or machine learning. If anything, most IT jobs will benefit from AI/machine learning. The tech world is always changing, and AI is becoming a big driver of change.

Finally, artificial intelligence and machine learning are moving past hype and into the tools you actually depend on to keep operations humming. And now that machine learning has arrived in SolarWinds products, we know you've got some questions – probably a lot of questions. Join SolarWinds Distinguished Engineer Karlo Zatylny and SolarWinds Head Geek Thomas LaRock, along with Microsoft Senior Cloud Advocate Anthony Bartolo, for an in-depth whiteboard discussion to strip away AI/ML hype and explain what machine learning really is. Learn how to use ML to solve real-world challenges, like simplifying monitoring and resolving issues faster. As a Sr. Cloud Advocate for Microsoft, Anthony takes great pride in architecting and conducting "science experiments" to incorporate Microsoft technology and services to address a customer problem or opportunity.