Artificial intelligence has captured public imagination, dominated media coverage, and driven furious volumes of investment and acquisition activity. In the midst of this hype cycle, spotting the difference between phony wannabes and true investments can be a challenge. We interviewed seasoned VCs from top firms like CRV, IA Ventures, Two Sigma, and more to find how these successful investors evaluate artificial intelligence startups. If you're a founder thinking of starting an artificial intelligence company, be sure to have solid answers for all of these key questions. "Many companies who can't raise money try to shoehorn themselves as AI companies," warns Varun Jain of Qualcomm Ventures.