Silicon Valley is abuzz about artificial intelligence - software programs that can draw or illustrate or chat almost like a person. One Google engineer actually thought a computer program had gained sentience. A lot of AI experts, though, say there is no ghost in the machine. But what if it were true? That would introduce many legal and ethical questions.

Microsoft and Google have been among the leaders in development of artificial intelligence solutions. Both companies say AI is a major part of their future endeavors and will boost revenue through streamlining services. However, both Microsoft and Google admit AI could also cause harm to their business if something goes wrong. Both companies made the declaration in 10-K forms discovered by Wired. Created for investors, the documents give an overview of business and finance performance.