Artificial intelligence is one of those tech terms that seems to inevitably conjure up images (and jokes) of computer overlords running sci-fi dystopias -- or, more recently, robots taking over human jobs. But AI is already here: It's powering your voice-activated digital personal assistants and Web searches, guiding automated features on your car and translating foreign texts, detecting your friends in photos you post on social media and filtering your spam. But as practical uses of AI have exploded in recent years, one critical element remains missing: an industrywide set of ethics standards or best practices to guide the growing field. Now, the industry heavyweights are partnering to fill that gap. Called the Partnership on Artificial Intelligence to Benefit People and Society, the group consists of Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and IBM. Apple is also in talks to join.

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, the ethics surrounding it are not. We are talking about an increasingly normal feature of life. When you talk with your smartphone or use Google Translate, you're using AI. What bothers scientists is the looming moment that AI starts making life or death decisions for us. LAURA SYDELL, BYLINE: When I say artificial intelligence, a lot of people think science fiction, like the famous scene in the film from "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of everyday life: think Apple's Siri. Major tech firms formed a group to help the public understand AI and develop standards so it isn't misused.