Most new technologies tend to see people react with scepticism, suspicion and fear, with some even becoming alarmist and broadcasting extreme negative scenarios up to and including some pending cataclysm. And this has certainly been the case for Artificial Intelligence (AI)! But the reality is all our technologies are benign and any risk is entirely down to people and what they might do. In the case of AI, the advantages afforded to medical science are the most visible, well-known and radical with dramatic improvements in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. Lives are being saved, survival rates improved, and the quality of life for millions of people improved.

The field of machine learning is quite a hot topic. We know that this type of artificial intelligence (AI) provides computers with the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed. For people like me who need it in simpler terms, machine learning deals with systems that can learn from past data and experience to improve performance of a particular task. Machine learning already is touching our daily lives, both personally and professionally, more than anyone could've imagined. For example, a home's lawn sprinkler system can be trained to tell the difference between squirrels and cats, and to turn on when cats walk on the grass in order to shoo them away.

One of the greatest benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) to humankind is its influence on the medical field. "Powered by some of the most sophisticated technology, AI is assisting in improving medical diagnosis," says Anton Jacobs, managing director at African value-added technology distributor, Networks Unlimited. From an AI doctor and chatbot to AI's powerful applications, machine learning and deep learning, a world that used to be all about coding, is transitioning into using computer programming to assist in life-changing health issues such as early cancer detection. A massive advantage is that AI has the power to pool knowledge from the best specialists worldwide and provide it to patients anywhere geographically. "Imagine what this could mean to patients living in rural areas. They'd finally have the same access to knowledge as patients in top medical facilities," adds Jacobsz.

We have stopped thinking about AI as a domain for rocket scientists only. Last year was a hugely significant year for artificial intelligence. It was a year of spectacular achievement. For the first time a system was created with the ability to defeat a human at the impossibly strategic game of Go (a feat that has been 20 years in development). And it was the year in which deep learning became the buzzword because although neural network techniques have been used to teach machines for more than 30 years, the deep learning variant is the one that gives a machine second life.

Will Artificial Intelligence disrupt business? The once-futuristic predictions about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) will impact the world are becoming reality. Legendary futurist Ray Kurzweil has imagined advanced technology delivering everything from computerised brain chips to near-total automation of industries, and we already see the signs that AI will ultimately change the way we live and work. AI, where computers behave like humans, is no longer the stuff of science fiction. In many respects, AI is like a freight train racing down the tracks.

Will Artificial Intelligence disrupt business? The once-futuristic predictions about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) will impact the world are becoming reality. Legendary futurist Ray Kurzweil has imagined advanced technology delivering everything from computerised brain chips to near-total automation of industries, and we already see the signs that AI will ultimately change the way we live and work. AI, where computers behave like humans, is no longer the stuff of science fiction. In many respects, AI is like a freight train racing down the tracks.