A combination of breathless excitement and near-paralysing fear are driving the debate along with countless – often ill-informed – predictions about how the technology which will revamp our future lives. While it is far too early in AI's evolution to understand its true potential or how quickly it will have a fundamental impact, it is already penetrating our lives. From smartphones and dating sites to web searches and driverless vehicles; it is becoming part of the fabric of life. Over the next few years, businesses, homes and schooling could be completely different with AI on the scene. At its core, AI is a type software or hardware that learns – and it could become programmed to learn mostly about us, its users.

A robot took over duties of guiding visitors to exhibition booths at the China (Shanghai) International Technology Fair recently. The "host" had no one in the background moving its parts by remote control. This robot is smart enough to "see" its surroundings because of laser radar embedded in the machine's software. Shanghai-based Slamtec manufactured the robot. The laser radar allows the robot to scan its surroundings in fractions of a second.