Today, the WSJ featured an article on Slack and Facebook each delivering software that would deliver a semblance of artificial intelligence for use in productivity applications in the office. The article highlighted two companies - but Google, Microsoft, Apple, and IBM are all investing heavily in similar platforms.
Much like the wave of companies investing in autonomous vehicles, the winners in AI will be able to transform a plethora of markets. The implications are vast once software is capable of understanding your situation, your desires, and how to drive outcomes.
It's no surprise that tech companies are investing in the area. But what is interesting is the sheer number of tech companies investing in the space. While there is a great deal of speculation surrounding drones, virtual reality, and 3D printing, there is far less capital being deployed by the big guys. When it comes to artificial intelligence, CTOs are voting with their manpower.
This brute force being used by the world's tech titan's to crack the AI puzzle seems like the best indicator we have that AI is on its way - and that it will be transformative. When we figure it out, hopefully we use it well.