Enterprise AI For Dummies

Introduction

What we want is a machine that can learn from experience.

— Alan Turing, Lecture to the London Mathematical Society, 20 February 1947

The whizbang aspects of artificial intelligence get lots of press and screen time. Consider a few recent headlines:

• The U.S. Army is creating robots that can follow orders.
• DeepMind’s AI has now outcompeted nearly all human players at StarCraft II.
• A robotic hand taught itself to solve a Rubik’s Cube after creating its own training regime.
• A new AI fake text generator may be too dangerous to release, say creators.
• This AI bot writes such convincing ads that Chase just “hired” it to write marketing copy.

Remember back when the caption “Wi-Fi Ready” or “Bluetooth Ready” was stamped in a starburst graphic on the front of boxes for everything from televisions to refrigerators? AI has now reached that exalted status.

Of course, you have the smart speaker of your choice and maybe a smart thermostat. But wait, there’s more. You can get an AI-powered toothbrush that tattles to your smartphone about your brushing habits, via Bluetooth of course. An AI-enabled pill dispenser reminds you to take your medicine. And an AI-powered vacuum cleaner tidies up before the dinner guests arrive.

But AI is not just about gadgets and novelties. It also keeps the store from running out of water, batteries, and strawberry-flavored Pop-Tarts during hurricane season. It makes sure that a factory doesn’t exceed emissions standards. It figures out supply chain ...