First and foremost, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a type of machine learning characterized by intelligent decision making similar to our own cognitive abilities. Key traits of effective AI are learning and problem solving. The key issue yet to be solved is independent thought. No machine, so far, is capable of independent thought and reason at the same ability of a human. Once this is achieved, the line between what makes us different than machines will be a hot issue for a generation.
But in the meantime here are some pretty cool things that we can do with AI before our machine overlords inevitably conquer the observable universe.
AlphaGo Defeats Lee Sedol in 2016.
AlphaGo, created by DeepMind (acquired by Alphabet in 2014) beat the world grandmaster go player 4-1. Go, a more mathematically complex game of wits than chess, was a challenge for AI developers. Deepblue defeated chess champions in the 20th century, but Go continued to elude the level of skill an AI could match. AlphaGo defeated Sedol through learning and problem solving, it is capable of making mistakes.
For those who don't know what a babel fish is, read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and come back. An Australian startup is working with IBM Watson, a ridiculously intelligent AI, to develop a near real time wearable translation product. This will revolutionize human communication as we know it. As the speed of translation improves, we could see a gadget translate multiple languages in real time, enabling a person to understand anything said to them, regardless of language. Translators of the world, you've got pretty serious competition.
Vi is a charming AI personality designed to help you accomplish your fitness goals. It fits comfortable in a pair of earbuds connected to a flexible band that drapes around your neck. It scans standard health metrics, contextual metrics, and environmental data to assist you in your training regime. It learns your routine as you exercise and gives you attainable, reasonable goals to strive for and achieve. It also comes with a soothing female voice rather than a gruff personal trainer, so that's nice.
Okay so it's not going to tell you the exact moment one raindrop will fall in your town, or when there will be tornado, perfectly. It will be able to give general, more-precise-than-your-local-weatherman predictions about the upcoming weather. This supercomputer could potentially save lives as it may effectively predict dangerous storms such as hurricanes or tornadoes.
Hopefully you won't be too mean to your local weatherman, they're human too, they make mistakes. They're really sorry about that picnic that was ruined because of scattered showers.
This might appear silly, but the ability for these robots to walk, detect, and kick a ball is an incredibly difficult process. The first success was in 2011, and the robots have continuously improved since then. They still can't compete with even elementary school players, but eventually, they have the capacity to beat premier league teams.