Artificial Intelligence: Hype Versus Reality

• John

Many people find the hype cycle of the tech world exhausting and off-putting to the point where they block any mention of the hype-du-jour from their lives. I, however, am drawn to a certain subset of these topics, like a moth to a flame. It’s not the click-bait headlines that attract me. Instead, it’s those trends that are simultaneously billed as the salvation and end of civilization.

The hyperbole of the headlines isn’t what matters. It’s the strong, polarized reactions, which is a tipoff that something interesting lies at the center of the hype. Reality may be far less dramatic than either end of the spectrum of breathless headlines, but that doesn’t mean something important isn’t happening.