We may not have sentient robots roaming the streets, but AI technology has advanced well beyond what was believed possible. Artificial intelligence is now able to assist in the business place, analyzing data and forming effective business plans based on numbers and facts. As a matter of fact, it is being used in everyday life, and no one seems to take notice. It is even being utilized in the medical industry and in warfare.

Some companies are belittling AI, making it seem less important to modern tech than it is. Oral-B, the toothbrush company, is currently promoting its Genius X device. They are praising it for its AI abilities, but it isn’t real AI. It simply gives you feedback on brush time and variation. It is a clever use of sensors and tech; however, calling it artificial intelligence is quite the stretch.

Entertainment is also confusing people about what artificial intelligence actually is. People tend to think of film and television when they think of artificial intelligence. Some modern AI isn’t quite to the level of what we see in movies; however, its usefulness should not be under-appreciated.

Machine learning and deep learning are what is fueling the artificial intelligence movement at the moment. These terms deal with teaching machines to learn on their own. To break it down into simplest terms, previous forms of tech must be programmed to recognize an object. You tell a machine what certain objects are, and it will only know those objects for its entire up-time. Machine learning is when a machine is able to figure out what objects are without prior programming to specifically tell them.

Some naysayers believe that artificial intelligence has reached its peak. But machines are able to analyze data much faster than humans and relay that information to us in understandable ways. We may never get to see truly sentient machines, but the technology we have created will certainly change the world for the better.

The research isn’t going to stop anytime soon. There are still plenty of approaches to take. Many are still hopeful that artificial intelligence breakthroughs could revolutionize the way life is for humans. Benedict Evans, a VC strategist, believes that machine learning will be present in almost everything in the near future; however, no one may know and no one may care.