ABSTRACT

In this chapter, we push back against some of the hyperbole surrounding AI by illustrating the extent of its powers and its limits. We explain the role of big data, algorithms, cloud computing, and dark data as a predicate for understanding AI, machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks. While AI excels in pattern recognition and the ability to process data with super-human velocity, accuracy, volume, and consistency, AI is significantly hampered when compared to human general intelligence. AI systems lack common sense, fail to appreciate context, are data hungry and brittle, lack intuition, limit suggestions to local optima, make decisions in a black box, and are limited by the quality of the data upon which they feed.