By Stephanie Overby –

Cognitive scientist and Dartmouth professor John McCarthy coined the term artificial intelligence (AI) in 1955 when he began his exploration of whether machines could learn and develop formal reasoning like humans. More than 60 years later, AI is the hottest tech topic of the day, from the boardroom to the breakroom.

The vast majority of technology executives (91 percent) and 84 percent of the general public believe that AI constitutes the next technology revolution, according to Edelman’s 2019 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Survey. PwC has predicted that AI could contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Of course, it’s already having an impact all around us. AI powers voice-based devices, filters our email, and guides our search results. One in five respondents said their organizations plan to implement AI enterprise-wide this year, according to the PwC 2019 AI Predictions Survey.

While AI has fueled more than a little bit of hype, enterprises are indeed trying to get down to business – before rivals do. As noted in our Harvard Business Review Analytic Services report, An Executive’s Guide to Real-World AI, “Hype in tech is nothing new. What’s different this time is the degree to which reasonable and knowledgeable people believe that there is, indeed, a real urgency to get going with AI now.”

Dan Vesset, group vice president, analytics and information management, at market research firm IDC, warns, “If you’re not starting to invest, there’s the real possibility of being left behind forever.” Read On: