AI - What is the Hype?

Today, AI sells everything from driverless cars to carless drivers...

Everywhere you turn it is all about AI. Are we peaking on the hype cycle? There is a euphoria on AI among businesses to rush into this. At least to get their name featured on popular press. It is important to distinguish the hype from reality.

There are other popular terms that are related - machine learning, deep learning, RPA which stands for Robotics Process automation.  What is the hype and how do we separate reality from hype.  

How can we leverage AI and machine learning in Demand Planning, S&OP and SCM optimization.  

What are some of the hypes?

AI can program itself to do more than what is taught.  Is that really possible?  At least some folks believe Robots will take over the world and make humans irrelevant.  Not sure if that day will ever come but it has been a fascination of many futuristic movies and books.

AI will take your job - this is quite possible.  There are many areas where advancement in computing is making these jobs disappear.  But this is generally true of technology not just AI.  If there is a routine task that can be taught to a computing algorithm, you can safely assume that will be gone pretty soon.  But we need more humans to teach more processes, rules and logic for computers to perform better.  

AI should not be implemented just because it is sexy - at times the costs can be astronomical and a hybrid model that involves humans may do it much better and at a lower cost.