Artificial intelligence (AI) has landed on Earth like an alien spacecraft from a science fiction novel. We now have self-driving cars; computers that can diagnose illnesses, recommend treatments, and predict and solve crimes; smart phones that can route us from point A to point B; gadgets that can understand and respond to spoken commands; and much more. All of this is made possible by machine learning (ML). Although AI and ML can be used to help us answer questions and solve problems, for many of us they create more questions than answers, questions such as “What is intelligence?” “How do machines learn?” “What is a machine learning algorithm, and how does it work?” “Will machines take my job?” “Will they take over the world?” and, for those in business, “What do I need to know about AI and ML to harness its power?” This book tackles those questions and more as it brings you up to speed on the basics of AI, ML, and artificial neural networks. You begin by reading the story of AI that traces its evolution from the early 1950s to the present, revealing many of the core ideas that continue to drive its development. You explore recent technological innovations that have reinvigorated the field by providing the “big data” that makes machine learning so powerful — innovations such as GPS, social media and electronic transactions. And you discover how machines learn through the use of powerful processing combined with machine learning algorithms and artificial neural networks that mimic the function of the human brain. All of these ideas are discussed against a backdrop of potential new business opportunities and technologies, so you can begin to harness the power of AI to achieve and maintain competitive advantage.