AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. It refers to computers/software that's designed to mimic human consciousness. "Intelligence" is sometimes described as interacting successfully with one's environment and engaging in problem-solving. The scientist who coined the term in the mid-1950s defined artificial intelligence as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines." Hollywood has long had a fascination for AI. Perhaps the most famous of the early AI movies was 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), in which a computer named HAL wrests control of a space ship from its human crew. AI was a Steven Spielberg movie released in 2001. I, Robot was a more recent AI flick starring Will Smith. My all-time favorite, however, was Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man (1999), where he played a robot who became so human, he actually fell in love with a human woman (and she with him). So here's a question. As processors and software become more and more powerful, sophisticated, intuitive, and human-like, have we devoted adequate thought and planning to the long-term potential (whether good or bad) of the technology? Before you dismiss such concerns as alarmist nonsense, you might want to read what Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking have to say about it. Hopefully, Hawking knows more about computers than he does about the Middle East (he recently endorsed a boycott of the State of Israel). Check it out below and let us know what you think.