
Ask HN: Why is AI the big tech prediction for every upcoming year? - sandrobfc
The new year is right around the corner, and, as usual, everyone is already predicting what will be the next big thing in 2019. Obviously, AI heads most of the lists this year.<p>Oddly enough, AI was also the next big thing of 2018, 2017, 2016, and ever since technology predictions are a thing.<p>Why is that?
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bicubic
ML and automation _have_ been a big thing for a few years now. The evolving
technology has enabled an increasing number of use cases and business models
so in that sense the hype is justified.

'AI' on the other hand is a buzzword mostly devoid of meaning. Salespeople and
executives spend a lot of time hyping up things they don't understand, and the
flavour of the year(s) is 'AI'. It is telling that searching for 'difference
between ML and AI', returns top results from Forbes and Medium rather than
stack exchange or any other place of meaningful technical discussion.

A comparable buzzword is 'blockchain' which the same demographics embraced
with equal vigour. It lasted until technical realities became clearly
different from the visionary BS that was being peddled.

