IDG’s Infoworld has published Jeff Cotrupe’s blog post, The wonders of AI—or the shortcomings of search? “AI fires the imagination with visions of driverless cars and pilotless planes, and intelligence that is not merely artificial but increasingly alternative: machines imbued with so much human capacity that they can think for themselves—and, while we’re not really looking—for us,” said Cotrupe in the piece. “Much of the value AI is delivering today, however, is far removed from the dare-I-say-sexy AI activities described above.” AI cuts through the clutter, he said, to provide not endless pages of search results to wade through, but with specific recommendations tailored to you as the seeker of knowledge—or simply as the seeker of where to find the best Chicago-style pizza while away from home on a business trip.(!) “AI also means not having to search,” said Cotrupe, presenting you with choices (or content, or opportunities) you didn’t ask for—that you didn’t have to ask for. That predictive capability is a clear differentiator.

While both questioning and extolling the virtues of AI, however, Cotrupe has a warning for readers of the piece: “A quiet voice in a corner of my consciousness says…we should proceed with caution.”

Readers can find Cotrupe on a regular basis here at the Accelerating Growth Strategies through Big Data and Analytics blog on Infoworld.