For a technology that could revolutionize work, upend economies and maybe even threaten our survival, artificial intelligence often surprises me with the ways it’s actually being used.
Consider curling. For the uninitiated, it’s a sport that involves sliding a granite stone across some ice. Teammates glide alongside, frantically sweeping the ice to help steer the stone toward a target. It’s a long way from the adrenalized, big-money contests of the National Football League or the Ultimate Fighting Championship, yet even “the sheet” (as aficionados call the playing surface) isn’t safe from meddling machines.
University of Alberta academics spent years developing a ...