Response to “Artificial Intelligence—The Revolution Hasn’t Happened Yet”

This piece is a commentary on the article: "Artificial Intelligence-The Revolution Hasn't Happened Yet." I face two challenges in responding to Michael Jordan's views on Artificial Intelligence and the stillunfulfilled revolution. First, I agree almost entirely with his analysis, and so my comments will build upon, rather than provoke controversy about, his piece. AI as a process to imitate human consciousness appeals to the popular imagination, but long-evolving methods under the broad rubric of machine learning provide the substance behind the hype. In particular, I find appealing Jordan's emphasis on two different, two-letter acronyms: IA (intelligence augmentation) and II (intelligent infrastructure). Both IA and II are fundamental to the humanities, not simply insofar as specialists teach students in formal academic settings and produce publications for each other (although IA and II are relevant to both), but to the way human beings are able to understand the cultural record and each other.