In science fiction, Artificial Intelligence generally gets a bad rap. When authors, film makers and game developers address the issue of AI, seismic change – and in some instances the end of the world – invariably becomes a plot consideration.

This dystopian sentiment has been echoed by some of the world’s brightest minds today. The likes of Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates have warned of the dangers of allowing AI development to charge ahead without checks and balances. Musk has even gone so far as to donate $115 million dollars to the cause of keeping AI safe for humans.

Opentext’s Lenore Kerrigan doesn’t wholly share this rather negative outlook on AI. At her presentation at this year’s Leaderex, Kerrigan pointed to the notion that the stuff of science fiction has now become part of our reality, and while there are issues, the outlook is mostly positive.

“The AI revolution is coming and it would be best for industry leaders to get out in front of it,” said Kerrigan. “To that end leaders need to embrace the technology and it takes greater and greater vision to drive the culture that underpins survival.”

While Kerrigan agrees the potential for AI to be used negatively exists, she also says that the benefits it can bring mean it can’t be ignored. AI, she says, can have an impact on businesses – through chatbots, algorithms and data collection – as well as individuals through transhumanism. These were ideas and tech once confine to cyberpunk and science fiction.

One example Kerrigan used was the (now cancelled) TV show, Person Of Interest. In it, a computer wonk designs a program able to predict the behavioural patters of any humans its sees in order to stop crime. Sound pretty far-fetched? Well, not really.

“Business collect data that can predict buyer behaviour, buying patterns, and online profiles,” says Kerrigan. This technology, she adds, can be used in a multitude of applications including retaining clients to spotting which employees in a company are looking for a new job. 

So it may be worth our industry leader cracking open a sci-fi novel or two or tuning in to a new series. The future once contained in books is here – even if we don’t have flying cars yet.