Has AI advanced from the 1990s? Or has there been a change in the environment it can be applied to, with the rise of big data, big infrastructure - big everything?
Big Everything is important, but without the new techniques for deep nets, AI would not be so sexy right now.
'AI' has always been around, but the 'big leap' we've seen recently is entirely due to researchers finally able to make Neural Nets actually work :).
'Deep Learning' really refers to a specific kind of Neural Network.
The first application was image recognition. It's also used a lot now in voice recognition - and they're trying to jam it into everything possible.
I think it's basically fair to say that at least in 2016 AI pretty much boils down to Deep Learning / Neural Nets to move something more classical along in terms of capability.
What 'AI' means changes over time, but I think it's safe to say the renewal and hype is based on the 'big eureka' in Neural Nets and their relevant applications.
No.
But lots of progress in pattern recognition & classification. So whatever AI exists can see better, hear better, speak better.
Unfortunately nothing remotely approaching the intelligence of a cat or dog, much less a human being, has appeared except in very limited domains.
nothing remotely approaching the intelligence of a cat or
dog, much less a human being, has appeared except in very
limited domains.
If, instead, you want to know when or if AI will match human intelligence or become self-consciuos - sadly no one knows that. We may be "advancing" in totally wrong direction.