A number of promising developments offer harbingers of the intelligent world that is forming all around us. With continual gains in computer power, bandwidth, cloud computing, and good AI systems like GPS navigation, we are likely see smart phones that listen, talk, and solve problems. Intelligent search that provides precise answers to difficult questions. And a host of other applications that now seem impossible.

Intel is working on smart phones that are aware of their surroundings and act as virtual assistants. The company’s CTO, Justin Rattner, said “Within 5 years, smart phones will be aware of the information on your laptop, desktop, and tablet, and they will use that knowledge to help guide you through the day.”

Google is using AI to improve search results. It is using speech recognition to take instructions by voice and respond in kind. They can automatically translate among 57 languages. Google Goggles lets an Android phone recognize an image. Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO, said: “AI might remind us of appointments and connect us with friends. Imagine a future when you don’t forget anything because the computer remembers. You are never lost. Never lonely.” Well, the latter may be asking too much.

For more, see our forecast on Artificial Intelligence.