There was a moment not long ago when artificial intelligence was showing significant progress. Mentions of the technology were booming during earnings calls. And chatbots seemed like they could be the next big platform. Then, a polarizing leader won a crucial election. And interest in the technology fizzled.
I’m talking, of course, about 2016, when AI technology was rising just as Donald Trump’s surprise victory took hold of the media’s attention. As the tech press turned its focus to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube’s vulnerabilities, coverage of AI dissipated. Progress, meanwhile, continued in the background, and the technology reasserted itself in November 2022 with ChatGPT’s debut.