Artificial intelligence pops up as a buzzword every few years, but it has never moved beyond novelty status. This time, though, it is here to stay, and startups are poised to drive the AI economy forward.

Indeed, we are beginning to see glimpses of it.

Newcomer ROSS Intelligence, for example, has gained law firm clients by developing a fully automated AI “lawyer” capable of supporting the legal research needs of large offices. Developed on IBM’s Watson, ROSS is well on its way to becoming a fixture in the legal industry, automating tasks that could take days or weeks for humans to complete.

Popular business messaging app Slack — another startup — is working on incorporating AI to act as an intelligent personal assistant capable of talking back and answering questions that have been asked before, saving companies time.

Now is the time for AI to truly take off. So what has changed?

The infrastructure is ready for s tartups to run with AI

Limited computing power hindered AI research in the past, but our current infrastructure and ecosystem can now support the processing power necessary for AI to “think.” Processing and memory capabilities, cloud computing, fiber-optic high-speed internet access, widespread Wi-Fi and a connected IoT world all combine to create the perfect environment for AI to exist — and have staying power.

Twenty years ago, only enterprise companies with research and development teams could work on AI; even then, most of the work was primarily theoretical. But now, every entrepreneur has access to quick connections, fast devices and the technological infrastructure built by large corporations.

The rise of Facebook and other social media platforms has contributed, as well. Never before have we been able to harvest so much real-time and historical data about how people interact. In the previous millennium, access to this kind of detailed data was unthinkable, much less the idea of it existing largely in the public realm. Because data as a resource is more freely available than ever before, the ability to create an AI ecosystem is obtainable by anybody willing to work toward it. The barriers are down.

Like the original internet bubble of the 1990s (or even the current shift to mobile), AI represents a disruptive new lane in which small startups can take the lead and drive innovation.

Recent forays into AI

Enterprises like Microsoft, IBM and Alphabet are among the corporations that have been actively working on AI for some time. The machine-learning applications these enterprises have launched to the public have had varying degrees of success.

Watson’s ability to answer natural-language questions makes it an ideal resource for professionals in complicated industries, such as medical and financial. Google’s search has long employed complicated algorithms akin to AI, and parent company Alphabet is already using its research and development to reinvent the web. Even Facebook is heavily invested in AI.

The ability to create an AI ecosystem is obtainable by anybody willing to work toward it.

While these giants make mainstream media swoon with their AI platforms, it’s indie developers utilizing these platforms, like those at ROSS and Slack, who create the real innovation. According to Bloomberg, more than $300 million was invested in AI startups in 2014. By 2020, AI is expected to become a $20 billion business, including cross-platform search, voice assistance and proactive support. Gartner predicts 85 percent of customer interactions will be managed by machines.