The field of artificial intelligence is so huge, and the potential applications so numerous, that it would be folly to try to explain it all in one — no, wait, IBM just did.

In June, the White House published a formal request for information, or RFI, about the possibilities and risks of AI.

“The views of the American people, including stakeholders such as consumers, academic and industry researchers, private companies, and charitable foundations, are important to inform an understanding of current and future needs for AI in diverse fields,” the summary read.

This was followed by a numbered list of specific topics to be addressed, from where research should be focused to the potential for abuse or for public good.

IBM took the suggestion and ran with it. Each topic is given a solid enough explanation that after reading through the whole thing, you’ll more than likely be the best-informed person in the room on it. (Depends on the room, of course.)

There’s no sense in my summarizing it here; there’s too much and it’s mostly to the point, non-controversial, informative stuff. That said, this is a good quote:

We believe that many of the ambiguities and inefficiencies of the critical systems that facilitate life on this planet can be eliminated. And we believe that AI systems are the tools that will help us accomplish these ambitious goals.

It’s a fundamentally optimistic look, and a bit IBM-focused, of course, but beyond that it really is worth reading to get a sense of the current state, future, and risks of AI. Don’t skip the “see more here” links — that’s where the good stuff is.