The term artificial intelligence (AI) was coined in 1956 by a professor at Dartmouth College who convened the first ever academic summit on the topic. Now it's one of several acronyms denoting innovation - including VR, AR, ML - that are tossed around by marketing organizations and tech startups.

What is clearly understood is this: the impact and promise of AI is profound, but it's not all happening at once, and we're only at the beginning of its potential. AI is already finding its way into daily life (think Netflix recommendations). But progress is uneven across verticals, and it can be difficult to sort out the hype from the reality.

With an orientation always to provide clarity on complex topics, Business Insider's newsroom has taken a deep dive into how AI is playing out across key industry verticals - including transportation, healthcare, retail, and media.