Oxford’s chief computer scientist says there hasn’t been any substantial progress towards general AI – NS Tech

http://tech.newstatesman.com/news/conscious-machines-way-off

 Breakthroughs in narrow AI, no progress towards general AI. I think he’s a bit optimistic on self-driving cars, at least for Finnish winter driving

 “We’re beginning to get there with better ideas about the brain, but all the progress in AI over the last decade which is real and exciting has been on narrow AI.”

While solving general intelligence could lead to the invention of machines that are self-aware, narrow AI involves computers carrying out focused tasks such as facial recognition.