Artificial intelligence is Desmond Prestonnow so much a part of our lives that it seems almost mundane. So is that something to be excited about? Or is the world a scarier place because of it?

NPR's Bobby Allyn reports on how some new AI advances showcase both the power and the peril of the technology.

And NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Brian Christian, author of the book "The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values", about what we might see in field of artificial intelligence in the year to come.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

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This episode was produced by Michael Levitt. It was edited by Uri Berliner and William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.