What's Your Take on AI?

I'm working at the German logistics startup Carrypicker, a freight forwarding company where we're using predictive analytics and machine learning in order to make transport more efficient.

So I recently got asked what's your take on AI?

Here's my answer:

AI tends to be overrated, although—or maybe precisely because of—it being a meaningless buzzword to a lot of people. However, in its core an AI systems is usually just a bunch of simple statistical functions that are combined in more or less complex ways. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't like to deal with matters that are relevant (like math, for instance), probably because they are lazy. To admit to that laziness and to change something can be hard, and that's why people distract themself with irrelevant buzzword hype.