Calling any piece of software 'AI' <i>is</i> the hype.<p>Software can do amazing things, no doubt about that. And there are plenty of advanced techniques for creating software that goes beyond just writing down algorithms in any given programming language.<p>But the use of words such as 'learning' and 'intelligence' is hype designed to package this capabilities as something diffuse and grander than what it really is - some way to map inputs to outputs in a useful way.<p>The problem is that it muddles the water, creating misconceptions among the public and generating frenzied booms that eventually go bust, while a lot of value that could go into research and development goes into rent-seekers and scammers.