Despite a number of false dawns, artificial intelligence (AI) is finally beginning to deliver on some of its early promise. Such human level intelligence is still some way off, if achievable at all.

In the age of internet, big data has just become more commonplace and accessible. And it is growing, fast, and at astronomical rates. Every time we log onto the internet, every time we post on Facebook or Twitter, or purchase something on Amazon or EBay, or just do a Google search, we leave a trail of data. And all this goes into the databases of these websites or companies.

When humans, machines and the internet get together, what will the future look like? Michael Chorost's fascinating The World Wide Mind takes us through a journey of all the possibilities.

An Ikea-like robotics revolution could see DIY devices being built for a wide range of functions, scientists predict. Researchers in the US have la...