Artificial intelligence is close to entering our everyday lives.It might not be the Skynet-style system that comes to mind when we think of AI, but virtual assistant software designed to learn about its user could well be the first step towards full-blown machine intelligence.

Just last month, Bill Gates made headlines across the web when he stated thathe is concerned about super intelligence as part of a Reddit AMA. Gatestrepidation regardingthe technology came as something of a surprise to many, but hes far from the only siliconsuperstar calling for caution.Should we be more concerned than we are about this sort of technology?

Speaking to MIT students in 2014, Elon Musk described artificial intelligence asour biggest existential threat.Last month, the Tesla and SpaceX CEOcontributed $10 million to the Future of Life Institute, a Boston-based volunteer organization that works to nip threats to our species survival in the bud. Artificial intelligence is one of many perceived threats that the institute has its sights set on.Musk sits on the groups board of advisers alongside Stephen Hawking, who himself has been quoted saying AI could spell the end of the human race.

Elon Musk describesartificial intelligence asour biggest existential threat.

With Gates, Musk and Hawking assembled, it might seem like the backlash against artificial intelligence is about to begin. But, while the three have utteredattention-grabbing warnings on the far-flung future of AI, theyve been referring to a level of intelligence that isnt on the table just yet.Bill Gates followed his concerns about the technology with a caveat that thehaving thesemachines take care of jobs for us should be positive if we manage it well.

Still, it seems that we have already set out on theroad towards super intelligence. A smart phone or a smart television may seem like a small step forward, but its a clear indication of the direction that wereheaded. Systems are being built that let computers learn our usage habits and build on that knowledge to serve theirpurpose better. A host of different companies are putting this sort of technology to a broad range of uses, but few projects wear their status as an artificial intelligence quite as proudly as Microsofts Cortana.

Debuting last year as acompetitorto services like Siri and Google Now, Cortana has been endlessly described as a virtual assistant by its creators. Microsoft also claimsthe software continually learns about its user and that its designers hope it will eventually be able to interact with users in an anticipatory manner. All in all, it sounds like it could be the first piece of artificial intelligence that really splits opinion with the mainstream. Its easy to see why these features could be very useful, but wecan also imagine users shying away from such familiarity with their virtual assistant.

Building on the sense of personality that gave Siri a novelty factor with users, Cortana is intended to be thought of as a entityrather than just a program. While Apple encouraged people to call Siri by her name, Microsoft isgoing one step further; a friendly Hey, Cortana is the default methodof calling the applications attention. Alongside the many lines of humorous banter that have been recorded as responses for stock questions, its clear that Cortana is meant to be an intelligence that charms users as it learns about them.

Cortana is meant to be an intelligence that charms users as it learns about them.

While seeing this product come from the company that the concerned Bill Gates once co-founded might seem like a contradiction in itself, you only have to look at the name Cortana to have other alarm bells begin to sound. Cortana first appeared as an artificial intelligence in the Halo video games, and the same voice actress that played the role in those games has been tapped to voice the personal assistant. However, the way that the character has been portrayed in Halo hasnt always made her out to be the sort of technology you would want in your pocket.

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Is Cortana a dangerous step towards artificial intelligence?