Humanity is turning a corner. The signpost is marked "AI." Everyone knows what it stands for. Who knows what it means?

We know what it's beginning to look like. "Futuristic" is a word that springs to mind. "Presentistic" would be better, but the dictionary fails us. Artificial intelligence is here, now; nothing like what it will be, even more unlike anything that's ever been. Shukan Diamond magazine profiles the embryo. It sees good and bad, opportunities and pitfalls. Think of it as a wave. You either ride it or drown. Corporate Japan, it fears, is riding it very unsteadily, its "AIQ" dangerously low. It risks finding itself on the wrong side of the "AI gap" — where, really, there is no future.

The annual CES makes for as good a prologue as any. CES is the current official name for what used to be called the Consumer Electronics Show, sponsored by the American Consumer Technology Association. Its history goes back 50 years. Pocket radios were the hot item at the maiden expo in 1967. Last month in Las Vegas, "smart" was the key word — smart appliances, smart speakers, smart bots, smart cars, even a smart dog — all AI-enhanced, the better to serve you, dance to your tune, meet your needs, fulfill your dreams, gratify your whims, turn life into a never-ending carnival of ease, entertainment, wealth creation and who knows what else.