Okay so WTF is an AI?! and why is it all I'm hearing about?
AI = Artificial intelligence. And it's been around for a lot longer than you think. Like since the 50s… ever since we decided it would be useful to program computers to move from basic logic to more advanced reasoning.
When most people talk about AI today, what they're usually referring to is a Neural Network. Replicating the advanced cognition of a human brain with a computer.