There are many frontiers in computing, each with its own unique profundity in the types of changes it brings forward. With AI, the changes we see will remind us that the playing field for humans and computers is not equal, and how this technology contributes to our lives will present both incredible opportunities as well as some troubling challenges. In this special issue, Computer's editor in chief introduces some of the emerging transformations the future of AI brings to us as humans. © 1970-2012 IEEE.