[imiric]

The reason ML took off in the 2010s is because hardware finally became powerful enough to brute force classical solutions. If anything, this lends credence to the idea that these are more than just "parlor tricks", but that with sufficient hardware we can approximate the value of intelligence. We've certainly experienced the leaps in just the last few years when more hardware is thrown at the problem. Imagine what can be accomplished in the next decade or two based on this growth alone.

We don't necessarily have to replicate the way the human brain works, but as long as the machine is capable of performing quasi-cognitive tasks, there will be immense value (and disruption) to society.