Artificial intelligence has always been an exciting concept. AI technology helped to drive the computer revolution of the 1990s, has animated some of the toughest opponents to be faced in video games, and has lately become increasingly talkative on our smartphones. But now that the state of the art is starting to enable computer vision – the ability of software to use sensors to interpret visual data – things are getting really interesting.

As always, a sure sign of excitement is the flow of money, and that may be more true of AI than ever. From venture capitalists trying to place some smart bets, to well-established firms looking for opportunities to enhance their operations, groups with money to spend are starting to invest their resources in the AI space in a big way, underscoring the technology’s growing appeal and fueling the fire of its hype and potential.

Here are a few of the latest examples:

A range of investors are pouring millions into emerging AI specialists:

Montreal-Based Computer Vision Startup Gets $10M in Series-A Funding

Another Chinese AI Firm Gets Millions in Backing

Alibaba-Backed Funding Makes Biometric Surveillance Specialist the World’s Most Valuable AI Firm

AI is increasingly seen as offering compelling applications in markets beyond consumer tech:

New Acquisition to Enhance AI in Retail Robotics

Ericsson Looks to AI to Streamline LTE, 5G Networking

And police agencies from the local to the global level are investing for a different kind of payoff:

Orlando Police to Proceed with Rekognition Testing

INTERPOL Delves Into AI, Robotics