The electricity metaphor

Nikola Tesla - electricity, 1895 (the first electricity transmission plant operates)

"In the great enterprise at Niagara we see not only a bold engineering and commercial feat, but far more, a giant stride in the right direction as indicated both by exact science and philanthropy. Its success is a signal for the utilization of water powers all over the world, and its influence upon industrial development is incalculable." -Nikola Tesla, 1897

Jeff Bezos - the electricity metaphor, 2003 (the internet is "the new electricity")

"With innovation...every new thing creates two new questions and two new opportunities. And if you believe that, then you believe that where we are - this is what I think - I believe that where we are with the incredible kludge - and I haven't even talked about user interfaces on the web - there's so much kludge, so much terrible stuff, we are at the 1908 Hurley Washing Machine stage with the internet. That's where we are. We don't get our hair caught in it, but that's the level of primitiveness of where we are." -Jeff Bezos, 2003 (same link as above, timestamp here)

Andrew Ng - the electricity metaphor, 2017 (artificial intelligence is "the new electricity")

"The field of AI has had several winters before. I think the field was overhyped, went down, somewhat overhyped, went down...so we think there were maybe two winters in AI. But many disciplines undergo a few winters and then eternal spring. And I actually think that AI has passed into the phase of eternal spring. And I think one of the questions someone asked was 'when will AI no longer be the top technology' and I feel like if you look at silicon technology, I think we're in the eternal spring of silicon technology. Or maybe some other metal, some other material will surpass it, but the concept of a transistor and computational circuit - that seems like it's going to be with the human race for a long time. And I think we have reached that point for AI where AI - neural networks, deep learning - I think it will be with us for a long time. Can't predict hundreds of years out, but it could be a very long time. Because it's creating so much value already and because there is this clear roadmap for transforming several industries, even with the ideas we have, but hopefully there will be even more breakthroughs and even more of these technologies." -Andrew Ng, 2017 (same link as above, timestamp here)