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If you're lucky enough to be jetting off on your summer holidays this weekend, chances are your time at the airport will be a low-point. No matter how well-regarded a particular airport happens to be, the slog from curb to cabin is pretty much the same wherever you go. Look forward 20 years, however, it might just be a different story. Many of us will be driven to the terminal by autonomous cars; our eyes, faces, and fingers will be scanned; and our bags will have a permanent ID that allows them to be whisked from our homes before we even set out. And if you're not fortunate enough to be going on vacation this weekend, you'll have plenty of time to read about the airports of the future.

China's got a huge artificial intelligence plan. The country aims to make the artificial intelligence industry a "new, important" economic growth driver by 2020, according to a plan issued by the State Council. Policy makers think the industry can generate more than $59 billion of output per year by 2025. Key development areas include AI software and hardware, intelligent robotics and vehicles, virtual reality and augmented reality.