ML is already applied in many areas, so it's definitely not just hype. Every online search you do uses ML... Humans are quite terrible in "predicting" anything. There's not a single case of someone predicting something accurately over time. Playing the odds and managing the outcome is not "predicting".
How many saw 08 crysis coming besides the orchestrators? Evidence was all around but .... Collective human actions and complex systems are very hard to grasp with human brain, at least i find it hard. Maybe maximally interactions between 3-5 variables at a time using consious thinking. Only way i know is that if history repeats and if simialar patterns emerge. Also some things may have evolved as subconsious thinking. For example if i work with same people long enough i start to predict their actions and what they are likely to say next, do next or how they are likely to answer questions. Even bosses and company investors who showed up rarely were relatively predictable. But it didnot work on smart/er colleague who happened to be poker player. And i still dont understand some humans who talk little and control body language well (leak little info).