By Riley Gutiérrez McDermid The snap-on acquisition was a no-brainer for Microsoft in many ways. American tech giant Microsoft (MSFT) – Get Microsoft Corporation Report has made a major push into artificial intelligence this week, closing its deal to acquire AI pioneer Nuance Communications Inc. The buyout will cost Microsoft $19.7 billion in an all-cash deal, and the company will take all of Nuance’s net debt as part of the terms. So why is the Seattle-based behemoth splashing out for Nuance in a volatile market and into an already-crowded sector? The short answer is because Nuance’s technolo…