Interview: What Does the ‘I’ in AI Really Mean?

Is it possible that AI is — or might one day become — truly intelligent? Undark posed the question to five experts in linguistics, computer science, cognitive science, and psychology. They offered very different answers, though they agreed that the term “intelligence” is vague and poorly suited to…

Résumé

Defining artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems designed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence.

These tasks include understanding language, recognizing images, making decisions, and learning from experience.

The term artificial distinguishes these systems from natural intelligence found in humans and animals, while intelligence highlights their ability to process information, solve problems, or adapt to new situations.

AI systems operate using algorithms, which are step-by-step instructions that guide their operations.

Unlike traditional software, which follows fixed rules, AI systems often rely on machine learning, a subset of AI where models improve their performance as they are exposed to more data.

The concept of AI has evolved since the term was coined in 1956 at a Dartmouth College conference, where researchers first explored the possibility of creating machines that could simulate human thought processes.