Home › Technology › Artificial Intelligence & ML › Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence

AR-tuh-FISH-uhl in-TEL-uh-jens /ˌɑːrtɪˈfɪʃəl ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns/

nounC1GRETOEFLIELTS

formaltechnical

The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.

Often abbreviated as AI, it encompasses a broad range of technologies and goals, from narrow AI (performing specific tasks) to general AI (human-level intelligence across tasks).

The story behind the word. The term 'Artificial Intelligence' was famously coined by computer scientist John McCarthy in 1956 for the Dartmouth Conference, a seminal event in the field. 'Artificial' comes from the Latin `artificium`, meaning 'craft' or 'skill,' while 'intelligence' stems from the Latin `intelligentia`, meaning 'understanding' or 'discernment.' Together, they describe a craft-made understanding, a synthetic form of intellect.

Word relationships

AI: Common abbreviation, often used informally or in technical contexts.
machine intelligence: A more descriptive term, emphasizing the non-human origin of the intelligence.

natural intelligence: Refers to human or animal intelligence.

Commonly confused with

Machine Learning: Machine Learning is a subset of Artificial Intelligence that focuses on enabling systems to learn from data without explicit programming.

Word family

artificially intelligent (adjective): Possessing or exhibiting artificial intelligence.

Collocations

develop Artificial Intelligence
advances in Artificial Intelligence
the future of Artificial Intelligence
ethical Artificial Intelligence

Example sentences

"The rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence are transforming industries and raising profound questions about the future of work." Discussing the future of technology.
"Researchers at Google announced a breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence, allowing their system to generate highly realistic images from text prompts." A headline about a new AI system.

Memory hook

Think of 'Artificial' as 'artificially made' and 'Intelligence' as 'smart thinking.' It's smart thinking made by humans, not born naturally. Artificially Smart

When not to use

Avoid using 'Artificial Intelligence' interchangeably with 'Machine Learning' or 'Deep Learning' unless referring to the broader field. AI is the umbrella term.

Fun facts

The concept of intelligent machines dates back to ancient Greek myths, like Talos, a giant bronze automaton.
The first AI program, Logic Theorist, was written in 1955 by Allen Newell, Herbert A. Simon, and J. C. Shaw.

Explore more words

automation, algorithmic, cognitive, deepfake, auditory, Insight