artificial intelligence

Coined by American computer scientist and cognitive scientist John McCarthy in 1955, and popularized at the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence, 1956.

• enPR: är′tə-fĭsh′əl ĭn-tĕl′ə-jəns
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɑː.təˈfɪʃ.əl ɪnˈtɛl.ə.d͡ʒəns/
• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˌɑɹ.təˈfɪʃ.əl ɪnˈtɛl.ə.d͡ʒəns/

  Audio (US):

  (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌɐː.təˈfɪʃ.əl ɪnˈtel.ə.d͡ʒəns/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˌɐː.təˈfəʃ.əl ənˈtel.ə.d͡ʒəns/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˌaɹ.təˈfɪʃ.əl ɪnˈtɛl.ə.d͡ʒəns/
• (India) IPA^(key): /ˌaːʳ.ʈiˈfɪʃ.al ɪnˈʈɛl.i.d͡ʒens/
• Hyphenation: ar‧ti‧fi‧cial in‧tel‧li‧gence

artificial intelligence (countable and uncountable, plural artificial intelligences)

1. Intelligence exhibited by an artificial (non-natural, human-made) entity.
   1. (computer science) The branch of computer science dealing with the reproduction or mimicking of human-level intelligence, self-awareness, knowledge, conscience, thought in computer programs.
      • 1988, Marvin Minsky, The Society of Mind:

        Research in the modern science of Artificial Intelligence started only in the 1950's, stimulated by the invention of modern computers. This inspired a flood of new ideas about how machines could do what only minds had done previously.

   2. The essential quality of a machine which thinks in a manner similar to or on the same general level as a real human being.

      This computer possesses artificial intelligence.

      • 2019 February 3, “UN Study: China, US, Japan Lead World AI Development”, in Voice of America‎, archived from the original on 7 February 2019:

        A United Nations agency says the United States, China and Japan are leading the world in developing artificial intelligence, or AI, technology.

   3. (video games) A character or entity controlled by the game instead of a player; AI.
      • 2013 March 19, “Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 review – scope for improvement”, in The Metro (UK)‎:

        The original Sniper: Ghost Warrior was a surprise hit when it was released in 2010. A surprise because it seemed an unequivocally awful game, with half broken graphics and artificial intelligence, a tediously linear story campaign, and an undernourished multiplayer mode.

   4. (countable, computing) A computer system or software package which is artificially intelligent.
      • 2025 May 12, Angela Giuffrida, “Zelenskyy invites Pope Leo to Ukraine as pontiff urges journalists to report truth”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:

        Leo also said journalists must use artificial intelligence with “responsibility and discernment”.

   5. (countable, chiefly science fiction) An intelligent, self-aware computer or computer program.
      • 1973, Gardner Dozois, Chains of the Sea, →ISBN, Chains of the Sea, page 83:

        While the humans scurried in confusion, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) created by MIT/Bell Labs linked itself into the network of high-speed, twentieth generation computers placed at its disposal by a Red Alert Priority, evaluated data thoughtfully for a minute and a half and then proceeded to get in touch with its opposite number in the Russian Republics.

      • 2000, Sheldon Pacotti (writer) & Warren Spector (director/producer), Deus Ex:

        What Daedadus really is, is the world's first successful wholly autonomous AI. Whatever mysterious organization managed to create the first true artificial intelligence succeeded so well that their creation managed to convince them that they'd failed... and then escaped.

      • 2001 January 15, Walter Jon Williams, All Great Neptune's Ocean (Andromeda), season 1, episode 10:

        Dylan Hunt: "This is Captain Dylan Hunt of the High Guard. Investigation has shown that an Artificial Intelligence was involved in the tragic death of your President. In such a case, Commonwealth law demands that the AI's personality be completely erased."

      • 2009, Josh Weisberg, “It Stands to Reason: Skynet and Self-preservation”, in Terminator and Philosophy: I'll Be Back, Therefore I Am, →ISBN:

        Also remember that Skynet's an artificial intelligence. Intelligence, for our purpose, means being able to use reason in order to achieve your goals.

• AI (initialism)
• machine intelligence
• synthetic intelligence

• intelligence
• (self-aware computer): see Thesaurus:sentient

• (deployed product): expert system
• (subbranch of computer science): expert systems

• (self-aware computer): Jeff Prucher, editor (2007), “artificial intelligence”, in Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, Oxford, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 10.
• (self-aware computer): Jesse Sheidlower, editor (2001–2025), “artificial intelligence n.”, in Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction.

• artificial intelligence on Wikipedia.Wikipedia