The Evolution and Future of Artificial Intelligence: A Student's Guide
AI will drive widespread transformations in industries as it becomes more integrated into business operations. By automating repetitive tasks, AI will also ...
Alan Turing
One of the pioneers of intelligent computers was <anchor>Alan Turing</anchor>. Often credited with laying the foundational theory for modern computing, he proposed the concept of a machine that could simulate any other machine (the Turing Machine) in the 1930s. His famous Turing Test, proposed in the 1950s, was a fundamental contribution to the field of AI, challenging whether machines could mimic human intelligence. However, it wasn’t until 1955 that John McCarthy founded AI as an academic discipline and called it “artificial intelligence.” He also developed a programming language called LISP in the late 1950s, which became crucial to AI development.
Artificial intelligence (AI) | Definition, Examples, Types, Applications, Companies, & Facts | Britannica
Artificial intelligence (AI) \| Definition, Examples, Types, Applications, Companies, & Facts \| Britannica

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[artificial intelligence](https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence)

Table of Contents


- [Introduction & Top Questions](/technology/artificial-intelligence)

- [What is intelligence?](/technology/artificial-intelligence#ref219078)



- [Learning](/technology/artificial-intelligence#ref219079)

- [Reasoning](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Reasoning)

- [Problem solving](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Reasoning#ref219081)

- [Perception](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Reasoning#ref219082)

- [Language](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Reasoning#ref219083)

- [Methods and goals in AI](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Methods-and-goals-in-AI)



- [Symbolic vs. connectionist approaches](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Methods-and-goals-in-AI#ref219085)

- [Artificial general intelligence (AGI), applied AI, and cognitive simulation](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Methods-and-goals-in-AI#ref219086)

- [AI technology](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Methods-and-goals-in-AI#ref380007)



- [Machine learning](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Methods-and-goals-in-AI#ref380008)

- [Large language models and natural language processing](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Methods-and-goals-in-AI#ref380009)

- [Autonomous vehicles](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Methods-and-goals-in-AI#ref380010)

- [Virtual assistants](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Methods-and-goals-in-AI#ref380011)

- [Risks](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Methods-and-goals-in-AI#ref380012)

- [Is artificial general intelligence (AGI) possible?](/technology/artificial-intelligence/Is-artificial-general-intelligence-AGI-possible)


[References & Edit History](https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/additional-info) [Quick Facts & Related Topics](/facts/artificial-intelligence)

[Images & Videos](https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/images-videos)

[![artificial intelligence](https://cdn.britannica.com/47/246247-004-A5C75243/AI-text-to-image-photo-robot-with-computer.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/47/246247-050-F1021DE9/AI-text-to-image-photo-robot-with-computer.jpg)[![Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue](https://cdn.britannica.com/62/71262-004-1000E923/Garry-Kasparov-Deep-Blue-IBM-computer.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/62/71262-050-25BFC8AB/Garry-Kasparov-Deep-Blue-IBM-computer.jpg)[![TikTok account featuring a deepfake of Keanu Reeves](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/248994-004-39B05862/Unreal-Keanu-Reeves-TikTok-account-on.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/248994-050-ACACA5D2/Unreal-Keanu-Reeves-TikTok-account-on.jpg)[![conversation with ChatGPT](https://cdn.britannica.com/11/239811-004-46FA9CC9/ChatGPT-Conversation-Encyclopedia-article.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/11/239811-050-E7D2231E/ChatGPT-Conversation-Encyclopedia-article.jpg)[![Google data center](https://cdn.britannica.com/97/248597-004-92466323/Aerial-Google-data-center-eemshaven-Holland-the-netherlands.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/97/248597-050-A94670A5/Aerial-Google-data-center-eemshaven-Holland-the-netherlands.jpg)[![Attila the robot](https://cdn.britannica.com/75/65775-004-28DCB46E/robot-Attila-Hannibal-robots-exploration-research-project.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/75/65775-004-28DCB46E/robot-Attila-Hannibal-robots-exploration-research-project.jpg)[![Genghis the robot](https://cdn.britannica.com/76/65776-004-16019FEB/Genghis-robot-MIT-efficacy-robots-surface-Martian.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/76/65776-004-16019FEB/Genghis-robot-MIT-efficacy-robots-surface-Martian.jpg)[![Herbert the robot](https://cdn.britannica.com/56/65356-004-2DB7470F/Herbert-Simon-robot-compass-laser-scanner-sensors-1987.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/56/65356-004-2DB7470F/Herbert-Simon-robot-compass-laser-scanner-sensors-1987.jpg)[![three stages of mobile robot development for the Mars Rover Research Project](https://cdn.britannica.com/74/65774-004-6505892A/Mars-Rover-Research-Project-Three-stages-robot.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/74/65774-004-6505892A/Mars-Rover-Research-Project-Three-stages-robot.jpg)[![Pebbles the robot](https://cdn.britannica.com/12/62112-004-2DDEC392/Pebbles-robot-control-system-size-part-obstacles.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/12/62112-050-27372350/Pebbles-robot-control-system-size-part-obstacles.jpg)

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[Computers and Technology Quiz](/quiz/computers-and-technology)

Related Questions


- [What is artificial intelligence?](/question/What-is-artificial-intelligence)

Read Next


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[The Future of Information and Education](/story/the-future-of-information-and-education)

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[Pro and Con: Artificial Intelligence](/story/pro-and-con-artificial-intelligence)

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[Timeline of the September 11 Attacks](/list/timeline-of-the-september-11-attacks)


Contents


[Technology](/browse/Technology)[Computers](/browse/Computers)

# artificial intelligence



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External Websites


- [National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - The rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare applications](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7325854/)
- [Lifewire - What is artificial intelligence?](https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-artificial-intelligence-5119206)
- [Harvard University - Science in the News - The History of Artificial Intelligence](https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/history-artificial-intelligence/)
- [Computer History Museum - AI and Robotics](https://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/ai-robotics/)
- [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Artificial Intelligence](https://iep.utm.edu/artificial-intelligence/)

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

- [artificial intelligence - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/artificial-intelligence/390648)
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- [National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - The rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare applications](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7325854/)
- [Lifewire - What is artificial intelligence?](https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-artificial-intelligence-5119206)
- [Harvard University - Science in the News - The History of Artificial Intelligence](https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/history-artificial-intelligence/)
- [Computer History Museum - AI and Robotics](https://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/ai-robotics/)
- [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Artificial Intelligence](https://iep.utm.edu/artificial-intelligence/)

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

- [artificial intelligence - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/artificial-intelligence/390648)
- [artificial intelligence (AI) - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/artificial-intelligence-AI/272968)

Also known as: AI


Written by


[B.J. Copeland\
\
Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Turing Archive for the History of Computing, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Author of _Artificial Intelligence_ and others.](/contributor/BJ-Copeland/4511)

B.J. Copeland

Fact-checked by

[The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica\
\
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.](/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419)

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated:

Sep 12, 2024
• [Article History](https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/additional-info#history)


Table of Contents


[![artificial intelligence](https://cdn.britannica.com/47/246247-050-F1021DE9/AI-text-to-image-photo-robot-with-computer.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https://cdn.britannica.com/47/246247-050-F1021DE9/AI-text-to-image-photo-robot-with-computer.jpg)

artificial intelligence

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Key People: [Geoffrey Hinton](/biography/Geoffrey-Hinton)[Marvin Minsky](/biography/Marvin-Lee-Minsky)[Edward Albert Feigenbaum](/biography/Edward-Albert-Feigenbaum)[Allen Newell](/biography/Allen-Newell)[John McCarthy](/biography/John-McCarthy)_(Show more)_

Related Topics: [history of artificial intelligence (AI)](/science/history-of-artificial-intelligence)[computational aesthetics](/topic/computational-aesthetics)[prompt engineering](/technology/prompt-engineering)[three laws of robotics](/topic/Three-Laws-of-Robotics)[generative AI](/technology/generative-AI)_(Show more)_

[See all related content →](/facts/artificial-intelligence)

Ask the Chatbot a Question

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Top Questions


### What is artificial intelligence?

Artificial intelligence is the ability of a [computer](https://www.britannica.com/technology/computer) or computer-controlled [robot](https://www.britannica.com/technology/robot-technology) to perform tasks that are commonly associated with the [intellectual processes characteristic of humans](https://www.britannica.com/science/human-intelligence-psychology), such as the ability to reason. Although there are as yet no AIs that match full human flexibility over wider domains or in tasks requiring much everyday knowledge, some AIs perform specific tasks as well as humans. [Learn more.](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Artificial-Intelligence-AI-At-a-Glance-2235722)

### Are artificial intelligence and machine learning the same?

No, artificial intelligence and [machine learning](https://www.britannica.com/technology/machine-learning) are not the same, but they are closely related. Machine learning is the method to train a [computer](https://www.britannica.com/technology/computer) to learn from its inputs but without explicit programming for every circumstance. Machine learning helps a computer to achieve artificial intelligence.

## Recent News

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**artificial intelligence (AI)**, the ability of a digital [computer](https://www.britannica.com/technology/computer) or computer-controlled [robot](https://www.britannica.com/technology/robot-technology) to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. The term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with the [intellectual](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intellectual) processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience. Since their development in the 1940s, [digital computers](https://www.britannica.com/technology/digital-computer) have been programmed to carry out very complex tasks—such as discovering proofs for mathematical theorems or playing [chess](https://www.britannica.com/topic/chess)—with great proficiency. Despite continuing advances in computer processing speed and memory capacity, there are as yet no programs that can match full human flexibility over wider domains or in tasks requiring much everyday knowledge. On the other hand, some programs have attained the performance levels of human experts and professionals in executing certain specific tasks, so that artificial intelligence in this limited sense is found in applications as [diverse](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diverse) as medical [diagnosis](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diagnosis), computer [search engines](https://www.britannica.com/technology/search-engine), voice or handwriting recognition, and [chatbots](https://www.britannica.com/topic/chatbot).

## What is intelligence?

AI & your money

Artificial intelligence is changing how we interact online, how we manage our finances, and even how we work. Learn more with **Britannica Money**.

- [Using AI for money management](https://www.britannica.com/money/generative-ai-financial-use-cases)

- [How AI is changing work](https://www.britannica.com/money/examples-of-ai-in-the-workplace)

- [Ethical questions and AI](https://www.britannica.com/money/ai-ethical-issues)

- [AI and regulation](https://www.britannica.com/money/ai-rules-and-regulations)

- [Investing in AI stocks](https://www.britannica.com/money/investing-in-ai-stocks)


All but the simplest human behavior is ascribed to intelligence, while even the most complicated [insect](https://www.britannica.com/animal/insect) behavior is usually not taken as an indication of intelligence. What is the difference? Consider the behavior of the digger [wasp](https://www.britannica.com/animal/wasp), _Sphex ichneumoneus_. When the female wasp returns to her burrow with food, she first deposits it on the [threshold](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threshold), checks for intruders inside her burrow, and only then, if the coast is clear, carries her food inside. The real nature of the wasp’s [instinctual behavior](https://www.britannica.com/animal/insect/Role-of-hormones#ref41274) is revealed if the food is moved a few inches away from the entrance to her burrow while she is inside: on emerging, she will repeat the whole procedure as often as the food is displaced. Intelligence—conspicuously absent in the case of the wasp—must include the ability to adapt to new circumstances.

[_(Read Ray Kurzweil’s Britannica essay on the future of “Nonbiological Man.”)_](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nonbiological-Man-Hes-Closer-Than-You-Think-2118807)

[![computer chip. computer. Hand holding computer chip. Central processing unit (CPU). history and society, science and technology, microchip, microprocessor motherboard computer Circuit Board](https://cdn.britannica.com/63/166063-131-0E023062/computer-chip-processing-unit-history-society-science.jpg)\
\
Britannica Quiz\
\
Computers and Technology Quiz](/quiz/computers-and-technology)

[Psychologists](https://www.britannica.com/science/psychology) generally characterize [human intelligence](https://www.britannica.com/science/human-intelligence-psychology) not by just one trait but by the combination of many diverse abilities. Research in AI has focused chiefly on the following components of intelligence: learning, reasoning, [problem solving](https://www.britannica.com/science/problem-solving), [perception](https://www.britannica.com/topic/perception), and using language.

## [Learning](https://www.britannica.com/technology/machine-learning)

There are a number of different forms of learning as applied to artificial intelligence. The simplest is learning by trial and error. For example, a simple [computer](https://www.britannica.com/technology/computer) program for solving mate-in-one [chess](https://www.britannica.com/topic/chess) problems might try moves at random until mate is found. The program might then store the solution with the position so that, the next time the computer encountered the same position, it would recall the solution. This simple memorizing of individual items and procedures—known as rote learning—is relatively easy to [implement](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implement) on a computer. More challenging is the problem of [implementing](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implementing) what is called [generalization](https://www.britannica.com/topic/generalization). Generalization involves applying past experience to [analogous](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analogous) new situations. For example, a program that learns the past tense of regular English verbs by rote will not be able to produce the past tense of a word such as _jump_ unless the program was previously presented with _jumped_, whereas a program that is able to generalize can learn the “add _-ed_” rule for regular verbs ending in a consonant and so form the past tense of _jump_ on the basis of experience with similar verbs.

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_[(Read Yuval Noah Harari’s Britannica essay on the future of “Nonconscious Man.”)](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Our-Nonconscious-Future-2119857)_