What is Artificial Intelligence?

A short summary of AI and how it relates to articles on Dystopian Meditations

If you are looking for a simple definition of Artificial Intelligence (AI), here is the Britannica definition: “the ability of a computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks that are commonly associated with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans”. This definition is apt for the purposes of reading anything I write on the topic of AI, but I believe that it is a definition worth dissecting for further clarity.

AI is a tricky term to define, since it has been applied across a broad range of contexts, with subtle discrepancies in meaning. The Britannica definition uses the phrase “intellectual processes characteristics”, which requires a definition of intellect. The most specific definition I can formulate on Intellect is: a series of diverse skills which work in conjunction to bring about a catered response to a situation or environment.

Under the Britannica definition of AI, the focus is placed on the task that is performed, not the mechanics that underpin it. Machines only need to demonstrate the illusion that they are adapting to specific situations using a range of varied skills to be considered AI. In the case of a machine that produces art, it is suggestive that it has emotionally processed information, learned a range of art fundamentals and made creative decisions. The reality is that it is just built on pattern and relationship recognition.