A simple artificial intelligence definition is this: computer systems built to do tasks that usually need human intelligence, such as understanding language, recognizing images, solving problems, making predictions or learning from experience. The short form is AI. When your phone sorts photos by the faces in them, or your email moves junk into a spam folder, AI is doing the work.
So the artificial intelligence meaning covers both the technology and the field of study that builds it. If you need to define artificial intelligence for an exam, the first sentence above is enough. It does not mean the machine thinks or feels the way a person does; it means the machine produces results that would take thinking if a human did them.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Computer systems that perform tasks linked with human intelligenceShort form
AI (say ay-EYE)Part of speech
Noun phrase, uncountablePronunciation
ar-tuh-FISH-uhl in-TEL-uh-juhnsFirst used
In a research proposal written in 1955 for a 1956 summer workshop at Dartmouth CollegeKey branches
machine learning, computer vision, language processing, roboticsRegister
Neutral; used in science, business, news and daily talk
What does artificial intelligence mean?
The meaning of artificial intelligence is easier to see if you break the phrase into its parts. Artificial means made by people rather than occurring in nature. Intelligence means the ability to learn, understand and solve problems. Together they describe human-made systems with problem-solving abilities.
In practice, people use the phrase in three ways:
- The field: a branch of computer science. "She is studying artificial intelligence."
- The technology: the methods and software. "The bank uses AI to flag unusual payments."
- A system: one program or machine. "The new AI can describe a photo in words."
Artificial intelligence definition in practice: how it works
Most modern AI is built with machine learning. Instead of a programmer writing every rule, the system is shown many examples and adjusts itself to find patterns. Each step follows an algorithm, a set of instructions.
Systems that write text or answer questions work on a similar idea at a much larger scale. They are trained on huge amounts of text and learn to predict which words are likely to come next. The instruction you type to them is called a prompt.
Types of AI
| Type | Meaning | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow (weak) AI | Good at one task or a set of related tasks | All AI in use today |
| General AI | Could learn and reason across almost any task, like a person | Not achieved; experts disagree on when or whether it will be |
| Generative AI | Creates new text, images, sound or code | Widely used today; a kind of narrow AI |
| Rule-based (symbolic) AI | Follows rules written by humans | Older approach, still used in some systems |
Where you meet AI every day
- Maps that predict traffic and suggest a faster route.
- Translation apps that turn a menu into your own language.
- Voice assistants that set alarms or answer questions.
- Shopping and video sites that recommend what to watch or buy next.
- Banks that block a card when a payment looks like fraud.
- Hospitals that use software to help read scans, with doctors checking the results.
A short history of the term
Thinkers imagined machines that reason long before computers existed, but the phrase itself was introduced in a research proposal written in 1955 by a small group of scientists, inviting others to a summer workshop at Dartmouth College in 1956. That workshop is often called the birth of AI as a field. Progress came in waves: hopeful early decades, then periods of cut funding later nicknamed "AI winters." Faster computers and far more digital data later led to big advances in machine learning, and in recent years tools that generate text and images have reached the general public.
Debates around AI
AI raises questions that people answer differently. Supporters point to faster medical research, safer roads and help with routine work. Critics and many researchers raise concerns about jobs, privacy, bias learned from unfair data, false information and the safety of very powerful systems. Governments in several countries are writing rules for how AI may be used. Most people agree on one practical point: AI output can be wrong, so important results should be checked by a person.
Words from technology and research are grouped under science and ideas for more reading.
Frequently asked questions
What is the definition of artificial intelligence in simple words?
Artificial intelligence is when computers are built to do things that normally need a human mind, such as understanding speech, recognizing pictures or making decisions from data.
What does AI stand for?
AI stands for artificial intelligence. It is pronounced as two letters, ay-EYE.
Is AI the same as machine learning?
No. Machine learning is one way to build AI, where systems learn from examples. AI is the wider idea and also includes systems that follow hand-written rules.
Who coined the term artificial intelligence?
It was introduced in a research proposal written in 1955 by a group of computer scientists planning a workshop at Dartmouth College, held in 1956. One of them, a young mathematician, is usually credited with choosing the name.
Can artificial intelligence think like a human?
Not in the full sense. Today's AI can match or beat people at specific tasks, but it does not have human understanding, feelings or general common sense.
What are some examples of AI?
Spam filters, voice assistants, face unlock on phones, map route suggestions, translation tools and chat tools that answer questions in writing are all everyday examples.