Defining AI

AI = artificial intelligence

Intelligence?

The faculty of understanding.

-Oxford dictionary

The ability to perceive or infer information and to retain it as knowledge to be applied to adaptive behaviors within an environment or context.

-Wikipedia

L’intelligence y implique la capacité à résoudre des problèmes ou à produire des biens ayant une valeur dans un contexte culturel ou collectif précis. (Intelligence is the capacity to solve problems or to produce value according to a cultural or communal context)

-Howard Gardner, « Intelligences multiples – Une théorie qui bouleverse nos idées reçues »

Intelligence!

  • understanding
  • ability to perceive and retain information
  • problem-solving capacity
  • value production

Artificial?

AI is the study of how to make computers do things at which, at the moment, people are better.

-Elaine Rich & Kevin Knight (1983)

Agents that receive percepts from the environment and perform actions.

-Stuart Russell & Peter Norvig (1995)

Defining artificial intelligence (AI) is a persistent challenge, often muddied by technical ambiguity and varying interpretations. Commonly used definitions heavily emphasize technical properties of AI but neglect the human purpose of it…

-Johannes Dahlke (2026)

Artificial!

  • human-made computer programmes
  • perform actions designated by human
    • and often previously performed by human

Summary

  • our AIs
    • computer programmes
    • perform “intelligent” actions
      • perceive environement
      • retain information
      • solve problems
      • produce value