"the study of methods by that a computer can simulate aspects of human intelligence. One aim of this study is to design a computer that might be able to reason for itself. A more attainable objective of work on AI is the development of systems that can work with NATURAL LANGUAGE, meaning the language that we speak and write as distinct from the artificial languages of programming. Another aspect of AI is the ability of the computer to search KNOWLEDGE in a DATABASE for the best possible reply to a question, because this has strong parallels with the way that we solve problems for ourselves. Another branch is the development of pattern-recognition systems that would allow a computer system a form of sight. and this has allowed the development of recognition systems for security purposes, based on fingerprints of eye patterns. Work on AI has also been useful for its side-effects, particularly on EXPERT SYSTEM research." Computers and IT, 2003.
"A branch of computer science that was pursued with great optimism in the 1960s and 70s, in an attempt to make computers think more like human beings. Typical problems tackled in AI departments are COMPUTER VISION, NATURAL LANGUAGE understanding and advanced ROBOTICS. The meagre rate of progress led to a more realistic understanding that these problems are vastly more difficult than was then thought. The effort has, however, produced many powerful programming techniques and software tools, most of which have yet to be exploited commercially, though the military emplys many in 'smart' weapons. The programming lamguages LISP and PROLOG and techniques such as EXPERT SYSTEMS, NEURAL NETWORKS and case-based reasoning all emerged from university AI research. The term AI became rather unfashionable (especially with funding bodies) and tends to be replaced nowadays by less hubristic titles such as Knowledge Engineering. A similar tendency is to sneak elements of AI into odinary software products so that the user is aware only of improved performance; for example a word processor that can generate an automatic summary of a document." The Penguin Concise Dictionary of Computing, 2003.
"artificial intelligence, (the study of) the capacity of machines to simulate intelligent human behaviour; abbrev. AI s.v. A III;" Oxford English Dictionary, 2002.
"Generally, Artificial Intelligence is the field concerned with developing techniques to allow computers to act in a manner that seems like an intelligent organism, such as a human would." The International Dictionary of Artificial Intelligence, 1999.
"the use of computers in such a way that they perform functions normally associated with human intelligence, such as learning, adapting, self-correction and decision-taking" The Chambers Dictionary, 1998.
"the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision making, and translation between languages." The New Oxford Dictionary of English, 1998.
"A discipline concerned with the building of computer programs that perform tasks requiring intelligence when done by humans." Oxford Dictionary of Computing, 1997.
"A branch of computer science whose goal is the design of machines that have attributes associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, vision, understanding speech, and, ultimately, consciousness." Frontiers of Complexity: The Searh for Order in a Chaotic World, 1995.
"the study of the modelling of human mental functions by computer programs." Collins English Dictionary, 1991.
"We define AI as the study of agents that receive percepts from the environment and perform actions."
Russell and Norvig, 2003.
"Artificial intelligence (also known as machine intelligence and often abbreviated as AI) is intelligence exhibited by any manufactured (i.e. artificial) system. The term is often applied to general purpose computers and also in the field of scientific investigation into the theory and practical application of AI."
Wikipedia, 2005.
"the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. The term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience."
Encyclopædia Britannica, 2005.
"Artificial intelligence ("AI") can mean many things to many people. Much confusion arises because the word 'intelligence' is ill-defined. The phrase is so broad that people have found it useful to divide AI into two classes: strong AI and weak AI."
Artificial Intelligence FAQ, 2004.