BCS Glossary of Computing, 14th Edition

B8 ARTIFICIAL OR MACHINE INTELLIGENCE

Artificial or machine intelligence (AI) is the study and modelling of the relationships between all aspects of intelligence. We have common sense notions of (human or animal) ‘intelligence’ or ‘creativity’. In describing the behaviour of machines we tend to use these terms for activities that would require intelligence or creativity when performed by people.

Reasons for developing AI include:

• making machines more capable;
• understanding human behaviour (cognitive science) better;
• understanding intelligence in all its forms.

Current applications of AI include:

• knowledge-based or expert systems;
• image processing;
• vision;
• natural language processing including voice recognition;
• machine learning;
• project ...