Artificial Intelligence: Definition and Background

Reading Chapter 1 will give you a solid introduction to Artificial Intelligence. This chapter explains the basic concepts, history, and applications of AI, so it is enough to broaden your knowledge without going too deep into technical details. If you find it interesting, feel free to explore the rest of the book at your own pace.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is introduced as a field that combines computer science, data, and problem-solving methods to create systems that can act intelligently. The chapter begins with a historical overview, from early symbolic AI and expert systems to modern machine learning and neural networks. It explains how AI has shifted from rule-based reasoning to data-driven learning.

The chapter also highlights practical applications, such as healthcare diagnostics, self-driving cars, language translation, and personalized recommendations. These examples show how AI is already part of our daily lives. At the same time, the text points out the ethical and social issues, including fairness, transparency, and responsibility in AI systems.