Defining AI

Before we progress through this course, we need to develop a working definition for artificial intelligence. 

So how do we define artificial intelligence (AI)?
The term “artificial intelligence” was first coined by famous computer technologist, Professor John McCarthy in 1956 during the pivotal Dartmouth workshop. His definition called AI “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines” – John McCarthy This definition is conveniently succinct and focusses on technological aspects of AI.

A more modern, textbook definition was published in 2021 by Pearson Education and authored by Stuart Russell: “Artificial intelligence, in its broadest sense, is intelligence exhibited by machines, particularly computer systems. It is a field of research in computer science that develops and studies methods and software that enable machines to perceive their environment and use learning and intelligence to take actions that maximise their chances of achieving defined goals” – Artificial intelligence: a modern approach. This definition broadens the concept of AI beyond simply technology building, to consider AI systems themselves and how they engage with learning and environment.

A final useful definition can be found in the description of the 2024 Noble Prize in Physics, which was awarded to Professor John Hopfield and Professor Geoffrey Hinton for their work on AI: “The development of machine learning has exploded over the past fifteen to twenty years and utilises a structure called an artificial neural network. Nowadays, when we talk about artificial intelligence, this is often the type of technology we mean. Although computers cannot think, machines can now mimic functions such as memory and learning” – Anna Davour (Nobel Prize Outreach). This definition not only considers the technology of AI but also its interface with what has historically been considered human, and highlights the rapid development of AI systems into this sphere.

Image from Johan Jarnestad

TASK: What do you think about these definitions of AI? Are they sufficient to encompass everything you mean when you use the term? 

Ask a large language model of your choice (ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Claude, Grok, Copilot, etc.) to define AI. Try customising your prompt to flesh out the definition. For example, you could ask: “Define AI in exactly 20 words, in Dickensian English”. 

Post responses and thoughts in the comments area below.