Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

Question-and-answer flashcards covering core definitions, applications, goals, techniques, history, and societal impacts of artificial intelligence.

What is artificial intelligence (AI) in its broadest sense?

Intelligence exhibited by machines, particularly computer systems.

Which academic field develops methods and software that allow machines to perceive their environment and act intelligently?

Computer science (specifically the field of artificial-intelligence research).

Name three high-profile applications of AI.

Examples include advanced web search engines, recommendation systems, and autonomous vehicles (others: virtual assistants, generative tools, super-human game play).

Give two examples of virtual assistants that rely on AI.

Google Assistant, Siri (also Alexa).

Why are some useful, common applications no longer labeled as AI?

Once technology becomes useful and commonplace, it is often no longer perceived or marketed as AI.

List four traditional goals of AI research.

Reasoning, knowledge representation, planning, learning (others: natural-language processing, perception, robotics support).

What long-term goal of AI seeks the ability to complete any human task at an equal level?

General intelligence (often called artificial general intelligence or AGI).

Name four techniques or tools commonly used by AI researchers.

Search and mathematical optimization, formal logic, artificial neural networks, statistical and economic methods (also operations research).

Which other academic disciplines does AI draw upon?

Psychology, linguistics, philosophy, neuroscience, among others.

In what year was artificial intelligence founded as an academic discipline?

1956.

What term describes the periods of disappointment and funding loss in AI history?

AI winters.

Which breakthrough after 2012 reignited funding and interest in AI?

Deep learning outperforming previous AI techniques.

Which architecture introduced in 2017 further accelerated AI progress?

The transformer architecture.

What type of AI emerged during the recent AI boom and raised new concerns?

Advanced generative AI capable of creating and modifying content.

What has the emergence of advanced generative AI prompted in terms of policy?

Discussions about regulatory policies to ensure AI’s safety and benefit to society.