Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (also known as machine intelligence and often abbreviated as AI) is intelligence exhibited by any manufactured (i.e. ) 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. "AI" the term is often used in works of science fiction to refer to that which exhibits artificial intelligence as well, as in "the AI" referring to a singular discrete or distributed mechanism.

Languages, Programming Style and Software Culture

GOFAI research is often done in Lisp or Prolog.

Related Topics:
Lisp - Prolog

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Bayesian work often uses Matlab or Lush Programming Language (a numerical dialect of Lisp). These languages include many specialist probabilistic libraries.

Related Topics:
Matlab - Lush Programming Language

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Real-life and especially real-time systems are likely to use C++.

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AI programmers are often academics and emphasise rapid development and prototyping rather than bulletproof software engineering practices. Hence the use of interpreted languages to empower rapid command-line testing and experimentation. AI culture is historically tied to Unix and hacker cultures.

Related Topics:
Unix - Hacker

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The most basic AI program is a single If-Then statement, such as "If A, then B." If you type an 'A' letter, the computer will show you a 'B' letter. Basically, you are teaching a computer to do a task. You input one thing, and the computer responds with something you told it to do or say. All programs have If-Then logic. A more complex example is if you type in "Hello.", and the computer responds "How are you today?" This response is not the computer's own thought, but rather a line you wrote into the program before. Whenever you type in "Hello.", the computer always responds "How are you today?". It seems as if the computer is alive and thinking to the casual observer, but actually it is an automated response. AI is often a long series of If-Then (or Cause and Effect) statements.

Related Topics:
If-Then statement - Input - Cause and Effect

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A randomizer can be added to this. The randomizer creates two or more response paths. For example, if you type "Hello", the computer may respond with "How are you today?" or "Nice weather" or "Would you like to play a game?" Three responses (or 'thens') are now possible instead of one. There is an equal chance that any one of the three responses will show. This is similar to a pull-cord talking doll that can respond with a number of sayings. A computer AI program can have 1,000s of responses to the same input. This makes it less predictable and closer to how a real person would respond, because a living person would respond unpredictably. When 1,000s of input (Ifs) are written in (not just "Hello.") and 1,000s of responses (Thens) written into the AI program, then the computer can talk (or type) with most people, if those people know the If statement input lines to type.

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Many games, like chess and strategy games, use action responses instead of typed responses, so that players can play against the computer. Robots with AI brains would use If-Then statements and randomizers to make decisions and speak. However, the input may be a sensed object in front of the robot instead of a "Hello." line, and the response may be to pick up the object instead of a response line.

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