Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science focused on creating systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. AI is not about replacing human intelligence, but rather augmenting it to handle repetitive or complex tasks with greater speed and accuracy. The term "artificial intelligence" was coined by John McCarthy in 1956.
AI's development can be traced back to the mid-20th century, with significant milestones including Alan Turing's work on machine intelligence and the Dartmouth Workshop, which is widely considered the birth of AI as a research field. Early AI systems were rule-centric, evolving into more complex systems with the rise of machine learning and deep learning techniques. Today, AI is experiencing a boom, fueled by advancements in algorithms, hardware, and the availability of vast amounts of data.
AI applications span across numerous industries, including healthcare, finance, retail, manufacturing, and transportation. AI is used in recommendation systems, fraud detection, virtual assistants, medical diagnostics, personalized marketing, self-driving cars, and process automation. Generative AI, a subset of AI, can create new content like text, images, and videos, and is increasingly used in business to automate tasks and enhance decision-making. AI is also transforming how businesses operate, enabling more efficient data analysis, streamlined workflows, and data-driven decision-making.