Artificial intelligence(AI) Artificial intelligence ( AI ) is the intelligence of machines or software , as opposed to the intelligence of humans or animals. It is a field of study in computer science which develops and studies intelligent machines. It may also refer to the intelligent machines themselves. AI technology is widely used throughout industry, government and science. Some high-profile applications are: advanced web search engines (e.g., Google Search ), recommendation systems (used by YouTube , Amazon , and Netflix ), understanding human speech (such as Google Assistant , Siri , and Alexa ), self-driving cars (e.g., Waymo ), generative and creative tools ( ChatGPT and AI art ), and superhuman play and analysis in strategy games (such as chess and Go ). Artificial intelligence was founded as an academic discipline in 1956. The field went through multiple cycles of optimism followed by disappointment and loss of funding,