Artificial intelligence ( AI , also machine intelligence , MI ) is intelligence demonstrated by machines , in contrast to the natural intelligence ( NI ) displayed by humans and other animals. In computer science AI research is defined as the study of " intelligent agents ": any device that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of successfully achieving its goals. [1] Colloquially, the term "artificial intelligence" is applied when a machine mimics "cognitive" functions that humans associate with other human minds , such as "learning" and "problem solving". [2] The scope of AI is disputed: as machines become increasingly capable, tasks considered as requiring "intelligence" are often removed from the definition, a phenomenon known as the AI effect , leading to the quip, "AI is whatever hasn't been done yet." [3] For instance, optical character recognition is...