Artificial intelligence (AI)
Software that can do tasks such as finding patterns, working with language, or making plans. Those skills do not prove it thinks like a person.
A person writes the rules: “If the email mentions ‘lottery’, mark it as spam.”
Show the program ten thousand emails marked spam or not. It works out the patterns itself.
Most of what is called AI today is the second kind. It is powerful because nobody had to write the rules, and hard to explain for exactly the same reason.
The fuller definition
Artificial intelligence is the broad field of building computer systems that perform tasks associated with abilities such as recognizing patterns, generating language, planning, and solving problems.
Go deeper
- Recognize
Classify a document
- Generate
Draft a summary
- Act
Choose an authorized tool
A simplified relationship, not a screenshot or a complete design.
A concrete example
A document classifier and a conversational assistant are both AI systems, although they perform different tasks.
The distinction that matters
AI is a broad category, not a synonym for a chatbot or proof of human-like understanding.
Related terms
Machine learning (ML)
Building a program by training it on examples. The training shapes how it handles new input.
FoundationsGenerative AI
AI that makes content, such as text, images, or sound. What it makes may be wrong or may resemble existing work.
FoundationsLarge language model (LLM)
A program trained on enormous amounts of text so it can read and write language. ChatGPT and Claude are built on large language models.
Where it is taught
What actually happens when you ask AI a question?Source and further reading
Google · Machine Learning GlossaryThe definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.