What is artificial intelligence?

Artificial intelligence, or AI, refers to computer systems designed to carry out tasks that usually need human thinking — recognising speech, understanding images, making decisions, or translating languages. Modern AI relies heavily on machine learning, where systems improve by finding patterns in large amounts of data rather than following fixed rules. The term was coined at a 1956 conference at Dartmouth College. AI now powers everyday tools from search engines and recommendations to voice assistants and self-driving research.