Artificial Intelligence
Chapter 1 · page 22
Definition
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to a set of computational methods and systems able to reproduce or simulate certain capacities usually associated with human intelligence. For example: understanding language, recognizing images, solving problems or learning from data. This is not conscious thought, but an ability to reproduce, through calculation, certain mechanisms of human reasoning, learning and perception.
Example
When we ask a voice assistant for the weather, or when Netflix recommends a series, we are already using AI systems. These tools analyze our requests, identify patterns in our habits and draw on models trained at scale to produce a relevant answer, without our needing to know anything about programming.
Why it matters
AI is transforming many fields: health, finance, education, sports, transport, artistic creation… It makes it possible to automate certain tasks and to extend human capacities, but it also creates new social, ethical and political risks. Understanding what artificial intelligence is means fantasizing less about its nature, being more realistic, and making better decisions about how we want to use it.
How to cite this text
Vial, S. (2026). Artificial Intelligence. In A Living Lexicon of Artificial Intelligence (p. 22). Stéphane Vial, publisher, Montréal.
