The applications of Artificial Intelligence lie all around us: in our homes, schools and offices, in our cinemas, in art galleries and - not least - on the Internet. Its results have been invaluable to biologists, psychologists, and linguists in helping to understand the processes of memory, learning, and language from a fresh angle. As a concept, Artificial Intelligence has fuelled and sharpened the philosophical debates concerning the nature of the mind, intelligence, and the uniqueness of human beings. Margaret A. Boden reviews the philosophical and technological challenges raised by Artificial Intelligence, considering whether programs could ever be really intelligent, creative or even conscious, and shows how the pursuit of Artificial Intelligence has helped us to appreciate how human and animal minds are possible.

"First published in hardback as AI: its nature and future, 2016" -- Title page verso.

What is artificial intelligence? --General intelligence as the Holy Grail -- Language, creativity, emotion -- Artificial neural networks -- Robots and artificial life -- But is it intelligence, really? -- The singularity.