ABSTRACT
Like many a supposedly contemporary phenomenon, artificial intelligence (AI) is in fact an ancient invention. While AI generates increasing systems of interconnected self-learning, it does not automatically spawn a common set of human reactions or values in terms of those engaging with newest technologies. The relation between AI and its technologies, including particularly people’s experiences or views of AI, is a complicated one. For most people today, AI denotes chatbots and complex algorithms, not the definitional argumentation of computer scientists. Indeed, some of those who drop reference to AI in daily conversation are probably unaware that there exists a rich scientific and philosophical debate as to whether AI can replicate human intelligence at all. The discrepancy between AI as thought experiment and AI as actuality is one which has played out, sometimes dramatically, in assessing the possibility of thinking machines. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
