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Readings README (Do not skip!)
What is intelligence?
How do experts talk about it?
What has been uncovered?
What uniquely separates the phenomenon of intelligence from other similar phenomena in the world?
Are animals other than humans also intelligent?
Note: You are encouraged to find other material on this topic (please let instructor know if you find interesting things).
When engineers make an artifact, like a bridge or a space rocket, they start by listing the artifact's requirements. This way, for any proposed implementation, they can check their progress by comparing the performance of a prototype to these. The below papers consider what are necessary and sufficient requirements for a machine with real intelligence. (Therefore, these in fact speak to defining what 'intelligent systems' really means.)
Artificial intelligence (AI) started as a research field. It still is. Just like research results in physics are useful for engineering, results in AI are useful for industry. AI is still in formation, much like computer science. It is a knowledge-generating enterprise funded by the public through universities and competitive research grants. Applications of AI are funded by companies and through various other means (including competitive grants for applied research). The knowledge generated in AI research is in part determined by the nature of the enterprise - how it's organized, who are the influencers, what are low-hanging fruit, etc.
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