artificial-intelligence

The term is a modern compound, first used in the mid-20th century to describe a new field of computer science. The first element, "artificial," traces back to the Latin ars (art, skill) and facere (to make), literally meaning "made by art or craft." The second element, "intelligence," originates from the Latin intellegere (to understand), from inter- (between) and legere (to choose, gather). Thus, the compound's literal logic is "human-crafted understanding," perfectly capturing the goal of creating machines that can mimic the human capacity to perceive, reason, and learn. It distinguishes this engineered capability from the natural, biological intelligence found in humans and animals.

Structure: artificial (made by human skill) + intelligence (ability to learn and understand) artificial: From Latin artificium (craftsmanship), via Old French. In this compound, it means "made by human skill, not natural." intelligence: From Latin intelligentia (understanding, knowledge). In this compound, it means "the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills."