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What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a term coined in 1955 by John McCarthy, Stanford's first faculty member in AI, who described it as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines." Today it is a broad term for computer systems that can perform tasks with human-like intelligence, such as understanding language, recognizing images, learning from data, reasoning, and making decisions. Modern AI often works by finding patterns in large amounts of data and using those patterns to generate predictions or responses. It can be narrow (good at a specific task) or more general-purpose, like today’s large language models that can handle many tasks.


Artificial Intelligence (AI) mentioned at Stanford HAI

Explore Similar Terms

Machine Learning (ML) | AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) | Deep Learning

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This HAI program covers technical fundamentals, business implications, and societal considerations.
Your ‘For You’ Algorithm Disagrees With You
Andrew Myers
Aug 18
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A new Stanford-led study finds that X’s “For You” algorithm mistakes outrage for interest – and fills your feed accordingly.

Your ‘For You’ Algorithm Disagrees With You

Andrew Myers
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A new Stanford-led study finds that X’s “For You” algorithm mistakes outrage for interest – and fills your feed accordingly.

Design, Human-Computer Interaction
illustration of a woman staring at her phone that's filled with unhappy and angry emojis
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Regulating Data Brokers in the Age of AI: A California Case Study
Anna-Maria Gueorguieva, Jennifer King, Apoorva Panidapu, Daniel E. Ho
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Regulating Data Brokers in the Age of AI: A California Case Study

Anna-Maria Gueorguieva, Jennifer King, Apoorva Panidapu, Daniel E. Ho
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This brief assesses data broker compliance with California privacy laws and calls for more stringent consumer protections.

Privacy, Safety, Security
Regulation, Policy, Governance
Policy Brief
Companies That Buy and Sell Your Data Are Not Following California’s Strict Privacy Laws
Nikki Goth Itoi
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A new Stanford study shows data brokers are making it difficult for consumers to submit privacy requests and failing to report how many privacy requests they receive.

Companies That Buy and Sell Your Data Are Not Following California’s Strict Privacy Laws

Nikki Goth Itoi
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A new Stanford study shows data brokers are making it difficult for consumers to submit privacy requests and failing to report how many privacy requests they receive.

Privacy, Safety, Security
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This brief highlights the emergence of world models and outlines a first-of-its-kind governance and policy agenda for the technology.

The World Model and Spatial Intelligence Era: Governing AI Beyond Language

Daniel Zhang, Russell Wald, Ehsan Adeli, Elena Cryst, Daniel E. Ho, Caroline Meinhardt, Jiajun Wu, Amy Zegart, Fei-Fei Li
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This brief highlights the emergence of world models and outlines a first-of-its-kind governance and policy agenda for the technology.

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Regulation, Policy, Governance
Industry, Innovation
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Issue Brief
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Stanford HAI and the Hoover Institution’s Technology Policy Accelerator back projects examining AI's role in detecting nuclear proliferation, U.S.-China competition, and political influence.

New Stanford Grants Tackle AI's Impact on Global Security and Geopolitics

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Stanford HAI and the Hoover Institution’s Technology Policy Accelerator back projects examining AI's role in detecting nuclear proliferation, U.S.-China competition, and political influence.

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The Commercial Landscape of AI Sovereignty Offerings

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This brief surveys the commercial AI sovereignty market and argues that policymakers should focus on calibrating interdependence rather than pursuing full self-sufficiency.

International Affairs, International Security, International Development
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What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? | Stanford HAI