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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

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

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This HAI program covers technical fundamentals, business implications, and societal considerations.
The AI Sovereignty Paradox: Should Countries Buy, Build, or Lease to Maintain Strategic Control of Their AI?
Shana Lynch
Jul 14
News

As nations invest billions to reduce reliance on foreign AI providers, a new Stanford HAI report surveys commercial sovereignty solutions and assesses the extent to which they meaningfully reduce dependencies on U.S. tech giants.

The AI Sovereignty Paradox: Should Countries Buy, Build, or Lease to Maintain Strategic Control of Their AI?

Shana Lynch
Jul 14

As nations invest billions to reduce reliance on foreign AI providers, a new Stanford HAI report surveys commercial sovereignty solutions and assesses the extent to which they meaningfully reduce dependencies on U.S. tech giants.

Government, Public Administration
International Affairs, International Security, International Development
Regulation, Policy, Governance
News
The Commercial Landscape of AI Sovereignty Offerings
Caroline Meinhardt, Juan N. Pava, Caroline Yee, James Landay
Deep DiveJul 15
Issue Brief

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

The Commercial Landscape of AI Sovereignty Offerings

Caroline Meinhardt, Juan N. Pava, Caroline Yee, James Landay
Deep DiveJul 15

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
Issue Brief
Stanford Study Exposes Major Flaw in AI Mental Health Safety Testing
Andrew Myers
Jul 13
News
mental health ai illustration head with binary code

With increased use of chatbots in mental health contexts, AI developers now rely on human experts to evaluate AI’s responses for “safety” – but experts rarely agree on what’s safe.

Stanford Study Exposes Major Flaw in AI Mental Health Safety Testing

Andrew Myers
Jul 13

With increased use of chatbots in mental health contexts, AI developers now rely on human experts to evaluate AI’s responses for “safety” – but experts rarely agree on what’s safe.

Healthcare
Generative AI
Privacy, Safety, Security
mental health ai illustration head with binary code
News
Operationalizing Real-Time Monitoring of Clinical AI
Zhongnan Fang, Lina Cheuy, Hye Sun Na, Akshay Chaudhari, David B. Larson
Quick ReadMay 14
Policy Brief

This brief demonstrates how real-time monitoring can address critical gaps in the oversight of radiological AI tools.

Operationalizing Real-Time Monitoring of Clinical AI

Zhongnan Fang, Lina Cheuy, Hye Sun Na, Akshay Chaudhari, David B. Larson
Quick ReadMay 14

This brief demonstrates how real-time monitoring can address critical gaps in the oversight of radiological AI tools.

Healthcare
Regulation, Policy, Governance
Policy Brief
Stanford Scientists Build an AI Lab Partner
Nikki Goth Itoi
Jul 09
News
DNA molecule spiral. 3d rendering

Biomni can analyze mountains of medical data, spot patterns humans might miss, and even design experiments—helping researchers make discoveries faster in the race to cure disease.

Stanford Scientists Build an AI Lab Partner

Nikki Goth Itoi
Jul 09

Biomni can analyze mountains of medical data, spot patterns humans might miss, and even design experiments—helping researchers make discoveries faster in the race to cure disease.

Sciences (Social, Health, Biological, Physical)
DNA molecule spiral. 3d rendering
News
Data Privacy and Foundation Models: Can We Have Both?
Jennifer King, Tiffany Saade
Quick ReadApr 08
Issue Brief

This brief examines the privacy risks foundation models pose to individuals and society, and governance mechanisms needed to address them.

Data Privacy and Foundation Models: Can We Have Both?

Jennifer King, Tiffany Saade
Quick ReadApr 08

This brief examines the privacy risks foundation models pose to individuals and society, and governance mechanisms needed to address them.

Privacy, Safety, Security
Foundation Models
Regulation, Policy, Governance
Issue Brief
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? | Stanford HAI