Intelligence artificielle

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the set of computer systems capable of performing tasks typically associated with intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, or decision-making. Artificial intelligence is also the field of research aimed at developing such systems.

AI is a field of computer science that relies on mathematical foundations (statistics, linear algebra, probabilities) and concepts from cognitive sciences. It aims to solve problems with high logical or algorithmic complexity. By extension, in common language, AI includes devices imitating, simulating, or replacing humans in certain implementations of their cognitive functions.

The applications of AI cover many areas, including search engines, recommendation systems, medical diagnostic assistance, natural language understanding, autonomous cars, chatbots, image generation tools, automated decision-making tools, competitive programs in strategy games, and certain non-player characters in video games.

The field of research, established in 1956, experienced periods of optimism and disappointment throughout the 20th century. From 2012, the use of graphics processors significantly accelerated artificial neural networks, favouring the adoption of machine learning over approaches based on explicitly programmed rules. This trend strengthened in 2017 with the advent of the transformer architecture and large language models, which are trained on vast quantities of text from the internet. In 2022, generative AI was widely popularised with the release of ChatGPT. Models for generating music, images, or videos also emerged.

AI raises concerns regarding employment, misinformation, its environmental impact, and the protection of personal data. Some believe that advances in artificial intelligence could pose an existential risk.