How we think about AI is partly driven by how we have changed the usage of the word "artificial" over time, resulting in evolving attitudes and perceptions. John McCarthy’s selection of ‘artificial’ in coining the term artificial intelligence at a conference at Dartmouth College in 1956 was in keeping with the sentiments of the times, a technical and human achievement.
The Birth of Artificial Intelligence
In the post-war era, "artificial" was imbued with a sense of wonder and pioneering science. McCarthy would have undoubtedly been aware that the "artificial heart," the "artificial lung," and the "artificial satellite" represented the boldest aspirations of science when he wrote "Artificial Intelligence". The year before the Dartmouth conference, the New York Times headline, on July 31, 1955, announced to the world, “MAN REACHES INTO SPACE—PLANS ARE ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE.”
Changing Perceptions
A surge in artificial materials and products and expanding usage meant "artificial" began to diverge from innovative scientific pursuits. Synthetic fibers, plastics, and artificial ingredients in foods became commonplace, and the term took on a more negative connotation. These were less about making technological advances and more about substituting natural elements with imitation. Growing environmental and health concerns, further tarnishing the image of the artificial. Products were often seen as inferior substitutes for natural products.
Popular media also transformed the perception of AI. Films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Terminator portrayed AI as a malevolent force. These portrayals solidified the notion of AI as an unnatural and potentially dangerous creation.
Amazing or Artifice Intelligence
Artificial has an authenticity problem. Today, "artificial intelligence" is caught in semantic tension between amazing and artifice. It straddles connotations between the idea of innovation and cutting-edge technology involving scientific endeavors that great leaps forward and something that suggests an inauthentic artifice and source of apprehension. The rapid development of misinformation (e.g., deepfakes) and breakdowns in societal trust have exacerbated this apprehension.
Users and audiences associated with AI have to confront this duality, which reflects broader societal attitudes towards technology—its potential to revolutionize and its capacity to deceive. Any usage of AI must strive to overcome the negative connotations associated with the term "artificial.” As AI continues to advance, an audience will have to reconcile the desire to leverage innovations with the need for authenticity and confront the evolving meaning of the word that defines it.
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It's not hard to imagine John McCarthy encountering titles like this influencing his selection of 'Artificial.' Which leads to the follow-up, given all that has transpired, would he change his selection?
Artificial Intelligence, once confined to science fiction, now permeates daily life. AI defies precise definition, blurred by rapid evolution, our fluid understanding of its capabilities, and the dynamic interplay between humans and technology. This lexicon offers alternative perspectives, reframing AI’s monolithic view and illuminating its diverse applications and implications.
