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Truth & Consequences

Who’s in the Zoo: A Brief Taxonomy of AI Systems

The ubiquity of AI begs for a good definition. But there is no simple definition—a myriad of different technologies huddle under the AI umbrella.
Who’s in the zoo: a brief taxonomy of AI systems

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By Ron Wilson

What’s at stake:
With all the claims and commentary about AI systems, you can’t tell the insightful from the frightful without a program. That means digging into the different things hiding under the AI umbrella.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere. From medical research labs to your car, from police stations to your vacuum cleaner, there is no escaping it. This ubiquity begs for a good definition. But there is no simple definition — a myriad of different technologies huddle under the AI umbrella.

Unfortunately, the term itself can add perceived value to a product. So AI gets stretched beyond its natural bounds, to fit any situation where it might improve profit margins. But to understand what is really happening with AI today we need a more precise definition.


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